True-to-life romantic drama film "Loving" bagged the Best Picture award at the AARP's 16th Annual Movies for Grownup Awards, beating contenders "La La Land," "Manchester by the Sea," "Lion," "Silence" and "Sully." The award will be formally presented at the upcoming AARP Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, California on Feb. 6, which will be hosted by three-time Emmy award-winning actress Margo Martindale.
Starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving, "Loving" revolves around a couple who snubbed the interracial marriage laws of Virginia to become man and wife. Set in the 1960s, the critically-acclaimed film shows how the interracial couple's fight for love and challenge of the state's anti-miscegenation law went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the acting department where only actors and actresses age 50 and above were considered, Annette Bening was named Best Actress for her role in "20th Century Women," while Denzel Washington earned himself the Best Actor win for his role in "Fences." His co-star Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress, while Jeff Bridges picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in "Hell or High Water."
One of the most notable winners was "Manchester by the Sea's" Kenneth Lonergan, who picked up both the Best Director and Best Screenwriter honors. Recently, the director and screenwriter was also nominated for the same awards at the Golden Globes.
Other winners include "La La Land" for Best Comedy/Musical and "20th Century Women" for Best Intergenerational Film. "Jackie" was also recognized as the Best Time Capsule Film, while "Kubo and the Two Strings" was the Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up. The Breakthrough Achievement award went to Robert Mrazek of "The Congressman," while the Best Grownup Love Story accolade went to "The Hollars."
The AARP Awards aim to recognize the best films and actors with unique appeal to viewers who have "a grownup state of mind." This year's winners particularly come from a wide selection of films, with a total of 13 movies represented among the 16 winners, as reported by Variety.
The editors of the AARP Magazine officially announced the list of nominees for the 16th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards on Dec. 14, 2016. Proceeds of this event will go to the AARP Foundation, according to PR Newswire.
Watch the official trailer of "Loving" here: