'Breaking Dawn' and 'Harry Potter' two of the most newsworthy movies of 2011

In the last News Bites of the year, it would be remiss of me not to talk about some of the most newsworthy films of the year – or, at least, films that, in my opinion, deserve a mention.

This has been a year of film farewells, and no one did it better than one of the most loved movie franchises of all time. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was the perfect ending to this series. It had action. It had drama. It had romance. In short, it was epic. The acting was fantastic, and the moviemakers did wonderful job of bringing J.K. Rowling’s books to life. I will be the first to admit that I’m a latecomer to this series. But this is the film of the series that sealed my love for it. And if you can watch the last five minute without smiling, then I think we need to have a talk.

Another beloved film franchise, The Twilight Saga, began its final run with Breaking Dawn Part 1. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of this series but even I’ve been stunned at the money it’s earned in just a few short weeks of release. I’ll put it this way – every single opening night screening was sold out at all of my local theaters. That’s a whole lot of Team Edward/Team Jacob love right there.

I’m hoping that one movie that has to do with money racks up big-time during awards season. I loved Moneyball, and Brad Pitt’s performance in it deserves some recognition. Sometimes you can’t just throw money at a problem to fix it. Sometimes it takes some creative thinking. And I appreciate Pitt portraying all of the aggravation that goes along with trying to fix a problem like that and the pride when you finally get it right. I’m thinking it will be Pitt, along with Ryan Gosling for Drive and George Clooney for The Descendants in the Outstanding Actor races.

I know comedies generally don’t get their due during awards season, but my fingers are crossed for one particular comedic performance. To this day, just the thought of Melissa McCarthy’s performance in Bridesmaids can send me into giggles. I know she has an Emmy – and rightly so – but anyone who can hold her own against Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph deserves some kind of honor.

Romantic Comedies are probably my favorite movie genre. Shocking, I know! When they’re done well, they can be truly moving. None was better this past year than Crazy, Stupid, Love. It has some absolutely hilarious moments (“Seriously?! It’s like you’re Photoshopped!”), but it’s also about not giving up on love, even when everything around you says you should. Now that’s a message I can get behind.

Another movie that appeals to the romantic in me is Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. It’s not romantic in the boy-meets-girl sense, but rather in the Romantic period sense. It’s whimsical, charming and bittersweet and makes me want to hop on the next flight to Paris for a little inspiration of my own. If you haven’t seen it, I sincerely hope you do. It will make you remember what it feels like to dream big.

Of course, the year isn’t over yet. There are still films I want to see, like Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But I’d love to know – what do you think are 2011 most newsworthy films?

Krista Richmond blogs at Killer Film.