Tomorrow night the Academy Awards will be on. I always loved the broadcast, getting to see movies that I liked and movies that I thought I could like winning or being nominated. Now, however, I pretty much know how the awards will end up, based off of the essential pre-season of the Oscars that spells out what will win. This makes the awards lose some of their luster, and for the past couple of years and, without a doubt, tomorrow, I'll be watching the show to see a couple of filmic tributes that populate the program, giving movies a sense of importance, which is rightfully set. I would love to see the radiant Rooney Mara win in Best Actress, the calm brilliance of Gary Oldman rewarded in Best Actor, but that's not going to happen. In fact, the only award that I feel like I will be 100% behind is Best Cinematography, which will go to a not-so-great movie, but to a pretty damn great cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki for THE TREE OF LIFE. The Oscars hold no great appeal, then, to the strongest of cinephiles who've seen all those prediction graphs from GoldDerby.com and the streak of awards Octavia Spencer's been winning that means her Best Supporting Actress win is a lock. Furthermore, a lot of the films nominated aren't even that great, or even very good. Take, for example, the despicable piece of shit, EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE. Even the film that will win Best Picture, THE ARTIST, isn't that highly regarded among critics. For the layman, the awards also don't hold much appeal, because they either haven't seen most of the films, or don't know anything about many of them. There is, however, a sense of surprise that comes from being the layman, which is perhaps a better experience than a weathered cinephile will have tomorrow. Tonight, however, is another kind of award show that I think is becoming more popular and fun than the show that's for nobody but the guys who voted: the Oscars. These are the Independent Spirit Awards on IFC. Coming into the award show tonight, I have no idea who will win, but every category is filled with people I'd love to see get some recognition. Even the Spirit Awards are becoming a little worse over time as it gains popularity and tries to broaden its films, but it's still the best damn award show around. Here are some people I'd love to see win, and why:
Best Feature & Best Director: Although THE ARTIST and Michel Hazanavicius will probably take this award home anyway (a reason why the Indie Spirit Awards are on a decline), seeing the wonderful TAKE SHELTER and Jeff Nichols or the film that was ultimately snubbed, DRIVE and Nicholas Winding Refn take the prize would be a pleasure.
Best First Feature: MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is the best film in the category, and it sure as hell deserves it. Less popular than DRIVE, but just as blasphemously snubbed, seeing this terrific film win something would make the night, and the entire awards season.
Best First Screenplay: Patrick deWitt winning for TERRI, a film that has only gotten better and better for me over time, even to the point where I think I'll put it on my revised Best of 2011 list, would be a joy.
Best Male Lead: This is tricky. If Jean Dujardin loses in an upset to George Clooney tomorrow, I'll be kicking myself for sort of hoping he loses this one. I would predict that he'll win it, but I would hope that it goes to anyone else in the category, who are all wholly deserving of it. Especially Woody Harrleson or Michael Shannon.
Best Supporting Male: Albert Brooks was the favorite to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, and then he wasn't even nominated in the biggest snub in recent history. Seeing him win here would be so appropriate for the Indie Spirits, although, if John Hawkes took it home, I'd be just as happy.
Best Documentary: Easy one. THE INTERRUPTERS, which was snubbed by the Academy because it didn't meet some bullshit requirement, just how they snubbed the same director's HOOP DREAMS in the mid-90's, which is now considered one of the best documentaries ever made.
Best International Film: Any of these (SHAME, MELANCHOLIA, A SEPARATION) would be great, they are all films that were highly acclaimed but didn't make it to the Oscar stage because they tackled an unattractive subject.
Best Supporting Female: My preference here has to go towards Shailene Woodley, who I found so grating in the commercials for THE DESCENDANTS, and then practically stole the film away from George Clooney (cough, overrated performance). Also, I am in a desperate, begging desire for film awards to go to the young actresses. The agism that is so prevalent in the Oscars, and always hints to end, never does. If a young woman gives a great performance, give it to her.
Best Female Lead: This is the reason I'll watch the show tonight. I wanted Elizabeth Olsen to win this award in the Oscar category, I predicted that it was a year for young actresses at the Oscars after Natalie Portman broke everybody in last year, and then Meryl Streep did a bad impersonation of a boring woman, and Glenn Close dressed in drag, and only Rooney Mara got in (who has been questioningly left out at the Indie Spirits). But Olsen is a great actress, and I see her career going far. But she's been hit with the bad luck of MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE not getting any attention, which thus made her performance not get any attention. I think her career is destined to be a struggle, starring is SILENT HOUSE was certainly a gamble, and we'll see if it pays off, but I need to see this performance get the attention it deserves. I even sort of expect her to win in this category, but the Indie Spirits are odd, so I won't totally commit to it.
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