So long, 2005, and thanks for the "Hitchhiker" song and other oddities

As 2005 draws to an end, it's time to carry on a tradition begun by my honored predecessor, John Hartl: the Dubious Achievements of the Year in Movies. And the winners (or otherwise) are ...

Best performance in a lost cause: Billy Bob Thornton in "The Bad News Bears," Jason Schwartzman in "Shopgirl," Kristin Chenoweth in "Bewitched," Adrien Brody in "The Jacket," Jodie Foster in "Flightplan," Catherine Keener in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

Best star turn by a nonstar (not yet, anyway): Amy Adams, who was funny, heartbreaking and perfectly genuine in "Junebug."

Best star turn by a star who usually isn't this good: Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain," and Keira Knightley in "Pride & Prejudice." Who knew?

Best performance by an animal (real): Tyson the Skateboarding Bulldog, a very suave canine who only had one scene in the lame romantic comedy "Undiscovered," but who was without question the only reason to watch the movie. (He outacted Ashlee Simpson, for what it's worth.)

Best performance by an animal (animated): Gromit, the peerless silent dog in "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Best popcorn movies: "Batman Begins," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Pride & Prejudice," "The Interpreter," "The Constant Gardener."

Busiest kid: You'd think that it'd be difficult for Dakota Fanning to compete with the productivity of her adult Hollywood colleagues, as they aren't burdened with the necessity of completing grade school. Nonetheless, Fanning had four movies out this year: "Hide & Seek," "War of the Worlds," "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" and "Nine Lives."

Busiest (and best) supporting actor: The ever-splendid Michael Caine, now in his 70s, brought his dignity and wit to "Bewitched," "The Weather Man" and "Batman Begins." (So, if he's played Nicole Kidman's father and Nicolas Cage's father, does that mean that Nicole and Nicolas are ... no, no, never mind.)

Most convenient appearance of a see-through dress: Melissa George, playing a hapless suburban mom in the horror cheesefest "The Amityville Horror," just happened to be wearing a transparent frock for her family's flight from their haunted house — just as her husband, the very manly Ryan Reynolds, was conveniently shirtless for many of the film's key scenes.

Best prequel: "Batman Begins."

Best singing: Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, tunefully transforming into Johnny Cash and June Carter in "Walk the Line." Also warbling nicely were Alessandro Nivolo in "Junebug" and Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Happy Endings."

Catchiest theme song: It's been months since I've seen it, but the irresistible tune of "So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish," from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," appears to have taken up permanent residence in my brain.

Tongue-twisting titles: Was it just me, or did the rest of you mix up the titles of "Chumscrubber" and "Thumbsucker," both ensemble-cast, dark Sundance comedies about troubled teens?

Most adorable creatures: The baby penguins, making stumbling first steps across the ice, in "March of the Penguins." (Get those creatures an agent.)

Least adorable creatures: The unfortunately Freudian enormous pinkish wormy things in "King Kong." No, I don't know what the hell they were intended to be, but I know what they look like.

Most appalling quandary: In "Must Love Dogs," Diane Lane's character was all in a tizzy over having to choose between Dermot Mulroney and John Cusack. Speaking for women everywhere, let me say: This is a problem?

Niftiest ending: The "Age of Aquarius" dance at the end of the otherwise lame "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and the sun-splashed final scene of "Millions," as young Damian (Alex Etel) tells us in sweet voice-over, "This is my story. This is how I want it to end."

Lamest ending: "The Upside of Anger," which threw in a final twist that messed up an otherwise darkly enjoyable comedy.

Best kid performances: Freddie Highmore in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Georgie Henley in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Jack McElhone in "Dear Frankie," Dakota Fanning in "Nine Lives," Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon in "Millions," and the entire young cast of "Nobody Knows."

Best breakthrough: Terrence Howard, who's been working movies for years, but really came into his own this year. Though featured in "Get Rich or Die Tryin' " and "Four Brothers," he was most noticed for two worlds-apart performances: a wealthy television executive dealing with racism in "Crash" and a songwriting pimp struggling for success in "Hustle & Flow."

Most in need of career rehab: Drew Barrymore, that sunniest of actresses, continued her string of forgettable and mostly witless comedies with "50 First Dates" and "Fever Pitch."

Best chemistry: Joan Allen and Kevin Costner in "The Upside of Anger," Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Brokeback Mountain," Anthony LaPaglia and Alison Janney in "Winter Solstice," Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line," Kathy Baker and Joe Mantegna in "Nine Lives," Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins in "Mrs. Henderson Presents," Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz in "The Constant Gardener."

Best chemistry (sibling division): Separated at birth? Maggie Smith and Judi Dench flawlessly became a pair of Cornwall spinster sisters in "Ladies in Lavender" — and yes, I'd love to hear the diction of the rest of that family, too.

Worst chemistry: Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, "Yours, Mine and Ours." So, the reason these two people instantly got married was ... ?

Scariest presence: Tilda Swinton is a marvelously gifted performer, but based on the intensity of her scenes in "Broken Flowers" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," I sure wouldn't want her mad at me.

Biggest disappointment: "Elizabethtown."

Happiest surprise: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Best cameo: Ralph Nader, in "Fun With Dick and Jane."

Weirdest accent: The wispy, wandering and perfectly in-character lisp affected by Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in "Capote."

Best dwelling: Mr. Tumnus' charming little den in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Worst dwelling: That hellish urban apartment, complete with walls dripping with brown water, occupied by Jennifer Connelly in "Dark Water."

Best hair: Uma Thurman's golden locks in "Prime," which worked harder than anyone else in that movie (except for Meryl Streep and her meticulous Noo Yawk accent).

Welcome back: Jane Fonda returned to movies after a 15-year absence to star opposite Jennifer Lopez in "Monster-in-Law." (You'd think 15 years would be long enough for a decent screenplay to turn up. You'd be wrong.)

Best explanation of an inexplicable movie: OK, so I don't pretend to fully understand what the heck Marc Forster's "Stay" was about, but Bob Hoskins doesn't either, and he was in the movie. Hoskins, in a cheery interview for "Mrs. Henderson Presents," told me this himself, and said he asked the director for guidance. "I said, 'Marc, what is this about?' He said, 'Oh, it's a state of mind.' I said, 'Right. That makes it clear.' "

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com