View source for 21 Grams

{{short description|2003 film by Alejandro González Iñárritu}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = 21 Grams
| image          = 21 grams movie.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]
| producer       = Alejandro González Iñárritu<br />Robert Salerno
|writer     = [[Guillermo Arriaga]]
| starring       = [[Sean Penn]]<br />[[Naomi Watts]]<br />[[Benicio del Toro]]<br /> [[Melissa Leo]]<br />[[Charlotte Gainsbourg]]
| music          = [[Gustavo Santaolalla]]
| cinematography = [[Rodrigo Prieto]]
| editing        = [[Stephen Mirrione]]
| studio         = [[This Is That Productions|This is that]]
| distributor    = [[Focus Features]]
| released       = {{Film date|2003|9|5|[[60th Venice International Film Festival|Venice]]|2003|11|21|United States}}
| runtime        = 124 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 124:29 --><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/21-grams-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znjiwodm |title=''21 GRAMS'' (15) |work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |date=November 18, 2003 |access-date=November 16, 2014}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $20 million<ref name="BOM">[https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=21grams.htm "''21 Grams'' (2003)"]. ''Box Office Mojo''. IMDb. Retrieved December 17, 2010.</ref>
| gross          = $60.4 million<ref name="BOM" />
}}

'''''21 Grams''''' is a 2003 American [[crime film|crime thriller]] film directed by [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]] and written by [[Guillermo Arriaga]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=21 GRAMS (2003) |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8960b6ba |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811121719/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8960b6ba |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref> It is the second installment in the duo’s informal “Trilogy of Death,” preceded by [[Amores perros|''Amores perros'']] (2000) and followed by ''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web |title=nthposition.com |url=http://www.nthposition.com/globalismandthefilms.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101120634/http://www.nthposition.com/globalismandthefilms.php |archive-date=November 1, 2014 |access-date=July 26, 2017 |website=www.nthposition.com |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The film features an [[ensemble cast]] including [[Sean Penn]], [[Naomi Watts]], [[Benicio del Toro]], [[Charlotte Gainsbourg]], and [[Danny Huston]]. The narrative centers on the emotional and psychological aftermath of a tragic [[Hit and run|hit-and-run]] accident, exploring the intersecting lives of a terminally ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a reformed ex-convict grappling with his faith.

The film employs a [[nonlinear narrative]] structure, presenting the characters' past, present, and future in fragmented sequences that gradually converge as the story unfolds. It premiered at the [[Venice Film Festival]] before receiving a [[limited theatrical release]] in the United States on November 21, 2003, followed by a wider release in early 2004.

''21 Grams'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised Iñárritu’s direction, Arriaga’s screenplay, and the performances of Watts and Del Toro. The film was a moderate box office success, grossing $60.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $20 million. At the [[76th Academy Awards]], Watts and Del Toro received nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]], respectively.

== Plot ==
{{hatnote|The film unfolds in a [[Nonlinear narrative|nonlinear]] format; the following summary presents the events in chronological order.}}

Jack Jordan is a reformed ex-convict and recovering addict who has embraced [[Christianity]] to overcome his struggles with [[Substance abuse|drug]] and [[alcohol abuse]]. Paul Rivers is a [[mathematics]] professor suffering from a terminal heart condition, and unless he receives a [[Organ transplantation|transplant]], he has only weeks to live. His wife, Mary, wishes to conceive a child through [[artificial insemination]] so she can raise their child even if Paul dies. Meanwhile, Cristina Peck is a former drug addict who has built a stable life with her husband and two young daughters in the suburbs, remaining active and committed to sobriety.

Their lives intersect one evening when Jack, driving without a license, fatally strikes Cristina’s husband and two daughters in a [[Hit and run|hit-and-run]] accident. The heart of Cristina’s husband is transplanted into Paul, giving him a second chance at life. Cristina, devastated by the loss, relapses into substance abuse. Paul attempts to resume normal life and reluctantly agrees to his wife's plan for insemination but later learns she had an [[abortion]] during a previous separation. Feeling betrayed, Paul ends the relationship.

