Birdman Leads Spirit Nominations 2014. Discuss!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 1:15PM Sony Pictures Classics leads the nominations for the Spirit Awards this year with an incredible 15 nominations though Fox Searchlight's Birdman leads all films with 6 nominations. And rather ridiculously even at the Spirits we have to play category fraud with Alfred Molina dubbed supporting in the marriage drama Love is Strange while his screen hubby John Lithgow is declared lead. (sigh). But we're happy that Love is Strange did so well wtih 4 nominations including Best Feature.
In case you forgot last year's nominations and would like a comparison, you can see them here as well as the eventual winners. Of all the awards shows you'd think that Spirit Awards could at least be a little different but last year they weren't with Best Picture and all four acting prizes repeating on Oscar night. Will this year have a greater and thus more exciting and wealth-spreading disconnect? We'll see but given the nominees in the acting categories (many from presumed Oscar hopefuls, we could well see a four for four again.
Complete list of 2014 nominees is after the jump...
BEST FEATURE
- BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF INNOCENCE)
- BOYHOOD
- LOVE IS STRANGE
- SELMA
- WHIPLASH
A strong lineup. But also one that's likely to repeat with Oscar save Love is Strange which never really got an Oscar campaign going despite its brilliance.
BEST DIRECTOR
- Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (podcast)
- Ava DuVernay, Selma (brief chat)
- Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, Birdman (review)
- Richard Linklater, Boyhood (review)
- David Zellner, Kumiko: The Treasure Hunter (review)
Another lineup we could see repeating at Oscar minus Zellner who is the true "indie" director of this lineup.
Relieved that LOVE IS STRANGE, one of the year's best, has not been forgotten.BEST SCREENPLAY
- BIG EYES - Scott Alexandder & Larry Karaszewski
- A MOST VIOLENT YEAR- J.C. Chandor (premiere chat)
- NIGHTCRAWLER - Dan Gilroy
- ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE - Jim Jarmusch
- LOVE IS STRANGE -Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias
That Big Eyes was eligible is a surprise given that it's a Burton film and his films are about as far from Independent as you can get given his firm status as a globally successful mainstream director. A nice mix of topics and genres here for this particular prize.
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
- A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT - Ana Lily Ampour (review)
- DEAR WHITE PEOPLE - Justin Simien (review)
- NIGHTCRAWLER - Dan Gilroy (review)
- OBVIOUS CHILD - Gillian Robespierre (review)
- SHE'S LOST CONTROL - Anja Marquardt
Three female driven films here which is a nice antidote to the male-centric "Best Feature" list.
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Appropriate Behavior - LOVE this underseen movie
- APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, Desiree Akhavan (review)
- LITTLE ACCIDENTS, Sara Colangelo
- THE ONE I LOVE, Justin Lader
- SHE'S LOST CONTROL, Anja Marquardt
- DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, Justin Simien
At Sundance very early this year I was all in Appropriate Behavior's corner as the best of the two wild NY girls sleeping around and growing up face/off with Obvious Child. Obviously this one's profile is still miniscule but I think it's funnier.
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Which is the best feature made with a budget under 1/2 a million. The award goes to the writer, director and producer.
TEST resurfaces for one nomination
- BLUE RUIN - Jeremy Saulnier
- IT FELT LIKE LOVE - Eliza Hittman
- LAND HO! - Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens (review)
- MAN FROM RENO - Dave Boyle
- TEST - Chris Martin (interview)
Land Ho! and Test are both worth seeing. Alas I still need to see the others so cannot, as of yet, vouch for them.
BEST FEMALE LEAD
TILDA !
- MARION COTILLARD, The Immigrant (fyc)
- RINKO KIKUCHI, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
- JULIANNE MOORE, Still Alice (review)
- JENNY SLATE, Obvious Child
- TILDA SWINTON, Only Lovers Left Alive (review)
Tilda came to global fame as the ancient protagonist of Orlando who just kept writing on living through various centuries. She's back to those immortal tricks 22 years later as a vampire in Jarmusch's latest. She always feels right under the Spirit tent.
BEST MALE LEAD
- ANDRE BENJAMIN, Jimi: All is By My Side
- JAKE GYLLENHAAL, Nightcrawler
- MICHAEL KEATON, Birdman
- JOHN LITHGOW, Love is Strange
- DAVID OYELOWO, Selma
With Birdman leading the nominations Michael Keaton is the man to beat here. Though Spirit wins used to surprise. If they return to their old wilder ways you could see an upset via Gyllenhaal or Oyelowo
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
We're at war here!
Oh calm down, Jes. It's just the Spirits!
- PATRICIA ARQUETTE, Boyhood
- JESSICA CHASTAIN, A Most Violent Year
- CARMEN EJOGO, Selma
- ANDREA SUAREZ PAZ, Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
- EMMA STONE, Birdman
You'll have to save your "this was very disrespectful" jokes for a future snubbing of Jessica Chastain because she made it to this lineup. This could well be the Oscar lineup, minus Suarez Paz in a true indie.
