George Clooney is one of the biggest movie stars working today, but with his second directorial effort, "Good Night, and Good Luck," he's proven himself to be a top-notch director as well. The film, which tells the story of legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow's on-air battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s, is the best-reviewed limited release of the year, with an adjusted score of 84.87 and a Tomatometer of 94%. Jack Mathews of the New York Daily News called "Good Night, and Good Luck" "the biggest little movie of the year -- and one of the best ever about the news media." And James Berardinelli of ReelViews said, "Part docu-drama, part thriller, and part cautionary tale, the movie offers something to everyone who craves more than escapism from the cinema."

The well-loved nature documentary and sleeper hit "March of the Penguins" places second, with an adjusted score of 84.43 and a Tomatometer of 95%. Featuring adorable animals surviving and propagating in an amazingly harsh environment, Kerry Lengel of the Arizona Republic proclaimed it to be "everything a nature film should be: breathtaking, heartbreaking, soul-inspiring."

In third place among 2005's limited releases is "Murderball," a take-no-prisoners sports documentary about quadriplegic wheelchair rugby, with an adjusted score of 84.28 and a Tomatometer of 97%. There's no cloying sentiment here; as Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews said of its interviewed subjects, "These handicapped guys are not out to inspire you -- they're out to crush you."

Check out the list below to see the rest of the winners.

» NEXT (The Best Action/Adventure of 2005)