Haunted by guilt, Jack relapses into substance use. His wife urges him to keep silent, but Jack insists on turning himself in, believing it is his spiritual duty. While incarcerated, he becomes despondent, disavows his faith, and attempts [[suicide]]. He is released when Cristina chooses not to press charges, recognizing that punishing him will not restore her family. Jack leaves his family and becomes a drifter, working in manual labor.

Driven by curiosity, Paul hires a private investigator to trace the donor of his new heart and discovers Cristina’s identity. He begins following her and eventually approaches her. After an initial outburst, Cristina begins a relationship with Paul, and the two grow emotionally dependent on each other. However, Paul's new heart begins to fail, and he is told his body is [[Transplant rejection|rejecting the transplant]].

As Cristina becomes increasingly consumed by grief and a desire for retribution, she persuades Paul to murder Jack. Paul obtains a gun and locates Jack, who is living in a motel. He confronts him in a clearing but is unable to go through with the killing. He fires warning shots into the ground and tells Jack to disappear. Paul lies to Cristina about Jack’s death. Later that night, Jack appears at their motel, pleading for Paul to kill him. A struggle breaks out; Cristina attacks Jack with a lamp, and in the chaos, Paul accidentally shoots himself.

Cristina and Jack rush Paul to the hospital. Jack confesses to the police that he shot Paul, but with no evidence, he is released. Paul dies from his injuries. Cristina, at the hospital, learns she is pregnant and is urged to stop using drugs. In the final scenes, Cristina is shown preparing for the baby in her late daughter’s bedroom, which she had previously been unable to enter, while Jack is seen returning to his family.

== Cast ==
* [[Sean Penn]] as Paul Rivers
* [[Naomi Watts]] as Cristina Peck
* [[Benicio del Toro]] as Jack Jordan
* [[Charlotte Gainsbourg]] as Mary Rivers
* [[Melissa Leo]] as Marianne Jordan
* [[Danny Huston]] as Michael
* [[Pamela Blair]] as Doctor
* [[John Rubinstein]] as Gynecologist
* [[Clea DuVall]] as Claudia
* [[Eddie Marsan]] as Reverend John

== Cinematic technique ==
''21 Grams'' is noted for its distinct visual style, achieved through a combination of gritty [[Hand-held camera|hand-held]] cinematography, the use of the [[bleach bypass]] process, and varied [[color grading]]. These techniques were employed to differentiate the film's three interwoven storylines and to visually reflect shifts in the characters' emotional and psychological states. Given the film’s [[nonlinear narrative]] structure, these visual cues helped viewers situate scenes within the broader chronology.

Cinematographer [[Rodrigo Prieto]] explained in an interview with [[American Cinematographer|''American Cinematographer'']] that [[Palette (painting)|color palettes]] were assigned to each main character: Paul’s story was rendered with cool tones, Jack’s with warm tones, and Cristina’s with more neutral hues. Different [[film stock]]s were used throughout the film to create distinct [[Film grain|grain structures]] that evolved with the characters’ arcs—finer grain was used during more hopeful moments, while heavier grain appeared as their situations became more complex.

Extensive testing was required to refine the interplay of color palettes, lighting, and wardrobe with the bleach bypass process. Prieto noted that the film’s final visual scheme emerged through experimentation rather than pre-planning, stating, “We couldn't take anything for granted—we were surprised by the test results every time.”

Director [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]] and Prieto aimed for an organic and immersive camerawork style. Handheld cameras were used exclusively, even for static shots, to convey a sense of immediacy and physical presence. The camera was deliberately unstable at times, and framing choices were often unbalanced—with excessive or insufficient headroom—designed to mirror the characters’ internal disorientation. In emotionally intense scenes, characters are frequently shown in wide shots and positioned at the edges of the frame, a technique Prieto referred to as using “abandoning angles,” to emphasize feelings of isolation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Calhoun |first=John |date=December 2003 |title=Heartbreak and Loss |url=https://theasc.com/magazine/dec03/cover/index.html |journal=[[American Cinematographer]] |volume=84}}</ref>

