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The 2011 Spirit Awards: Queen Amidala and the Guy Who Will Direct Wolverine 2 Rewarded for their Independent Spirit

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (11)

Black-Swan-movie-clip.jpg

The 2011 Spirit Awards, which celebrates the best in Independent Film, gave its top award to a movie that’s made over $100 million (on robust $13 million budget), best actress to Queen Amidala, best actor to Harry Osborne, and best director to the guy who will direct Wolverine 2. Black Swan had a great night, which means that so did Rupert Murdoch. These days, even the Spirit Awards are less about introducing amazing unheralded films to wider audiences and more about affirming popular tastes.

At least Winter’s Bone and Tiny Furniture received some recognition, too.

Here are your winners.

Best Feature
Black Swan

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Best Female Lead
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Male Lead
James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Supporting Female
Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone

Best Supporting Male
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

Best Cinematography
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Best Foreign Film
The King’s Speech

Best Documentary
Exit Through The Gift Shop

Best Screenplay
Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right

Best First Feature
Aaron Schneider, Get Low

Best First Screenplay
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture

John Cassavetes Award (For the best feature made under $500,000)
Daddy Longlegs









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Comments

JOHN HAWKES

Posted by: coveredinbees at February 27, 2011 11:25 AM

I think the Star Wars prequels are technically independent movies. They were just made independently by a billionaire.

Posted by: Fracas at February 27, 2011 11:34 AM

Does anyone really think Black Swan deserved the award for best cinematography? Obviously, I do not. Adam Kimmel did a great job. And, while it may not have been his masterwork, Harris Savides is working on a level that Matty Libatique doesn't even understand. I find this category the most indicative that the so-called independent spirit awards are just as big a star-fuckfest as all the other awards.

Posted by: shacla at February 27, 2011 11:50 AM

I guess it raises the question of what is an "independent" film. Technically speaking the Star Wars prequels were indie films -- financed independently by Lucas.

Part of the issue is that so many of the indie stars -- directors like Aronofsky and the Coens or stars like Richard Jenkins and Zooey Deschanel -- are now comfortable in working within the major studio system. So the clear-cut lines that 15 years ago defined the difference between studios and indies is blurred, if not gone.

But the biggest difference is that the indie system got co-opted by studios. Now, you get 127 Hours and Black Swan from Fox Searchlight (a division of 20th Century Fox). The King's Speech comes from The Weinstein Company (guys who for a long time worked for Disney).

So what is truly "independent" at this point?

Posted by: Fredo at February 27, 2011 12:35 PM

That paragraph is trying too hard. There is no "embodiment" of the indie spirit, and even if you brood over suitable examples, well, there should not be an embodiment anyway.

Nobody is forced to or exempt from making highly commercial or highly independent movies. Tring to classify actors or directors as strictly this or that is not just unfair, it's also silly. Pi was indie to the bone and Wolverine has as many strings attached as possible, but nothing stops Aronofsky from making a US$50,000 movie, say, three years from now. It would actually make sense.

I'm not arguing over the movie in focus here (Black Swan), which would indeed fall into some shady "semi-independent" category. But saying "You gave the award to a woman who ONCE did this, so SHE'S not indie" is pretty ridiculous. The "independent" label, both as a stand-alone and as the intention of the Spirit Awards (sadly and truly unfulfilled in the last case, yes), should go to films and their financing, not to people who are free to do whatever the hell they please, don't you think?

Posted by: godzilla_foil at February 27, 2011 3:04 PM

I guess it raises the question of what is an "independent" film.

Thank you, Fredo. You don't know how happy it made me to see you avoid the pitfall of misuse of "begs the question".

Posted by: pissant at February 27, 2011 3:39 PM

Why would I beg for a question, pissant?

And godzilla_foil, I agree. I think that some of the allure of indie movies was for people to feel better/smarter than the unwashed masses who flocked to the cineplexes to gorge on whatever glop the studios seemed fit to deign them with. Indie movies were tough to find. You had to be in with the right crowd to hear of them and to see them.

Now they're as common as any other movie. They are readily available. They are mass produced and mass marketed. The thrill is gone.

/the previous comments do not denote anything about the original post or the writer. On the contrary, I think Dustin is as conceited as Tyrion Lannister is long.

Posted by: Fredo at February 27, 2011 4:22 PM

Why would I beg for a question, pissant?

OK, I'm not detecting any sarcasm, so I guess I'll answer you plainly. "Begging the question" is a logical fallacy. People often say "begs" when they should say "raises". But don't ever call Rowles on it. If you do, he'll call it a "tired argument". Here, instead of confusing "begs" with "raises", he confuses "tired" with "sound".

http://begthequestion.info/

Posted by: pissant at February 27, 2011 4:36 PM

Didn't know that, pissant. Thanks for the info.

TBF, I do use "begs the question" now and again without thinking. As the article states, linguists have allowed "begs the question" to become part of the vernacular.

Posted by: Fredo at February 27, 2011 6:21 PM

As long as people are gentle about their grammar nazism I can handle it. That, and understanding in the end the battle will never be won.

I had the same reaction to this. I'm not sure we need to lament that semi-large films are considered for independent spirit awards. There are so many outlets with the internet to find/distribute smaller films, you can still discover them and enjoy them on your own. I for one am happy the system has changed enough that the director of Black Swan, Pi, and Requiem for a Dream can also go and direct a superhero movie. Better him then Ratner.

Posted by: e at February 27, 2011 7:41 PM

I can't believe anyone would think Black Swan was better than Winter's Bone... It's fucking Fight Club for Annoying little girls!

Posted by: Sarah J-Town at February 28, 2011 9:00 AM