This picture is the poster of film Million Dollar Baby". A group of leading U.S. film critics named director Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" as the best film of 2004, and its star, Hilary Swank, shared best actress honors with Britain's Imelda Staunton in abortion drama "Vera Drake." (Photo: baidu.com)

A group of leading U.S. film critics named director Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" as the best film of 2004, and its star, Hilary Swank, shared best actress honors with Britain's Imelda Staunton in abortion drama "Vera Drake."

The National Society of film Critics picked "Sideways," about two middle-aged men looking for love on a wine-soaked holiday in California, as the runner-up for the year's best movie, and the film earned three top honors.

"Sideways" screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor won the award for best screenplay, and co-stars Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen were best supporting actor and supporting actress, respectively.

The 56 members of the National Society of Film Critics gather annually at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City to discuss films and performances; then they vote. The critics work for major newspapers and magazines across the United States.

Early critical picks and other awards often help narrow the list of potential nominees for Oscars,the U.S. film industry's top awards, given out in February by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

So far, "Million Dollar Baby," "Sideways" and romance "Finding Neverland" have shared some critics' awards. Still to come before the Oscars are the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild awards and other competitions, where films like Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" figure prominently.

In other categories, The National Society of Film Critics named Senegal's "Moolaade" from director Ousmane Sembene as the year's best foreign language movie, with "House of Flying Daggers" as runner-up and France's "Notre Musique," from director Jean-Luc Godard, as the No. 3 pick.

Payne, who also directed "Sideways," was the runner-up in the best director category to Chinese director Zhang Yimou for his martial arts film, "House of Flying Daggers." Eastwood was No. 3 in the category for best director.

Jamie Foxx was named best actor for two roles, soul singing legend Ray Charles in biopic "Ray," and a taxi driver who is held hostage by a murderer in "Collateral." Runner-up was Paul Giamatti for "Sideways" and No. 3 was Clint Eastwood as an aged trainer who teaches Swank's character to be a champion boxer.

The third spot in the best actress category belonged to Julie Delpy for romance "Before Sunset," which was the No. 3 movie of the year behind "Million Dollar Baby" and "Sideways."

The National Society of Film Critics named "Tarnation" as the year's best non-fiction film, and "House of Flying Daggers" was given the award for cinematography.