== Title ==
The film’s title refers to the so-called "[[21 grams experiment]]" conducted in 1907 by physician Duncan MacDougall, who attempted to scientifically determine the weight of the human [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]. MacDougall claimed that the human body lost approximately 21 grams—equivalent to three-fourths of an ounce—at the moment of death, attributing this weight loss to the soul leaving the body. Although the experiment is widely regarded by the scientific community as methodologically flawed and lacking in credibility, it has contributed to the popular notion that the soul weighs 21 grams.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 27, 2003 |title=Weight of the Soul |url=http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp |access-date=February 23, 2015 |work=Snopes.com}}</ref>

== Reception ==

=== Box office ===
''21 Grams'' had a production budget of approximately $20 million. It grossed $16.3 million in the United States and Canada and $44.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $60.5 million.<ref name="BOM" />

=== Critical response ===
''21 Grams'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, with particular praise for its emotionally charged performances, innovative narrative structure, and direction by [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an 80% approval rating based on 178 reviews, with an average score of 7.50/10. The site’s consensus reads: "Iñárritu deftly weaves an uncommonly structured narrative with panache in ''21 Grams'', a stylish, haunting drama full of fine performances."<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/21_grams "''21 Grams'' (2003)"]. [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. [[Fandango Media|Fandango]]. Retrieved March 7, 2025.</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 41 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."<ref>{{Cite web |title=21 Grams |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/21-grams |website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>

Critics consistently singled out the performances of [[Naomi Watts]], [[Benicio del Toro]], and [[Sean Penn]] for acclaim. [[Roger Ebert]] awarded the film four stars, calling it “one of the most depressing” yet “also one of the most absorbing and beautifully made” films of its time. He added, “It grips us, moves us, astonishes us.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=November 25, 2003 |title=21 Grams |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/21-grams-2003 |access-date=2010-12-17 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> [[Elvis Mitchell]] of [[The New York Times|''The New York Times'']] praised the acting and described the film as a “metaphysical puzzle that works as deeply felt tragedy.”<ref>(October 18, 2003). [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02EEDB153EF93BA25753C1A9659C8B63 "Movie Review ''21 Grams'' (2003)"]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved August 20, 2013.</ref>

[[Peter Travers]] of [[Rolling Stone|''Rolling Stone'']] described ''21 Grams'' as “a brutal, erotic and achingly tender dance of death,” adding that Del Toro’s “astonishing” performance anchors the film’s intensity.[5] ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' highlighted the “searing emotion and layered performance” delivered by Watts, stating she gives “a performance of raw emotional intensity.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-01-01 |title=21 Grams |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/21-grams-review/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Empire |language=en}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] of ''ReelViews'' commended the film's structural daring, writing that "''21 Grams'' is a stunning kaleidoscope of a motion picture" with a payoff that justifies its narrative complexity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=21 Grams |url=https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/21-grams |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Reelviews Movie Reviews |language=en}}</ref>

[[Peter Bradshaw]] of [[The Guardian|''The Guardian'']] remarked on the film’s poetic structure, calling it "a symphony of jagged fragments." He praised Iñárritu for "taking the grammar of narrative cinema into new terrain."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=2004-03-05 |title=21 Grams |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/mar/05/3 |access-date=2025-05-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In contrast, some critics were more reserved. Ed Gonzalez of [[Slant Magazine|''Slant Magazine'']] criticized the time-shifting format, arguing that it “uses fragmentation not for illumination but to obscure manipulative melodrama.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Ed |date=2003-09-15 |title=Review: 21 Grams |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/21-grams/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[BBC]]'' called the structure “tricksy” but acknowledged the strong performances, particularly Del Toro’s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Gloucestershire Films - 21 Grams Review |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/films/reviews/a_f/21_grams.shtml |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

''[[IGN]]'' highlighted the film's visual style and emotionally engaging storytelling, despite its “unrelenting bleakness.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=D |first=Spence |date=2003-11-21 |title=Review of 21 Grams |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/21/review-of-21-grams |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> [[The Independent|''The Independent'']] called the film “gripping and heartbreaking,” noting its willingness to “confront tragedy without sentimentality.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=21 Grams - Review |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/21-grams-15-72188.html}}</ref> [[Common Sense Media|''Common Sense Media'']] offered a mixed view, praising the acting but warning that its nonlinear narrative and dark subject matter may not appeal to all viewers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Movie & TV reviews for parents |title=21 Grams Movie Review {{!}} Common Sense Media |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/21-grams |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.commonsensemedia.org |language=en}}</ref>

