George Clooney's 'Up in the Air' Wins Best Film Award Before It's Released

By Deena on

Pacific Coast News

George Clooney's upcoming flick Up in the Air hasn't even hit theaters yet, but apparently it's making a big splash with the Hollywood bosses, as the National Board of Review just gave it their Best Film of the Year award. Not too shabby, huh? And, if history repeats itself, this could mean big things come Oscar time.

George Clooney (Photo Agency)
The two past NBR winners, No Country for Old Men and Slumdog Millionaire, both took home the top prize at the Academy Awards.

George also won a best actor award, and Morgan Freeman did, too. Morgan got the honor for his role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, which isn't out in theaters yet either! Clint Eastwood directed it, and was named best director by the NBR.

Here's a list of all of the National Board of Review winners:

Best Film: Up in the Air

Best Actor: George Clooney, Up in the Air; Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, An Education

Best Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Best Director: Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Best Foreign Language Film: A Prophet

Best Documentary: The Cove

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Ensemble Cast: It's Complicated

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut: Duncan Jones, Moon; Oren Moverman, The Messenger; Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer

Best Original Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: Wes Anderson, The Fantastic Mr. Fox

William K. Everson Film History Award: Jean Picker Firstenberg

NBR Freedom of Expression: Burma Vj: Reporting From a Closed Country; Invictus; The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellseberg and the Pentagon Papers

10 Best Films:

• An Education
• (500) Days of Summer
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Invictus
• The Messenger
• A Serious Man
• Star Trek
• Up
• Where the Wild Things Are

See more pictures of George Clooney here (click any picture):