‘Boyhood,’ ‘Budapest’ take top British honors

LONDON – Slow-cooked coming-of-age tale “Boyhood” took the best film and director trophies at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, while Wes Anderson’s candy-colored comedy “The Grand Budapest Hotel” won the biggest haul of prizes, with five.

Both are unusual works by distinctive directors, and there were also multiple trophies for the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything” and the jazz-drumming drama “Whiplash” at an event that proved small, personal films could emerge as winners.

Richard Linklater, who spent 12 years making “Boyhood,” was named best director, and Patricia Arquette won the supporting-actress trophy as a struggling mother in the film.

“The Theory of Everything” was named best British film, and won an adapted-screenplay award for Anthony McCarten.

Eddie Redmayne, already an awards-season favorite, won the best-actor prize for his performance as physicist Hawking.

Julianne Moore was named best actress for portraying a professor with Alzheimer’s in “Still Alice.”

Anderson won the original screenplay trophy for “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which also took prizes for production design, costumes, hair and makeup and Alexandre Desplat’s score.

Damien Chazelle’s jazz-drumming drama “Whiplash” took prizes for sound and editing. The supporting-actor trophy went to the film’s J.K. Simmons.

“The Lego Movie” was named best animated feature, a prize the filmmakers said helped ease the pain of its Oscars snub.