"Silver Linings" & "Moonrise" Lead Spirit Nominations
Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 4:35PM
NATHANIEL R in Keep the Lights On, Oscars (12), Silver Linings Playbook, Spirit Awards
Continuing with the trend of star-laden "indies" of reasonable means dominating the once far more independent Spirit Awards, expectant future Best Picture nominee Silver Linings Playbook and Wes Anderson's adorable Oscar longshot Moonrise Kingdom led the pack of nominees with five citations each. In the shoe-stringier side of the equation films like Beasts of the Southern Wild, Middle of Nowhere, and Keep the Lights On also made strong showings. Since three mainstream / big studio efforts are expected to dominate the Oscars (that's Les Miz, Argo, & Lincoln if you've been sleeping for a month) this year, no film need worry about the Spirit curse ...wherein you score big here the day before the Oscars only to collapse at the big Hollywood event that you had hopes of also ruling.
Can "Beasts" win the Spirit Award?
Full list of nominees and commentary on each category after the jump
BEST FEATURE

I'm confused as to who keeps voting for Bernie, which also found a best picture citation at the Gothams. Is it just that Richard Linklater is a (deserved) god among the indie set? I expect Beasts to dominate here... unless they're feeling Oscar kids table in which case it'll be a big night for Silver Linings Playbook. 

BEST DIRECTOR

 

 

Please tell me Benh Zeitlin will win this thing, even if his film loses. Happy to see Julia Loktev show up. In indie-land and in any other country or principality beyond "Hollywood" female directors aren't so rare.

BEST FEMALE LEAD

 

 

Ouch. This is the least nominees I've seen in a good decade in a female lead category. Time to burrow through my screeners and see if these performances do it for me (or if I even got screeners). SNUB: Im disappointed that Melanie Lynskey wasn't nominated for Hello I Must Be Going. 

BEST MALE LEAD

Thure Lindhardt Kept The Movie Going. Well done.

 

 

McConaughey has two nominations as befitting his career peak year. But somehow there's six nominees indicating little consensus. The Spirit Awards are less predictable than some awards shows but I'm thinking Cooper takes this with Hawkes as spoiler. 

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE


 

 

Do we think Ann Dowd is playing with category fraud here? I'm actually torn on this one. Yes, she has the most screentime and drives a lot of the plot (at first) it becomes more and more of an ensemble as it goes. What say you?

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

 

 

I have no idea who might win this -- unless the indie crowd liked Magic Mike more than these nominations suggest (this is its only nomination) -- but it's an intriguing lineup. Happy for the inclusion of Bruce Willis who is such a versatile movie star and confused by the inclusion of Sam Rockwell since most everyone agrees that Christopher Walken stole that film. SNUBBED: No Ezra Miller for Perks of Being a Wallflower (it was eligible) and no Dwight Henry from Beasts of the Southern Wild... remember when people thought he'd be in the Oscar mix?

BEST SCREENPLAY

 

 

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

 

 

Yay for Gayby! Such a funny debut. Fill the Void is the Israeli Oscar submission (if you're thinking it sounds familiar.)

BEST FIRST FEATURE

 

Disappointing to realize that Perks was eligible but couldn't drum up an acting nod for either Logan Lerman or Ezra Miller.

 

THE JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD
(Basically "Best Feature" that's budgeted under a ½ million)  

 

 

I keep hearing I would like Starlet so I must get on that soon.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

 

 

Interesting outreach since Here and Valley of Saints received no other nominations. I always approve of spreading the wealth in this way since it's truly rare that five movies have the best everything.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

 

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

 

 

THE ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Which is a prize for the ensemble and casting director) 

 

Which nominations are you happiest about? What are you miffed about snub-wise?

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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