It may be just an award show in the middle of the day held in a big circus tent as co-host Kristen Bell joked in the opening montage of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, but this casual star-studded affair is the premier awards show for the independent film community. Arriving at the big top on Santa Monica Beach, stars were happy to take selfies and sign autographs to the cluster of fans lined up before making their way down the magenta carpet.
For the first time the show had two co-hosts, Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell, and was broadcast live on IFC (rather than the late night tape delay of the past years). Armisen (star of IFC’s Portlandia) and Bell, who dubbed themselves “a little bit indie, a little bit commercial” set a comic irreverent tone with an opening pre-taped segment spoofing Birdman. Acting categories had a familiar award ring to them with Boyhood supporting actress Patricia Arquette, Whiplash supporting actor J.K. Simmons and Still Alice lead actress Julianne Moore all taking out awards. The three actors have been virtual locks throughout the award season ever since winning the Golden Globe.
When presenters Jessica Chastain and Andy Samberg, named Michael Keaton Best Actor for Birdman a resounding applause echoed the room (his fellow nominees were Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, David Oyelowo for Selma, John Lithgow for Love is Strange and Andre Benjamin for Jimi: All is By My Side, but main competitor (and Globe winner), Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything was not in the category as the film is a British production. Keaton said in his acceptance speech: “It would be remiss if we didn’t thank narcissus right now,” noting the self congratulations of award season, but added that he was blessed to be a part of a film that is “bold cinema. This is a game-changer.”
Waving the flag for independent cinema was on the mind of most award recipients. An emotional Julianne Moore, accepting for her role as the Alzheimer’s stricken linguistics professor in Still Alice thanked the independent community she has been a part of for twenty five years, noting that Still Alice was made “in 23 days for $4 million. I had to even bring my own bras and my own food.” Ethan Hawke accepting the award for Best Director on behalf of an absent Richard Linklater, addressed the audience by saying the director’s twelve-year opus Boyhood was like a “flare gun for anyone with a radical vision. It’s still the wild West and the stories will not be told by corporate America but by you. With Hollywood studios increasingly stacking their budgets on tent-pole movies, writer-director Dan Gilroy, who accepted the honor for best first feature, as well as screenplay for the compelling Nightcrawler struck a chord when he noted how important it was to “hold out against the tsunami of superhero movies that have swept over this industry.”
While organizers like to encourage an “anything can happen” event, they certainly didn’t count on director Paul Thomas Anderson, who accepted the 8th annual Robert Altman Award on behalf of himself and his ensemble cast for Inherent Vice, blurting out “not to fly American Airlines. They lost my luggage.” The airline is one of the event’s main sponsors. It was normally somber director/producer Bennett Miller, who surprisingly showed a quick knack for comedy when accepting his Special Distinction Award for Foxcatcher saying that Anderson was apologetic for his remarks and that “it was actually United who lost his luggage.”
The Spirit Awards, now in its 30th year is renowned for giving talent their first industry recognition. Past recipients who received awards early in their career include filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky and actors Hilary Swank, Zach Braff, Amy Adams and Edward Burns.
Katherine Tulich
******************************************************************************* The complete list of winners is below:
Best Feature
Birdman
Best Director
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Best Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Best First Feature
Nightcrawler
Best First Screenplay
Justin Simien, Dear White People
Best Supporting Female
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Best Supporting Male
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Female Lead
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Best Male Lead
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Robert Altman Award
Inherent Vice
Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Best Editing
Tom Cross, Whiplash
Best International Film
Ida
Best Documentary
Citizenfour
Special Distinction Award
Foxcatcher