THE LITTLE INDIE THAT KEEPS CHUGGING TO VICTORY

"American Splendor," the virtually uncategorizable independent film about comic-book author Harvey Pekar that was recently named Best Film of 2003 by the National Society of Film Critics has come in first again. Now it’s the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. that has called "Splendor" the tops. The L.A. group’s other choices are listed below.

BEST DIRECTOR
Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King

BEST SCREENPLAY
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, "American Splendor"

BEST ACTOR
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation

BEST ACTRESS
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Bill Nighy, Love Actually; Lawless Heart; I Capture the Castle; AKA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Earl Morris, The Fog of War

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Patrice Lecomte, Man on a Train (France)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Robert Altman