The awards season train continues for "The Artist," and while in years past the Spirit Awards have tended to honor edgier or more decidedly independent fare, this year it looks like even they have the fever for the silent movie sensation. Taking home the big prizes for Best Picture, Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Best Cinematography (Guillaume Schiffman) it looks like the stage has been set for the film to repeat these honors, and maybe more, tomorrow night at the venue formerly known as the Kodak Theater.
How did our awards season prognosticator do on his predictions? He came in about 41% or 7 for 17. Truthfully, we figured that Spirit Awards favorite Alexander Payne might do some repeat business at the ceremony with "The Descendants," but it only came away from the event with an award for Shailene Woodley for Best Supporting Female and Best Screenplay for Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. We're please to see "Without" director Mark Jackson take the Someone To Watch award which should be a nice profile boost, while "The Interrupters" deservedly took Best Documentary and Christopher Plummer got in a practice round of his acceptance speech for tomorrow by winning Best Supporting Actor here. It was also a big evening for "Margin Call" that took Best First Feature and the Robert Altman Award home.
Full list of winners below and you can watch the fun tonight on IFC at 10 PM.
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
"The Artist"
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
"Margin Call," Director: J.C. Chandor; Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
"Pariah"
BEST SCREENPLAY
"The Descendants," Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
"50/50," Will Reiser
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
BEST MALE LEAD
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Artist," Guillaume Schifmann
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
"The Interrupters," Steve James
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
"A Separation," Asghar Farhadi
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
"Margin Call," Director: J.C. Chandor; Casting Director: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey; Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Sophia Linn – "Take Shelter"
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Mark Jackson – "Without"
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Heather Courtney – "Where Soldiers Come From"
It's kind of frustrating that the Independent Spirit Awards wind up just following the Hollywood model. At least they have things like the Cassavettes award but still.
Oops at least the nominees are different.
It's pretty sad that the Spirit Award winners are more-or-less gonna be a carbon copy of what the Oscars will be like. There were some really great, original films nominated for Best Picture and all the attention went to the films that are gonna get even more attention tomorrow night. Kinda makes you wonder what the point is.