AFI lists 10 best films, TV shows

The American Film Institute has honored Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” and Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” as two of the 10 best movies of 2002.

The list included “About Schmidt,” starring Jack Nicholson; “The Hours,” which stars Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman; the Hugh Grant comedy “About a Boy”; and the musical “Chicago,” starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. Rounding off the list were “Adaptation,” “Antwone Fisher,” “The Quiet American” and “Frida.”

The institute decided to forgo an award ceremony and issue a list of the Top 10 movies Monday after a disappointing broadcast last year that garnered low ratings and attracted few celebrities. This year’s list was issued alphabetically.

The AFI also honored 10 TV shows: the series “The Simpsons,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under, “The West Wing,” “Boomtown” and “Gilmore Girls,” and the cable TV movies “Door to Door,” “The Gathering Storm” and “The Believer.”

Selections were made by two 13-member committees -- one each for movies and television -- which included AFI trustees, industry professionals, film and TV scholars, and critics.