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The 2011 Independent Spirit Award Nominations and Kevin Smith's Unwarranted Hissy Fit

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (26)

ryan-gosling-drive.jpg

The Independent Spirit Award Nominations were announced yesterday, which are the awards handed out for best indie feature, a bit of a misnomer these days when most of the indie flicks are distributed by the indie arms of big studios. Still, the “spirit” of independent film still lives on, and the nominations include many of the year’s best films. In fact, I take very little issue with the nominations: I’d have like to have seen Martha Marcy May Marlene in the best feature category (although, it was recognized plenty elsewhere) and Win Win, I thought, deserved more recognition. But it was a stacked year, and not every great movie or great performance is going to get a nomination, and that includes strong — but not blisteringly amazing — performances from John Goodman, Michael Parks and Melissa Leo in Red State, performances I personally liked but it would not have occurred to me to nominate, not among powerhouse performances from Ryan Gosling in Drive, Michael Shannon Take Shelter, and Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes in Martha Marcy.

Kevin Smith, however, was not so understanding about the snubs, writing on Twitter: “”How the fuck did the @SpiritAwards NOT nominate Michael Parks? Nor John Goodman? Nor Melissa Leo? Fuck your idiotic organization.”

That’s a little harsh.

Here are the nominations.

FEATURE
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants

MALE LEAD
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

FEMALE LEAD
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachael Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

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

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

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

SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Tom McCarthy, Win Win
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants

FIRST FEATURE
Another Earth
In the Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

FIRST SCREENPLAY
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick deWitt, Terri
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter

(Via Moviefone)










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Comments

By now it should be abundantly clear that Kevin Smith is a hurt little girl who can't accept that things he comes up with aren't instantly recognized for the greatness that they bear.

Funny dude, but clearly butthurt.

Posted by: Fredo at November 30, 2011 10:04 AM

If I'm not mistaken, nominees for First Feature can't be nominated for Best Feature. That would explain Martha Marcy May Marlene not being nominated in the big category.

(You are probably right, and that would explain it. Thanks. -- DR)

Posted by: Robert at November 30, 2011 10:04 AM

Oh Kevin
please please please make up your mind as to whether or not you care about what institutions / organisations think

I have this theory that having been an avowed productive stoner for the last few years he's moved on to dabbling in cocaine

When on weed - he could nary give a shit about what others think - and nor should he frankly, we should all be so fortunate to be so successful pretty much on our own terms. Then he has a few toots of an evening and BAM - WHY DO THESE FUCKERS NOT LIKE THE STUFF I DO WHEN ITS CLEARLY AWESOME I RUN THIS TOWN I TOTALLY RUN THIS TOWN GAAAAAHHHHHHARGLEBARGLEFARGLERARGLE

Posted by: PyD at November 30, 2011 10:09 AM

Kevin Smith's Unwarranted Hissy Fit

Sigh. Must be a day that ends in "y".

Oh Kevin, I do like your movies, but you're such a little brat sometimes.

Also, am I the only one who feels like JGL should get a Male Lead nod for 50/50?

Posted by: Ghisent at November 30, 2011 10:16 AM

Honestly, Red State was not all that good of a movie. It is a little sad, because Michael Parks could have picked up any number of awards, if he'd done the same character in a movie with a little more, shall we say, focus.

And I agree that John Goodman is always a joy to watch, but again his role never really made sense as the tone of the movie shifted from "slasher flick" to "political satire". Not that the two can't weave together, but in this case the warp and the weft did not skillfully mesh.

Posted by: Neodiogenes at November 30, 2011 10:18 AM

I went into Red State with the benefit of the doubt, but I HATED HATED HATED it. Just my opinion. I think saying it lacked focus is a nicer way to put it. However, Michael Parks was magnetic and I totally agree that he could be recognized.

Posted by: Nimue at November 30, 2011 10:27 AM

Stay classy, Smith.

Posted by: Craig at November 30, 2011 10:28 AM

Also, this is the first time I've ever seen "warp and weft" used in an internet comment, and I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Posted by: Craig at November 30, 2011 10:30 AM

Ghisent, I think it's too close a call with JGL in 50/50, considering he's been the male lead in other movies where he was allowed to shine more brightly than here.

Posted by: Pants at November 30, 2011 10:38 AM

The last man in the universe who takes any of these things seriously. Well, maybe Kevin and Kanye.

Posted by: , at November 30, 2011 11:02 AM

Why does Kevin have to be so whiny about it? And John Hawkes is fabulous in everything. Just hand him the awards. Did I tell you I knew of him first? I did.

Dustin, apropos of absolutely nothing: I have an ad showing that wants me to buy my own fucking LEAR JET. An ad. For a LEAR JET.

I don't know how the ad placement works at all, so either the ads folks think very highly of me and my bank account and I've been searching for some chi-chi things, or Pajiba has entered some rarefied air, the upper stratosphere of ad placement, the tippy-top echelon of websites, and if that is the case, bravo, sir. The little website that could, did. (And I am not being a smart-ass. I have no issue with the ads.)

