Return of the Rings

The Return of the King, the last instalment of Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy adaptation, has topped the BBC's annual Film 2004 poll.

11:20 23 December 2004

The Return of the King, the last instalment of Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy adaptation, has topped the BBC's annual Film 2004 poll.

The result marks the third year in a row that a Lord of the Rings film has come out on top in the poll by the show's viewers and will add to the 11 Oscars that Return of the King has already received.

Viewers selected Michel Gondry's reflection of love, life and loss in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, as their second favourite film of the year.

The English rose also starred in the poll's third choice, Finding Neverland, a fictional account of the creation of Peter Pan starring Johnny Depp as author JM Barrie.

Continuing a breakout year for the daughter and protege of one of Hollywood's most respected directors, Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning Lost In Translation, starring Scarlet Johansson and Bill Murray, was voted the fourth finest film outing of the year.

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban swooped in on its Nimbus 2001 to snatch fifth place in the poll.

Other notable inclusions were Brit-flick zombie fest Shaun of the Dead, from the team behind Channel 4's award winning comedy Spaced, as well as Chinese martial arts extravaganza Hero.

BBC films of the year:

1. The Return of the King
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Finding Neverland
4. Lost in Translation
5. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Shaun of the Dead
7. Hero
8. The Incredibles
9. Spider-Man 2
10. Collateral