== Accolades ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" |Award
! scope="col" |Date of the ceremony
! scope="col" |Category
! scope="col" |Recipients
! scope="col" |Result
! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{Refh}}
|-
|[[Venice Film Festival]]
|[[60th Venice International Film Festival|27 August–6 September 2003]]
|[[Volpi Cup for Best Actor]]
|[[Sean Penn]]
| {{Won}}
|<ref name="OfficialAwards">{{cite web |title=Official Awards of the 60th Mostra |url=http://www.labiennale.org/2003/en/cinema/news/sep2003/6-09u.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040804020433/http://www.labiennale.org/2003/en/cinema/news/sep2003/6-09u.html |archive-date=4 August 2004 |access-date=8 June 2018 |work=labiennale.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[World Soundtrack Awards]]
|[[World Soundtrack Awards 2003|11 October 2003]]
|[[World Soundtrack Award for Discovery of the Year|Discovery of the Year]]
|[[Gustavo Santaolalla]]
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Soundtrack Awards (2003) |url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000756/2003/1/ |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[National Board of Review]]
|[[National Board of Review Awards 2003|3 December 2003]]
|[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="4" |[[Naomi Watts]]
| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rooney |first=David |date=2004-01-04 |title='Splendor' in awards mix |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/splendor-in-awards-mix-1117897721/ |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=Variety |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Boston Society of Film Critics|Boston Film Critics]]
|[[Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2003|14 December 2003]]
|[[Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2003 |url=https://mubi.com/en/awards-and-festivals/boston-sfcas?year=2003 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=MUBI |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[San Diego Film Critics Society]]
|[[San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2003|18 December 2003]]
|[[San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-12-30 |title=S.D. film critics name ‘Dirty Pretty Things’ the year’s best |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2003/12/30/sd-film-critics-name-dirty-pretty-things-the-years-best/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2003|19 December 2003]]
|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| {{Won}}
| rowspan="3" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=2003 WAFCA Awards |url=http://www.wafca.com/awards/2003.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105103406/http://www.wafca.com/awards/2003.htm |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=www.wafca.com}}</ref>
|-
|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|[[Benicio del Toro]]
| {{Won}}
|-
|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
|[[Guillermo Arriaga]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Florida Film Critics Circle]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2003|2 January 2004]]
|[[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|Sean Penn {{small|(also for ''[[Mystic River (film)|Mystic River]]'')}}
|{{Won}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref name="Florida Film Critics3">{{cite web |title=FFCC Award Winners |url=http://floridafilmcriticscircle.webs.com/awards.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209013615/http://floridafilmcriticscircle.webs.com/awards.htm |archive-date=2011-12-09 |access-date=2011-06-04 |work=[[Florida Film Critics]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="2" |Naomi Watts
| {{Won}}
|-
|[[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association]]
|[[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2003|5 January 2004]]
|Best Actress|| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-09 |title=Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics « Movie City News |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309160939/http://moviecitynews.com/2004/01/dallas-ft-worth-film-critics-2003-awards/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Online Film Critics Society]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Online Film Critics Society Awards 2003|5 January 2004]]
|[[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
|[[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="3" |<ref name="The 2003 Online Film Critics Nominations">{{cite web |title=The 2003 Online Film Critics Nominations |url=http://www.theworldjournal.com/special/movies/2003/ofcsnominations.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040821120407/http://www.theworldjournal.com/special/movies/2003/ofcsnominations.htm |archive-date=August 21, 2004 |publisher=[[The World Journal]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Won}}
|-
|[[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
|Guillermo Arriaga
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]]
| rowspan="4" |[[2003 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|7 January 2004]]
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|Sean Penn {{small|(also for ''Mystic River'')}}
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="4" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Los Angeles Film Critics Awards 2003 |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/awards.php?award_id=lafca&year=2003 |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=[[FilmAffinity]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Won}}
|-
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|[[Melissa Leo]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Critics' Choice Movie Awards]]
| rowspan="2" |[[9th Critics' Choice Awards|10 January 2004]]
|[[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite web |date=10 January 2004 |title=The BFCA Critics' Choice Awards 2003 |url=http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2003.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110730061533/http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2003.php |archive-date=30 July 2011 |access-date=16 March 2011 |publisher=[[Broadcast Film Critics Association]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[New York Film Critics Circle]]