Posted by: Shonda at November 30, 2011 11:06 AM

I really don’t know what else to say about Kevin Smith. Studios have continuously backed this guy shitty movie after shitty movie, and he continues to act like he’s owed something. But some people here will dismiss his latest outburst as Kevin just being Kevin, and not wanting to hold him or his actions accountably. I have never seen a c-minus director given such wide latitude to act like an asshole. And now he goes and basically tells the movie industry to “fuck off” because another one of his shitty movies that only his most loyal of fans went to see didn’t get the credit he thinks it deserved. Oh by the way he did win a Spirit Award in the past and also got nominated a couple of more times, so another endearing charm of his is that he’s also an ungrateful prick. Scorsese or Spielberg tells an entire industry to fuck off, hey, I’m not happy about it but they’ve earned that benefit.


But this fucker, this fucker that bragged about screwing his old lady on a youtube video of all places is someone that should be accorded the benefit of the doubt? Lets put aside the quality of his movies for a second and focus on the business side. The guy doesn’t even make enough money for a studio that backs him to justify putting up with his bullshit. I could understand a studio looking the other way for a director that earns money, but this fucking guy cost money. And now he wants to bitch and moan about a movie that might be the first ever to go straight to t.v., bypassing dvd. In other words this guy might be the first director to see his movie open on a Friday and come out on dvd the following Tuesday.


I don’t have an ounce of pity for this guy, not when other directors actually have to make a good film to earn a living.

Posted by: Pookie at November 30, 2011 11:21 AM

Still confused about the love for Drive. I understand the acting nominations, but Best Director and Feature? Someone please explain to me the appeal of Refn's films, because I simply don't see it.

Posted by: WestCoastPat at November 30, 2011 11:25 AM

I thought the same, Ghisent, but I didn't see any of the nominated performances, so it's hard for me to judge.

I am really glad that Another Earth got some love. It was a fantastic little movie, particularly for a debut.

Posted by: Artemis at November 30, 2011 11:49 AM

Refn is a demanding director who insists on getting actors to give the performances he sees in his head. Nominations for his actors are, by extension, nominations for his very hands-on approach. This is not to discredit the work of his cast or what they bring to the set; they were just guided in the direction he wanted. Drive would be a completely different film without Refn at the helm, for better or worse.

Posted by: Robert at November 30, 2011 11:55 AM

//questioning the nature of existence after realising she completely agrees with Pookie//

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at November 30, 2011 1:08 PM

Fuck yeah, 50/50.

Posted by: ChristianH at November 30, 2011 1:17 PM

Red State sucked.

Posted by: junierizzle at November 30, 2011 1:38 PM

one little tweet and (almost) everyone here is commenting about him, and not the actual nominations.

Kevin will be happy...

Posted by: Nick at November 30, 2011 2:13 PM

Another year, another sausage fest in the screenplay/director categories.

Posted by: Arrogant Ambassador at November 30, 2011 3:22 PM

I have an ad showing that wants me to buy my own fucking LEAR JET. An ad. For a LEAR JET.

We are the 1%!

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at November 30, 2011 5:54 PM

I am a big fan of Kevin Smith movies and absolutely loved Red State. What is really sad is that Smith can't keep his mouth shut for more than two minutes and prevent some irreparable damage to is cause. If he wanted all those people to get nods he should have kept his fucking mouth shut about critics and the "institution." Now whoever stars in a Kevin Smith movie will never have a chance for even a consideration for a nomination in that role. I miss the good old days when Kevin Smith just made movies and had fun at his own expense. Maybe cut back on the weed a little bit and stop being a monumental douche will help him out a little.

Posted by: the noise at November 30, 2011 7:23 PM

Oh Drive, I just don't get how your little emo music video has managed to blind so many with so little...I enjoyed you, but I wasn't sent to my knees out of love for you...

Posted by: Scratch McGee at November 30, 2011 7:51 PM

Sigh. Must be a day that ends in "y".

Not not on Thanksgiving, then. Right. Noted.

Posted by: superasente at November 30, 2011 7:59 PM

Ewan McGregor was robbed.

I guess even the Independent Spirit Awards must be guilty of memory loss too... Win Win doesn't stand much of a chance when it came out in March.

I am glad that Terri got some love, though.

Posted by: THRILLHO at December 2, 2011 10:42 AM

Yeah I don't get it either. Drive was an interesting little movie. It had the worst soundtrack I've ever heard in my life. Despite that it was worth watching. But I don't understand giving someone a best director nod for an hour and a half of 5 minute motionless shots of actors staring silently at eachother or at nothing. Gosling deserves a little apreciation for making it a watchable movie. Let's be honest though, anyone else in that roll and noone would have given a damn.

Posted by: Blank at December 3, 2011 3:38 PM