Spirit Award Wins, Reaction Shots, and Opening Monologue
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 11:22PM Since the Spirit Awards fancy themselves as Off Hollywood, let's do this one a little differently. I thought we'd just share the winners a sentence from their speech and only reaction shots. Just to shake things up! We're Off Live Blogging. Tape Delayed capsule-like. But first the delightful Anna Kendrick.
Hi, I'm Anna Kendrick and I'm proud to have appeared in the only movie this year that actually cured cancer. The other nominees are great. I'm just saying."
The idea of the Spirit Awards as the anti-Oscars, held in a tent instead of a big auditorium, "California Casual" instead of gowns and tuxes, and held on the saturday afternoon before Oscar big Sunday night -- well, it would work a lot better if their nominee lists weren't so padded with actual Oscar nominees and films. One wishes they were just a wee bit more, well, independent.
Okay more than a wee bit. A lot bit. One does wish.
THE WINNERS...
SUPPORTING MALE
Christopher Plummer for Beginners
It's taken me the longest time to realize that the Spirit Awards have nothing to do with booze."
The brilliant Mike Mills listening to Plummer speak about him
Corey Stoll looked a little sad but I was so happy to see him there. At least he got nominated somewhere other than right here! He gives good interview and hopefully more great roles are coming.
FIRST SCREENPLAY
Will Reiser for 50/50
I also wouldn't be here if I hadn't had cancer, so credit where credit is due."
His table was super excited but I did not see Joseph Gordon-Levitt. [Later I discover that he was indeed there so I'm perplexed that there was no reaction shot. Who's directing the cameras?] None of the big stars seem to be there. No Clooney either.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Guillaume for The Artist. Penelope Ann Miller accepted for him. He couldn't be there because he was just in France winning the Cesar. I expect he'll be back in LA in time for the Oscars. Li Bingbing presented and though she's been getting some nice press lately she sounds a little bit like she learned her jokes phonetically. But then many people sound a bit like English is their second language when they're doing "banter". Banter is hard to pull off, y'all. (No joke.)
Janet McTeer and her Man got tons of reaction shots
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants
My heart is pounding."
Woodley looked really unhappy to be there until she won.
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Dee Rees for Pariah
My favorite film is Woman Under the Influence with Gena Rowlands so I take from that."
Dee Rees thinks it's "all about performance" and she loves Cassavetes so the award is special to her. Weirdly they didn't get a good reaction shot of Adepero Oduye, the camera did this weird circle around her back ending in medium shot profile before cutting away.
BEST MALE LEAD
Jean Dujardin for The Artist
He's also flying back from France. He also won a Cesar."
Um. Actually he lost, Penelope. But The Artist team probably can't register such things at this point "Qu'est-ce... loss?"
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Interrupters
BEST SCREENPLAY
The Descendants
We had fun writing this script but we cheated because we had Kaui Hart Hemmings' novel."
So you admit you just copied and pasted, prose to V.O.? I kid. I kid. But I would like to go on record and tell all aspiring writers out there that there are other ways to adapt novels that just moving the prose over into V.O. Anyway, this guy "Nat" (I like his name) is kind of funny. He said something funny but I have unfortunately forgotten it.
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Asghar Farhadi for A Separation
Yay!
THE ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Best Ensemble)
Director, Casting Directors and the Cast of Margin Call
As a producer every day I showed up to work was basically a fucking nightmare."
Interesting speech in which Zachary Quinto basically said that his actors were difficult (schedule-wise)... but really? Lots of good actors in that cast but are they that busy?
FIRST FEATURE
JC Chandor for Margin Call
I'm just glad we made a good little movie."
That's a good way to describe it.
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
I just arrived from France, five minutes ago. We had a plane. It was not so difficult."
Okay. Hee. Kirsten Dunst presented and her presence made me gleeful inside.
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Mark Jackson for Without.
Adepero clapping for Michelle / Marilyn
BEST ACTRESS
Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn
a room full of misfits, outcasts, misfits, loners, dreamers, mumblers, delingquets, dropouts, just like me."
She feels at home in this room and this community.
BEST FEATURE
The Artist
AND THE BEGINNING AT THE END JUST BECAUSE... Seth Rogen seemed to be struggling but, like many funny people when they're trying to host award shows. His jokes were maybe a bit too cerebral and uneven -- it must be so hard to find the right tone at these things -- but others got big laughs. Here are a few moments with reaction shots just because I enjoyed them.
