favorite movie of 2005: the Squid and the Whale. (At least it was nominated for the Original Screenplay Oscar, though a win seems like a long shot.)
other nominees:
star-crossed love story: (tie) Brokeback Mountain, King Kong (really, how was Naomi Watts overlooked. Is the Academy anti-interspecies love?)
modern melancholy (tie) Me and You and Everyone We Know, Thumbsucker
delightful kidlit adaptations: the Chronicles of Narnia. (special jury prize for this film's inspiration of "crazy delicious" and "double true", which are probably ready to be retired). Also, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
the one I thought I didn't like, but actually did: Kings and Queen
conceptually interesting and photographically beautiful, but narratively flawed achievement in performance literature: Earthling
reflecting on the crushing depressingness of our current situation: Munich, the Constant Gardener
