Anna Kendrick is a scene and movie stealer in Up in the Air

Not long into Jason Reitman’s superb dramedy Up in the Air, it’s obvious that Anna Kendrick is a major player this award season.

Kendrick, 24, nearly accomplishes what seems impossible — upstaging George Clooney — playing Natalie Keener, a type A-to-Z personality throwing a huge wrench into the life of Clooney’s compulsively frequent flier.

Apparently the National Board of Review agrees. Kendrick was honored by the critics group Thursday as 2009’s best supporting actress, while Up in the Air was voted best picture, Clooney shared best actor honors with Morgan Freeman (Invictus), and Reitman’s screenplay co-written with Sheldon Turner also won.

Up in the Air opens Friday at AMC Woodlands 20 in Oldsmar, expanding to more Tampa Bay theaters by Dec. 25.

Friday morning, Kendrick called the Times five minutes earlier than planned (that’s so Natalie). After congratulations, the first question for her was a no-brainer:

When did you find out about the award, and how did you celebrate?

I was on a plane from JFK to LAX that was delayed, so we’re sitting on the runway and Jason called to tell me. I was trying to be quiet around all the other passengers. Sigourney Weaver was on the plane and I was trying to not disturb Miss Weaver with my good news.

We had a little cocktail party planned last night, anyway, and a Q&A, so I actually got to see George and Jason as soon as I got off the plane, so that was great. They’re so, so sweet. George is constantly telling people that I steal the movie but that’s just a mark of what a gentleman he is.

Jason told me he wrote Natalie with you in mind after seeing you in Rocket Science. What’s it like to be part of someone’s creative process like that?

I was so thrilled and completely bewildered. I was so in the mode of trying to prove that I wasn’t out of my league that I tried to play it cool, like that kind of thing happens all the time.

[tampabay]