Chicago Film Critics Name 'The Tree Of Life' The Year's Best Picture

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Film Critics Association has named Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" the year's best picture.

The association said "The Tree of Life," starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain, "proved to be worth the wait." The film takes viewers from the beginning of time to forward to Texas in the 1950s.

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The movie will receive awards from the association for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress for newcomer Chastain, and Cinematography for Emanuel Lubezki.

The association is giving Albert Brooks the award for Supporting Actor for his work in the violent neo-noir film "Drive." The association praises Brooks, who is known as a comedian, "for his change-of-pace turn as a ruthless crime boss."

"Drive" is also winning an award for Original Score for the work of composer Cliff Martinez.

Also winning two awards is "Martha Marcy May Marlene," an indie drama about a young woman who is haunted by her experiences in a cult. Star Elizabeth Olson has won the award for Most Promising Performer, and director Sean Durkin won for Most Promising Filmmaker.

The Best Actor award is going to Michael Shannon, for his role as a man tortured by visions of the apocalypse in "Take Shelter." The Best Actress award will go to Michelle Williams, for her role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn."

For Original Screenplay, the association is giving the award to Michael Hazanavicius, write of the "The Artist," a black-and-white silent comedy from France that tells the story of an actor who refuses to move to talkies.

Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian have won the Adapted Screenplay award for "Moneyball." Sorkin also won the category last year for "The Social Network."

The Iranian drama "A Separation" won for Foreign-Language Film, and the comedy "Rango" for Best Animated Film. Winning Best Documentary is "The Interrupters," the story of the CeaseFire anti-violence project in Chicago by Steve James of "Hoop Dreams" fame and There Are No Children Here author Alex Kotlwitz.

The association is also handing out honorary awards to Shirley MacLaine – who receives the Commitment to the Craft Ward; James Earl Jones – who will take home the Oscar Michaeux Award, and Dennis Farina – who will win the Commitment to Chicago Award.

The legendary Second City comedy troupe will take home the Big Shoulders Award, and Jason Segel will receive the Commedia Extraordinaire Award for bringing the Muppets back to the silver screen.

The awards are set for 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Broadway Playhouse, at 175 E. Chestnut St. in Water Tower Place.