Most of all without awards season we wouldn't know what a horrible bigot Brett Rattner is. Good. Good to know. That Rattner shit was nuts."
I now know what George Clooney would look like at a Jimmy Buffet concert. The answer. Pretty fucking sexy. Still pretty fucking sexy... You know a movie is good when it makes you feel bad for George Clooney... no part of me has every pitied him. I wanted to hug him, then kiss him, then undress him then fuck the shit out of him."
Michael Shannon being a good sport, and playing along
Every time I tell a joke I'm going to cut to Michael Shannon looking creepy."
Groff & Quinto. Of course they cut to the gay boys during a dick joke. But how awesome is it that we now have enough famous gays that we get famous gay couples?
I'm so psyched for Michael Fassbender... he's getting serious dick acclaim, it's pretty amazing. People are talking about it all the time. His dick is the talk of the town. His balls are being totally left out of the equation. They're quite literally being overshadowed by his dick. His bush is fantastic also . What's good about his dick is it looks like how you hoped it would. I remember watching Bad Lieutenant and you're like 'That's fucking Harvey Keitel's dick? That's crazy. I thought he'd have a way cooler dick than that!' It's true."
There's a whole other Olsen. I found that out this year. That's awesome. Where were they hiding her?
She's the best one. Come on."
Reader Comments (19)
Aw, I was really hoping Jessica would get supporting actress.
Yeah, that performance is really growing on me from her filmography.
Happy for Shailene Woodley. I really liked her performance, for some reason.
I laughed out loud reading the Elizabeth Olsen joke 'Where were they hiding her' :D Groff&Quinto are cute. Happy Shailene won. Janet and her man are a lovely couple to see.
Happy for Michelle (btw I first typed that as Marilyn)! I know she didn't compete with Meryl and Viola here AND at the Globes, but still nice pair of wins to add to her many critic wins this year. It'll still be a Meryl v. Viola race to the finish, but all of this industry goodwill will surely help her for whenever she gets her 4th Oscar nomination.
Also just for fun...
Viola - SAG and BFCA
Meryl - BAFTA and Globes
Michelle - Spirits and Globes
Wait, are Quinto and Groff dating?! I thought Groff was dating Gavin Creel! If they are, that is quite the power couple. Love them both.
As far as I remember, there's only one shot of Fassy's dick and it's kind of dark and quick. Are we really that repressed?
I like "The Artist" a lot, but I was expecting a little bit more of diversity in this show.
PS I didn't know Groff and Quinto were dating. I'm clearly so behind with my gossip magazines!
Yay for Shailene. She was great in The Descendants.
I had no idea Groff and Quinto were dating either , but good for them - so so good to see gay "power couples" as you say, Nat. (Quinto is one of my few man-crushes - him an Ewan.)
I did see the show but enjoyed the quotes from Rogen and I liked that he "went there" on these issues - the exact opposite (reading the quotes here) of the "gay panic" that still infects so many movies. (Wish there was more of this sort of mentality in our movies, but of course Middle America wouldn't stand for it.)
The awards lost a bit of credibility this year by allowing The Artist in the regular categories when it's clearly a French film with French money behind it. It would have been fun to see what would have won best picture, director, actor and cinematography without The Artist in play. The Descendents, Alexander Payne, Ryan Gosling, Bellefleur?
Or maybe Mike Mills?
I guess when Penelope Ann Miller speaks after the Oscars tonight she will say it won 10 Oscars and 16 Cesars.
I'm glad A Woman Under the Influenceis still geting praise from new and young filmmakers. it means they're trying to make authentic, personal movies, committed to highlight real human beings. That's an excellent reference for everyone who's struggling to succeed in this business.
In The Descendants acceptance speech, Nat or Nate referred to Plummer's speech, saying something humorously about "soul" and "Solomon" when thanking his wife. Plummer's been giving the same speech over and over again. I wonder if he do improv tonight if he wins, which he will.
I didn't know Groff was dating Quinto? Or is he?
I loved Michelle's speech. Harvey should feel guilty for throwing her and her movie under the bus to push Streep and Iron Lady.
Gabriel -- there is no confirmation but there has been gossip since at least last fall and they're often photographed together. But for whatever reason they haven't confirmed or denied (as far as I know. it's possible i missed something) though both are out so it seems odd that they haven't.
I thought Seth did well...I'm not really sure why they cut the last part of his joke out for Elizabeth Olsen in the broadcast. Hm.
Bia -- they cut something out?