Independent Spirit Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE

• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• Greenberg
• The Kids Are All Right
• Winter's Bone

BEST DIRECTOR

• Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
• Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
• Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
• Debra Granik, Winter's Bone
• John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole

Take that Academy; this might be the best selection of filmmakers ever assembled for a nomination ever.  Aronofsky and Boyle are easily two of the most distinctive and incisive auteurs of our time, and a subtle middle finger to AMPAS's diversity issues, the Spirits nominated two women, and a gay man.


BEST FIRST FEATURE

• Everything Strange & New
• Get Low
• The Last Exorcism
• Night Catches Us
• Tiny Furniture

Everything Strange & New and Night Catches Us were both shortlisted by the Gotham Awards, and Get Low was the summer indie that could starring Robert Duvall.

JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD 
(for a feature made under $500,000)

• Daddy Longlegs
• Lovers of Hate
• Obselidia
• The Exploding Girl

BEST MALE LEAD

• Richard Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
• Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole --------->
• James Franco, 127 Hours
• John C. Rielly, Cyrus
• Ben Stiller, Greenberg

A sign of commitment issues as Robert Duvall failed to garner a nomination for Get Low, even though the film placed in the Best First Feature, and Supporting Actor, even though John C. Rielly gets in for the irritating and shrill Cyrus feature.  After the breakthrough performance nod at yesterday's Gotham Awards and a leading actor nomination here, I suppose I really need to investigate this Daddy Longlegs film.  Does anybody know if it's heading to a limited release soon-- I've seen nothing on this film!


BEST FEMALE LEAD

• Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
• Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
• Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
• Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
• Natalie Portman, Black Swan  ---------->
• Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Perhaps indicative of things to come for the 2010 leading actress awards appears the strongest of the acting categories, and in a rare move, the Spirits nominated 6 women, snubbing Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right.  Another sign of commitment issues, the Spirits gave Michelle Williams a nod for Blue Valentine, but ignored the film in every other category.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

• John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
• Samuel L. Jackson, Mother & Child
• Bill Murray, Get Low
• John Ortiz, Jack Goes Boating
• Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

• Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism
• Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
• Allison Janney, Life During Wartime
• Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jack Goes Boating
• Naomi Watts, Mother & Child

BEST SCREENPLAY

• The Kids Are All Right- Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko
• Life During Wartime- Todd Solondz
• Please Give- Nicole Holofcener
• Rabbit Hole- David Lindsay-Abaire
• Winter's Bone- Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

• Jack Goes Boating- Bob Glaudini
• Lovely, Still- Nik Fackler
• Monogamy- Dana Adam Shapiro & Evan M. Weiner
• Obselidia- Diane Bell
• Tiny Furniture- Lena Dunham

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Black Swan- Matthew Libatique
• Greenberg- Harris Savides
• Never Let Me Go- Adam Kimmel
• Tiny Furniture- Jody Lee Lipes
• Winter's Bone- Michael McDonough

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Exit Through the Gift Shop
• Marwencol
• Sweetgrass
• Restrepo
• Thunder Soul

BEST FOREIGN FILM

• Kisses
• Mademoiselle Chambon
• Of Gods & Men
• The King's Speech
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(given to a film's ensemble cast, director, and casting director)
Please Give