|[[2003 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|11 January 2004]]
|[[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="3" |Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-09 |title=Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics « Movie City News |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309160939/http://moviecitynews.com/2004/01/dallas-ft-worth-film-critics-2003-awards/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Palm Springs International Film Festival]]
|11 January 2004
|Desert Palm Achievement Award
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay2004-01-05T04:00:00+00:00 |first=Jeremy |title=Watts, Johansson, Ferretti and Sheldon join Palm Springs Film Festival honours list |url=https://www.screendaily.com/watts-johansson-ferretti-and-sheldon-join-palm-springs-film-festival-honours-list/4016664.article |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Screen |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Chicago Film Critics Association|Chicago Film Critics]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2003|21 January 2004]]
|[[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]|| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-15 |title=Chicago Film Critics Awards - 1998-07 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515203059/http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=58 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| rowspan="2" |Benicio del Toro|| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[Vancouver Film Critics Circle]]
|[[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2003|2 February 2004]]
|[[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-02-02 |title=4th Annual Award Winners |url=https://vancouverfilmcritics.com/2004/02/02/4th-annual-award-winners/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5" |[[British Academy Film Awards]]
| rowspan="5" |[[57th British Academy Film Awards|15 February 2004]]
| rowspan="2" |[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|Sean Penn
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="5" |<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004-02-15 |title=Bafta awards 2004: The winners |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3490323.stm |access-date=2020-04-30 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
|[[Stephen Mirrione]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
|Guillermo Arriaga
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[Satellite Awards]]
| rowspan="4" |[[8th Golden Satellite Awards|21 February 2004]]
|[[Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture|Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama)]]
|Sean Penn {{small|(also for ''Mystic River'')}}
| {{Won}}
| rowspan="4" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Satellite Awards for 2004 |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000296/2004/ |access-date=May 18, 2017 |publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture|Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama]]
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
|Guillermo Arriaga
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| rowspan="2" |[[10th Screen Actors Guild Awards|22 February 2004]]
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/10th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=www.sagawards.org |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]]
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[Independent Spirit Awards]]
|[[19th Independent Spirit Awards|28 February 2004]]
|Special Distinction Award
|[[Alejandro González Iñárritu]], Guillermo Arriaga, Robert Salerno, Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro
| {{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Here are the Independent Spirit Award nominees |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/12/03/here-are-independent-spirit-award-nominees/ |access-date=2020-04-30 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=EN}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" scope="row" |[[Academy Awards]]
| rowspan="2" |[[76th Academy Awards|29 February 2004]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|Naomi Watts
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2014 |title=The 76th Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2004 |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=Oscars.org – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Benicio del Toro
| {{Nom}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[Hyperlink cinema]] – the film style of using multiple inter-connected story lines.
* [[List of films about mathematicians]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20190328202837/http://www.21-grams.com/index.php}} – archived from [http://www.21-grams.com the original] on March 31, 2019
* {{IMDb title}}
*{{Metacritic film}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* [http://www.theasc.com/magazine/dec03/cover/index.html Cinematography of ''21 Grams''] from [[American Cinematographer]]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/05/13/1105956.htm?site=science/greatmomentsinscience The science behind ''21 Grams''] at [[ABC Online]]

{{Alejandro González Iñárritu}}
{{WSA for Discovery of the Year}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:21 Grams}}
[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 crime drama films]]
[[Category:2003 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2003 independent films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:American anthology films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American nonlinear narrative films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Films about grief]]
[[Category:Films about mathematics]]
[[Category:Films about suicide]]
[[Category:Films directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu]]
[[Category:Films scored by Gustavo Santaolalla]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Guillermo Arriaga]]
[[Category:Focus Features films]]
[[Category:Hyperlink films]]
[[Category:Icon Productions films]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]