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The Women Film Critics Circle have handed out their 2008 awards (with top honors -- Best Movie About Women -- going to Clint Eastwood's Changeling), and one of the more fascinating categories on their list is Most Offensive Male Characters. And ... who do the women film critics of 2008 find to be the most offensive male characters of the year? Aaron Eckhart (Towelhead), Sam Rockwell (Choke), Larry Bishop (Hell Ride), Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott (Role Models) and Jason Mewes (Zack and Miri Make a Porno). I'm actually surprised that Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) didn't make this list, what with his fairly obnoxious (but comedic) womanizing ways, and I'm sure there are several other offensive male characters spread across the films of 2008 that coulda shoulda been mentioned, but weren't.

This, however, brings up an interesting topic: Who were the most offensive movie characters of 2008? Could be male, female, talking animal (or robot) -- were there any characters that just rubbed you the wrong way? Any characters who deserved to be sent straight to human resources? Furthermore, were there any films in general that were so offensive, you either considered leaving halfway through or did, in fact, bolt out the door before the end credits rolled? Sound off below ...

I feel like I haven't been paying attention lately. I had no idea there was an Alliance for Women Film Journalists until last week, when AWFJ's 2006 award nominations were announced, and now I've learned about the Women Film Critics Circle, which has just announced its awards. Obviously I have now some career goals to reach in 2007.

The WFCC website doesn't give many details about who's in the group other than the obvious: Female film critics and reporters. The awards include the obvious categories: Best Picture by a Woman went to Little Miss Sunshine, which was co-directed by Valerie Faris (and Jonathan Dayton, although he's not mentioned). Best Picture About Women was a tie between Volver and The Queen, both of which focus on strong female characters, although both were written and directed by men. Some of the more interesting awards categories include Best Equality of the Sexes, awarded to Ellen Page in Hard Candy (pictured above)... yow. I'm not sure that character's behavior warrants an award. Most Offensive Male Character was a tie: the obvious Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat along with Jason Statham in Crank. These women are brave -- I've noticed that any female (including myself) who says they found parts of Borat even the least bit sexist or offensive is immediately accused of that cliched crime, Having No Sense of Humor.

One new category the WFCC started this year is the Adrienne Shelly award, given in memory of the late actress/filmmaker for a film that "passionately opposes violence against women." The winner was Sisters in Law, a documentary about female judges in Africa that I'm sorry I missed at SXSW this year. The group's lifetime achievement award went to Barbara Kopple, the documentary filmmaker who won Oscars for Harlan County USA and American Dream, and who directed Shut Up & Sing, the 2006 documentary about the Dixie Chicks. There's also a Hall of Shame listing of ten 2006 films, and I'm sorry that no explanation is given for why these films are in the Hall of Shame, particularly Venus. (Anyone want to venture some opinions?)