‘Belfast’ leads AARP Movies for Grownups Awards nominations

Erik Anderson January 11, 2022

With eight nominations, Belfast leads the list of nominees for the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which were announced on Tuesday.

West Side Story was next with with six; Nightmare Alley and Being the Ricardos with five apiece; King Richard with four; and The Duke, The Power of the Dog and The Tragedy of Macbeth with three each.

Belfast is joined by Being the Ricardos, King Richard, The Power of the Dog and West Side Story in the group’s best picture/best movie for grownups category.

Kenneth Branagh (Belfast), Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) and Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley) and Denis Villeneuve (Dune) are all up for Best Director while the lead acting nominations went to

Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), Frances McDormand (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Halle Berry (Bruised), Sandra Bullock (The Unforgivable), Helen Mirren (The Duke), Will Smith (King Richard), Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Peter Dinklage (Cyrano) and Jim Broadbent (The Duke).

On the television side, where there is no separation in the comedy and drama series categories, three shows tied with two nominations apiece: The Chair, The Crown and Hacks. All three are nominated for best TV series alongside Ted Lasso and Succession. Jean Smart (Hacks) and Gillian Anderson (The Crown) — both of whom won Emmys for their roles — are competing for best actress along with Sandra Oh (The Chair), Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie) and Andie MacDowell (Maid).

Best actor nominations went to Michael Keaton (Dopesick), Kevin Costner (Yellowstone), Billy Porter (Pose), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) and Ewan McGregor (Halston), who won an Emmy for his role in September.

TV movie/limited series contenders are: Halston, Maid, Mare of Easttown, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Underground Railroad.

“During the pandemic, movies have been a source of entertainment, comfort, connection and reflection for grownup audiences. TV and streaming have played those roles too, so we’re excited to continue with our expanded categories,” said Tim Appelo, AARP film and TV critic. “Every year, we spotlight films and shows that feature crucial issues, thoughtful storylines and the most talented grownup filmmakers that speak directly to a powerful 50-plus audience. Today’s nominations are another bumper year of masterworks — so many more than we had 20 years ago when Movies for Grownups started.”

Lily Tomlin, recipient of eight Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award, among many others, will receive this year’s Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award.

“We are thrilled to honor Lily Tomlin, a trailblazer whose six-decade career as an actress, comedian, writer and advocate continues to break through boundaries today,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “She’s an icon across mediums – as fresh, innovative, and influential today as when she revolutionized TV on Laugh-In in the ‘60s. In her current role on Grace and Frankie, in which she portrays issues of aging with respect, originality and hilarity, she continues to dismantle outdated stereotypes, demonstrating why she remains at the leading edge of pop culture.”

Ms. Tomlin said, “I am honored to receive this award from AARP. There are so few grownups in the world. I am happy to be one. I feel I am not only a grownup, but I am mature for my age and that’s the truthhhhh!”

The 20th AARP Movies for Grownups Awards winners will be announced at 9pm ET6pm PT on March 18 via Great Performances on PBS and hosted by Alan Cumming.

Here is the complete list of nominations.

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups

Belfast
King Richard
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Being the Ricardos

Best Actress

Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Frances McDormand (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
Halle Berry (Bruised)
Sandra Bullock (The Unforgivable)
Helen Mirren (The Duke)

Best Actor

Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Peter Dinklage (Cyrano)
Jim Broadbent (The Duke)

Best Supporting Actress

Judi Dench (Belfast)
Marlee Matlin (CODA)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley)
Rita Moreno (West Side Story)

Best Supporting Actor

J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos)
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Jared Leto (House of Gucci)
Timothy Spall (Spencer)
David Strathairn (Nightmare Alley)

Best Director

Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley)
Denis Villeneuve (Dune)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)

Best Screenwriter

Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Guillermo del Toro/Kim Morgan (Nightmare Alley)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Tony Kushner (West Side Story)

Best Ensemble

The Harder They Fall
Nightmare Alley
Don’t Look Up
House of Gucci
West Side Story

Best Intergenerational

C’mon, C’mon
Belfast
The Tender Bar
King Richard
CODA

Best Buddy Picture

Queen Bees
Off the Rails
12 Mighty Orphans
Finch
The Harder They Fall

Best Time Capsule

Spencer
Licorice Pizza
Belfast
Being the Ricardos
West Side Story

Best Grownup Love Story

23 Walks
Belfast
The Duke
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Cyrano

Best Documentary

Julia
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
My Name is Pauli Murray
The Beatles: Get Back,
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

Best Foreign Film or Best International Film

Sheep Without a Shepherd (China)
There Is No Evil (Iran/Germany)
The Hand of God (Italy)
Drive My Car (Japan)
Two of Us (France)

Best Actress (TV/Streaming)

Jean Smart (Hacks)
Gillian Anderson (The Crown)
Sandra Oh (The Chair)
Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)
Andie MacDowell (MAid)

Best Actor (TV/Streaming)

Michael Keaton (Dopesick)
Kevin Costner (Yellowstone)
Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

Best TV Series

Hacks
Ted Lasso
The Chair
The Crown
Succession

Best TV Movie/Limited Series

Mare of Easttown
Halston
The Underground Railroad
Maid
Nine Perfect Strangers

Photo: Rob Youngson / Focus Features

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.