SUBMITTED BY katystarlet

December 24, 2001 — When the National Board of Review's list of the year's best movies was released on Wednesday, Billy Bob Thornton earned the best actor honor for his roles in the neo-noir thriller The Man Who Wasn't There, the death-row drama Monster's Ball and the robbery comedy Bandits.

``It's gratifying to be recognized for all those films because when you have that many movies out, you're afraid some of them might not be noticed,'' Thornton said.

Monster's Ball and The Man Who Wasn't There were also named in the board's list of the year's 10 best films. Thornton's Monster's Ball co-star, Halle Berry, was named best actress.

Many early awards such as the National Board of Review honors are viewed as indicators of a movie's or performer's Academy Award chances.