Spirit Award Nominations

The first major award show to release their nominations each year, the Spirit Awards (formerly Independent Spirit Awards) is always willing to take risks and honor films that the Oscars hesitate to adopt. Of course, the films honored have to meet budget and production restrictions, which makes it a perfect opportunity to give public attention to films that may have only played at local, independent theaters.

On the list of nominations includes a Best Feature nomination for 50/50, which I had actually forgot I had seen until I saw it listed amongst these nominations. That being said, it shocks me that I forgot, because I enjoyed 50/50 quite a bit.  So far, and it's very early, of the films receiving nods here, I've seen Midnight in Paris, 50/50, and Martha Marcy May Marlene.  I keep being pulled away from seeing The Descendants, but I will see that shortly.  I was not planning on placing Drive high on my priority list, and I don't think it will gain much traction anywhere else, but I guess I will add it.

Also interesting is that many are saying Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs is one of two or three people who might beat Meryl Streep this year for Best Actress (the others being Viola Davis for The Help and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn.)  However, Glenn isn't even nominated here, although her costar Janet McTeer is nominated for Best Supporting Actress. This won't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it's an odd oversight.

For anyone that saw Grand Rapids, was John C. Reilly particularly good or memorable?

Best Feature
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants

Best Director
Mike Mills, Beginners
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best First Feature
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

Best Male Lead
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachel Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston, 50/50
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

John Cassavetes Award for films made under $500,000
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter

Best Documentary
An African Selection
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge, Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke, The Off Hours
Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Shiffman, The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamiter

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick DeWitt, Terri
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Tom McCarthy, Win Win
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best International Film
A Separation
Melancholia
Shame
The Kid With a Bike
Tyrannosaur

Piaget Producer’s Award
Chad Burris, Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin, Take Shelter
Josh Mond, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Someone to Watch Award
Simon Arthur, Silver Tongues
Mark Jackson, Without
Nicholas Ozeki, Mamitas

Truer Than Fiction Award
Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From
Danfung Dennis, Hell and Back Again
Alma Ha’rel, Bombay Beach

Robert Altman Award for ensemble
Margin Call (Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci)