'BEDROOM' SLEEPER PICK OF L.A. CRITICS.

Byline: David Kronke Staff Writer

The year-end film-awards picture became more competitive - and muddled - when the Los Angeles Critics Association on Saturday named as its Best Picture of 2001 ``In the Bedroom.''

In a year that found many critics carping about the lack of quality in Hollywood's releases, the story of a middle-age couple coping with grief after the murder of their son won out over films noted elsewhere by the critics.

The National Board of Review had named Baz Luhrmann's hyperkinetic musical ``Moulin Rouge!'' best film, while the New York Film Critics Circle gave the honor to David Lynch's lurid and mysterious ``Mulholland Drive.''

``The vote reflects the feeling of the membership that many films this year excelled in specific areas, as opposed to last year, when a single film, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' won votes across the board,'' said Jean Oppenheimer, president of the Los Angeles organization.

Though no clear front-runner has emerged in the campaign for the Academy Awards, it's conceivable the three movies with Best Film wins already under their belts will be considered too quirky, modest or dark to earn Oscar nominations.

But the only big-budget Hollywood films to earn major citations from the L.A. critics were ``Training Day,'' which garnered Best Actor honors for Denzel Washington, who played a corrupt cop, and ``Shrek,'' which was named Best Animated Film.

About 40 members of the group gathered in Los Angeles to vote on their favorite achievements in movies for the past year.

L.A. critics spread the wealth, giving no film more than two awards.

Sissy Spacek of ``In the Bedroom'' won Best Actress for her role as the mourning mother (the film's Tom Wilkinson was named runner-up for Best Actor).

``Moulin Rouge!'' and ``Iris'' each won, technically, one and a half prizes, with Jim Broadbent winning Best Supporting Actor for his work in both films.

``Moulin Rouge!'s'' Catherine Martin was cited for Best Production Design, while Kate Winslet of ``Iris'' received Best Supporting Actress honors.

``Mulholland Drive's'' David Lynch was named Best Director, and the film was runner-up in both the Best Picture and Best Actress (Naomi Watts) categories.

In selecting ``Shrek,'' LAFCA members ignored the recommendation of the animation subcommittee to give the prize to ``Monsters, Inc.,'' which was named runner-up.

Other awards went to Howard Shore for his score for ``Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' and Roger Deakins for his black-and-white cinematography for ``The Man Who Wasn't There.''

Los Angeles Film Critics Association members include Daily News critics Bob Strauss, Glenn Whipp and David Kronke.

LOS ANGELES CRITICS ASSOCIATION WINNERS

The complete list of winners:

-- Best Film: ``In the Bedroom''; runner-up: ``Mulholland Drive.''

-- Director: David Lynch, ``Mulholland Drive''; runner-up: Robert Altman, ``Gosford Park.''

-- Actress: Sissy Spacek, ``In the Bedroom''; runner-up: Naomi Watts, ``Mulholland Drive.''

-- Actor: Denzel Washington, ``Training Day''; runner-up: Tom Wilkinson, ``In the Bedroom.''

-- Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, ``Iris''; runner-up: Helen Mirren, ``Gosford Park'' and ``The Last Order.''

-- Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, ``Memento''; runner-up: Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, ``Ghost World.''

-- Foreign-Language Film: ``No Man's Land,'' written and directed by Danis Tanovic; runner-up: ``In the Mood for Love,'' directed by Won Kar-Wai.

-- Animated film: ``Shrek''; runner-up: ``Monsters, Inc.''

-- Documentary: ``The Gleaners and I''; runner-up: ``Start-up.com.''

-- Cinematography: Roger Deakins, ``The Man Who Wasn't There''; runner-up: Christopher Doyle and Mark Li Ping-be, ``In the Mood for Love.''

-- Production Design: Catherine Martin, ``Moulin Rouge!''; runner-up: Grant Major, ``Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.''

-- Score: Howard Shore, ``Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''; runner-up: Stephen Trask, ``Hedwig and the Angry Inch.''

-- New Generation: John Cameron Mitchell, writer/director and star of ``Hedwig and the Angry Inch.''

-- Experimental: ``Beaver Trilogy'' by Trent Harris.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) Sissy Spacek was named Best Actress of the year by the Los Angeles Critics Association for her work in ``In the Bedroom.''

Box:

LOS ANGELES CRITICS ASSOCIATION WINNERS (see text)