Other theatre vets honored in the L.A. critics awards include Peter Morgan (London's Frost/Nixon, aiming for Broadway), who won the screenplay prize for "The Queen"; and Michael Sheen, who was nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Frost/Nixon in London, who won the supporting actor prize for "The Queen."

Hudson lost to Luminita Gheorghiu of "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu."

The other films on the AFI list were "Babel," "Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Half Nelson," "Happy Feet," "Inside Man," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "United 93."

Directed by Bill Condon, "Dreamgirls" also stars Beyoncé Knowles as Deena Jones, Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson, Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor Jr., Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder Early" and Danny Glover as Marty. Condon also wrote the film's screenplay based on the late Tom Eyen's book. The film employs most of the original score by Eyen and Henry Krieger as well as four new tunes.

"Dreamgirls," according to the film's official website, "follows the rise of a trio of women — Deena (Beyoncé Knowles), Effie (Jennifer Hudson) and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) — who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes. At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx), who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James 'Thunder' Early (Eddie Murphy). Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams. The spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing back the less attractive Effie out altogether. Though the Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined."