HOLLYWOOD - "Gladiator" is positioning itself as the film to beat in the awards coliseum.
A day after taking the Golden Globes top drama prize, the Ridley Scott-helmed Roman epic was named best picture at the sixth annual Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards on Monday.
"Gladiator" edged out 10 other competitors -- "Almost Famous," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Billy Elliot," "Cast Away," "Erin Brockovich," "Quills," "Thirteen Days," "Traffic," "Wonder Boys" and "You Can Count on Me" -- for the honor.
Other BFCA winners -- including best director Steven Soderbergh and best actress Julia Roberts -- were announced in mid-November.
The organization is the largest film critics group in the United States and Canada.