LA Crits Choose WALL-E

For the first time in its history, the Los Angeles Critics Assn. honored an animated film as the year's best picture when it chose Pixar's "WALL-E" in its annual voting Tuesday. Curiously, to spread the wealth, the group honored the Israeli "Waltz With Bashir" as its best animated film.

The group did a similar thing in 2000 when it honored the Chinese-language "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as best picture while it selected the Taiwanese film "A One and a Two" as best foreign-language film.

The runner-up for best picture was Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight."

Otherwise, the awards were pretty much all over the place. The group selected Danny Boyle as best director for his Mumbai melody of drama, comedy and emotions, "Slumdog Millionaire." Runner-up was David Fincher for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Sally Hawkins won as best actress for her role as the irrepressible schoolteacher in "Happy-Go-Lucky." The runner-up was Melissa Leo, who played the human smuggler in "Frozen River."

For best actor, Sean Penn earned the critics' nod for his portrayal of the late San Francisco gay politician Harvey Milk in "Milk." Runner-up was Mickey Rourke as the aging ring warrior in "The Wrestler."

The best screenplay of 2008, according to LAFCA, was written by Mike Leigh for "Happy-Go-Lucky." He edged Charlie Kaufman, who wrote "Synecdoche, New York."

Penelope Cruz doubly earned the critics' best supporting actress nod for her tempestuous artist in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and the passionate younger lover in "Elegy." Viola Davis, who played a Catholic schoolboy's mother in "Doubt," was runner-up.

Best supporting actor went to the late Heath Ledger as the malevolent Joker in "The Dark Knight." Eddie Marsan, who played the bigoted driving instructor in "Happy-Go-Lucky," came in second.