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
- RIZ AHMED, Nightcrawler
- ETHAN HAWKE, Boyhood
- ALFRED MOLINA, Love is Strange
- EDWARD NORTON, Birdman
- J.K. SIMMONS, Whiplash
Another category that will have significant overlap in that the winner will also take the Oscar. It's either Norton or Simmons with the latter currently looking most likely.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
- THE IMMIGRANT - Darius Khonjdi
- BIRDMAN - Emmanuel Lubezki
- IT FELT LIKE LOVE - Sean Porter
- A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT - Lyle Vincent
- SELMA - Bradford Young
An amazing category with Birdman's transcendent virtuousity up against The Immigrant's period glow, A Girl's black and white creepiness, and of course Bradford Young who is awesome.
BEST EDITING
- BOYHOOD -Sandra Adair
- WHIPLASH - Tom Cross
- NIGHTCRAWLER - John Gilroy
- A MOST VIOLENT YEAR - Ron Patane
- THE GUEST - Adam Wingard
You always know that the nominating committee's really thought about a particular achievement when it's the only nomination for that film. So congratulations to Adam Wingard for his work on The Guest.
BEST DOCUMENTARY
- 20000 DAYS ON EARTH
- CITIZEN FOUR
- STRAY DOG
- THE SALT OF THE EARTH
- VIRUNGA
Debra Granik (aka Glenn's new bestie) of Winter's Bone fame is up against Nic Cave and other very buzzy docs. Will Citizen Four take every doc prize this year?
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
- FORCE MAJEURE (Sweden)
- IDA (Poland)
- LEVIATHAN (Russia)
- MOMMY (Canada)
- NORTE, THE END OF HISTORY (The Philippines)
- UNDER THE SKIN (UK)
An absolutely amazing lineup here. Oscar would do well to take note (only Under the Skin is ineligible in the corresponding Oscar category)
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
This ensemble prize is given to the film's director, casting director and the cast. They never have nominees. Just a winner.
- INHERENT VICE - Paul Thomas Anderson, Cassandra Kulukundis & Cast
SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARD
Strangely both of these films were ineligible for other prizes. So why did the IFP feel insistent on honoring them when there are hundreds of actually independent productions which could have used the publicity from an organization created to honor independent films?
17th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
This $25,000 unrestricted grant is meant to honor rising producers who work with limited resources but demonstrate creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality film.
- Chad Burris
- Elisabeth Holm
- Chris Ohlson
Missed this one at Sundance. Dying to see it!20th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
This award goes to a film and filmmaker with singular vision that is still waiting to be appropriately recognized. Consider it a "discovery" type deal
- A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, Ana Lily Ampour
- H., Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia
- THE RETRIEVAL, Chris Eska
19th ANNUAL STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Another $25,000 grant but this one is for documentary filmmakers waiting for significant recognition.
- APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT, Amanda Rose Wilder
- EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL, Darius Clark Monroe
- THE KILL TEAM, Dan Krauss
- THE LAST SEASON, Sara Dosa
And that's all! The Spirit Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday February 21st, the day before the Oscars as usual.
Reader Comments (59)
RE: BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE.
I was skeptical about Ejogo's chances after seeing the film (not that she isn't great), but get that gorgeous woman on one red carpet with prestigious hubby on her arm *asap*, and AMPAS may well bite.
Stergios - You're a little too ambivalent for my tastes -- commit!
Snowpiercer couldn't be eligible because of the budget, let alone the international production.
the best actress nods are impressive, although I haven't seen Kikuchi. And bravo for "Test" getting mentioned.
Nathaniel, please see The Immigrant again before Film Bitch Nominations! I am not saying you're gonna change your opinion but - I'm sure I am not overreacting - there is a best-performance-of-the-decade situation here. Of course I love Cotillard (but I agree with you that her Oscar should have gone to Christie) and I am super James Gray fan since The Yards (and I love his actresses, like Paltrow, Theron and even Eva Mendes, who is just great in We Own the Night).
So, am I biased? Hell yeah, but A LOT of people that are not that into Gray/Cotillard also loved the performance and the movie.
Marion is in a state of grace in The Immigrant and she's excellent in the Dardenne's film in a role with many technical difficulties. Her recent line of work amazes me.
Can we just take a moment and marvel at that ah-may-zing Best Female Lead lineup? On class and sophistication alone (merit too, but how many people have seen that Kumiko movie?) that is one of the most lovely international actressexual lineups and stuff of what legendary dinner parties are made of!
If only they had found an arbitrary loophole for ScarJo to get in. And since this is the Indie Spirits of the 2010s, I'm disappointed they didn't starfuck their way to perfection with her amazing performance -- my number one of the year still.
yeh for Philippines' entry... a must watch indeed!
@ BD I really don't know if you have any idea of what ambivalent means.