A great and gracious good evening everyone! Anne Marie here, slightly late and very winded. While the Spirit Awards may not suffer TV delays, the LA Metro system is not nearly as reliable, so I sprinted three blocks trying to get here on time.
The Spirit Awards are an odd group. Ostensibly, the rule is that any "indie" is eligible, but as often as not they end up looking too much like the rest of awards season. This was an especially strong year for small (by Hollywood standards) films, so it looks even more homogenous. Still, I support the effort to celebrate the smaller side of Hollywood.
I turned on the TV right as Kristin Bell and Fred Armisen broke into song, so I'm still trying to play catch up. Awards and more after the jump!
First up is Best Supporting Actress which goes to... Patricia Arquette for Boyhood!
Is anyone surprised? Not really. But I'm still very happy to see her. She seems to have sorted out delivering her speeches without a crib sheet. She even handled the sound glitch well. ("Was that God? She sounded great!") I like the bit on thanking the distributor. I don't know about giving the distributors an award, just because these shows tend to get so ungainly anyway, but her point about how important distrbutors are for Indies definitely stands. Yay, Patricia!
Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons have fantastic chemistry onstage while introducing Whiplash. It makes me hope for a comedy starring the two.
Best First Screenplay goes to crowd favorite Justin Simien for Dear White People!
Simien gives a great speech about writing Dear White People to put himself in the culture, and encourages others who don't see themselves represented to do the same. "We need to see the world through your eyes."
Kerry Washington is drinking onstage, which is why I love smaller awards shows. The retrospective shows what a mix of big (in impact) and small that the Spirit Awards have celebrated.
God looks great in a weird gold and purple silver dress! It fits, since she's introducing Inherent Vice.
Paul Thomas Anderson is awarded the Robert Altman Award for Inherent Vice.
Is he wearing plaid flannel? Are you allowed to wear flannel at an awards show? (Apparently American Airlines lost his "f*cking" luggage.) He thanks his casting director, which he should, because that cast is incredible.
The Lenscrafters Truer Than Fiction Award goes to Dan Krauss for The Kill Team.
I'd tell you more, but the title of the award is longer than the time allotted to it.
Marissa Tomei and Alfred Molina introduce Love Is Strange, which did not get nearly the attention it deserved.
Best International Film goes to Ida!
Man, what a great category. Leviathan, Mommy, Ida, Force Majeure, Norte, Under the Skin. Any one could have won totally deservedly. Pawel Pawlikowski thanks his competitors for losing, since he shares my excitement about how good the category was.
The John Cassavetes Award (for films made for under $500,000) goes to Land Ho!
Ava DuVernay's Middle of Nowhere won this award in 2012, so directors Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens should ask her for pointers on how to go from under $500,000 to working with Oprah. I mean, network while you're in the room, right?
Best First Feature goes to Nightcrawler!
This is another amazing category: Nightcrawler was against Dear White People, Obvious Child, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, and She's Lost Control. I didn't realize Nightcrawler was a first film. That did not feel like a neophyte effort. Holy cow! They tried to cut to Renee Russo, but she was obscured by a camera man! For shame, camera man. For shame.
Oprah introduces Selma because of course she does. Ava DuVernay looks flawless in plum. Then Jared Leto walks out and I honestly didn't recognize him because he looks like Freddy Kruger's mariachi-obsessed homeless cousin.
What the hell is Jared Leto wearing? #SpiritAwards pic.twitter.com/6vTqyciS9y
— Rob Trench (@robtrench) February 21, 2015
Best Supporting Actor goes to J.K. Simmons for Whiplash!
In the last decade, has the Supporting Actor race been this much of a cinch? I'm very excited for my friends to stop calling him "the Allstate Guy" and start calling him "the Oscar winning guy." Simmons gives a gracious speech, which is a relief because every time they show a clip from Whiplash he scares the bejeezus out of me.
Fred Armisen & Kristin Bell were doing fine as hosts until this inner monologue camera bit. Please stop. Please, please stop.
Best Screenplay goes to Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
So it's a first directing effort, but not a first screenplay. That makes more sense. The screenplay category was a list of movies that would never be nominated by the bigger awards ceremonies, for a variety of reasons: Only Lovers Left Alive, Love is Strange, Big Eyes, A Most Violent Year. This is the kind of variety you hope for from an awards show like the Spirit Awards. (Minus Big Eyes.)
Best Editing goes to Tony Cross for Whiplash.
Best Cinematography goes to Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman.
(Both were announced after the commercial break.)
Alexander Payne presents the Special Distinction Award to Foxcatcher.
Director Bennett Miller pokes fun at PTA's slipup by reading an "apology" for dropping the F word and dissing American Airlines. It's pretty good.
The Spirit Awards haven't been great at explaining what distinguishes the various non-competitive awards from each other. The Robert Altman Award goes to a director and ensemble. The John Cassavetes Award is given to a movie made for less than $500,000 (as previously stated). There's no information on what gives a movie "Special Distinction" though, so if you know then please tell me in the comments!
Best Documentary goes to Citizenfour.
Citizenfour is probably the best-known film of the documentary nominees. Director Laura Poitras introduces Glenn Greenwald, who ensure that Citizenfour's win will be reported on when he calls on us to thank Edward Snowden instead of villifying him.
The Piaget Producers Award goes to Chris Ohlson for Kumiko The Treasure Hunter.
The award comes with a grant so more movies can be made!
Kristin Bell just introduced Scarlett Johannsson, "star of the microbudget independent feature The Avengers: Age of Ultron!" Scarjo is presenting the award for Best Director.
Best Director goes to Richard Linklater for Boyhood!
Ethan Hawke accepts it on his behalf. He calls Boyhood a flare gun to shoot up for other people with radical visions to keep making movies. When Hawke thanks producer Jonathan Sehring for being the only other person besides Linklater who thought Boyhood was a good idea 13 years ago, the room erupts in cheers.
Ewan McGregor is wearing a leather jacket and his hair is a mess. I rescind my earlier question about wearing flannel at awards shows.
Best Female Lead goes to Julianne Moore for Still Alice!
I typed this out before they announced the win, because there was no way she wasn't winning. For some reason, her table was way in the back, so it took her a while to get to the stage. She talks about how independent film has shaped her life and career in the last 25 years. Also, apparently she brought her own food (and bras) to Still Alice.
Andy Samberg just called Jessica Chastain "Jay Chay" and I kinda hope it sticks.
Best Male Lead goes to Michael Keaton for Birdman!
Keaton's being weird. He stutters a bit, then thanks "Narcissus" (points for the Greek mythology reference). States that he's sure people are sick of hearing him talk, continues to ramble, but ends on a good note. Birdman is indeed "bold cinema." Still, that was really strange.
Best Feature goes to Birdman!
Inarritu gives a heartfelt-if-morbid speech about human mortality and the importance of film. He also calls Lubezki "the genius of light," which is a brilliant way to describe a good cinematographer. Does this change your Oscars predictions at all?
Somehow the Spirit Awards have ended 5 minutes early! That's its own award. Everyone wish Nathaniel a speedy recovery, as he's under the weather. Thank you all for reading, and enjoy your awards weekend!