As Oscar hype begins to warm up, About Schmidt, the drama starring Jack Nicholson, has won the prestigious Los Angeles film critics' association best picture award.
Nicholson - no stranger to acting honours - also shared the best actor award with Daniel Day-Lewis, who won for Gangs of New York. About Schmidt's director, Election's Alexander Payne, missed out on the best director award. That was given to Pedro Almodovar for Talk To Her.
Julianne Moore was named best actress for Far From Heaven, an honour she can now add to the one she received for the same film at Venice.
Other winners included Chris Cooper (best supporting actor for Adaptation), Edie Falco (best supporting actress, for Sunshine State) and Y Tu Mama Tambien as best foreign language film. Scotswoman Lynne Ramsay kept British hopes afloat with the New Generation award for her dramas Ratcatcher and Morven Callar.
The awards, which were announced over the weekend, will be presented in January.
