The very British “Imitation Game” makes the list because it was produced by right-thinking Americans. Stephen Hawking biography “The Theory of Everything” isn’t eligible because it was produced by dirty foreigners.
Also missing is “A Most Violent Year,” chosen as best film by The National Board of Review (which, like the AFI, is not comprised exclusively of working movie critics). I very much enjoyed “Violent Year,” which stars Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks and the guy who played George Remus on “Boardwalk Empire,” but I don’t think it sticks the landing.
The American Film Institute’s unranked list of the best films of 2014:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into The Woods
Nightcrawler
Selma
Unbroken
Whiplash
I glance at my tall stack of screeners and note the movies that did not make AFI's list also include "Grand Budapest Hotel," "Edge of Tomorrow," "Inherent Vice," "Big Eyes," "Big Hero 6," "How To Train Your Dragon 2," "The Lego Movie," "Boxtrolls," "Gone Girl," "The Fault in Our Stars," "Under the Skin," "Ride Along," "Get On Up," "Wild," "Fury," "Enemy," "Locke," "Belle," "Cake," "Calvary," "Neighbors," "Begin Again," "Black and White," "Obviuous Child," "The Judge," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," "Magic in the Moonlight" and "Life Itself."
“Boyhood” in the last few days was chosen best picture by no fewer than three major critics organizations: The New York Film Critics Circle, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association and The Boston Society of Film Critics.
