Birdman Leads Spirit Nominations 2014. Discuss!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 1:15PM
NATHANIEL R in Spirit Awards, precursor awards

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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 !

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

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! 

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

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 


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

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 

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


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. 

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. 

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

19th ANNUAL STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Another $25,000 grant but this one is for documentary filmmakers waiting for significant recognition.

 

And that's all! The Spirit Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday February 21st, the day before the Oscars as usual. 

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