The people who give out the Indie Spirit Awards are always known as a quirky bunch, and this year they may have really outdone themselves. The nominations for the awards, handed out the day before the Oscars on a beach in Malibu, were announced today, and there are omissions, surprises, and weird snubs all over the place.
Based on the full list published by Variety, the five nominess for Best Feature are Ballast, a micro-budget feature by first-timer Lance Hammer, Frozen River, a Sundance hit that came out over the summer, Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt's tiny heartbreaker that comes out in a few weeks, and bona fide Oscar hopefuls Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler.
It's a good list, if maybe a little tilted into money power with Rachel and The Wrestler-- but then look at what was eligible in other categories. They nominated James Franco and Sean Penn for Milk but nothing for director Gus van Sant or Best Feature-- a weird snub for one of the biggest Oscar frontrunners that, curiously, qualifies as "indie." And what about The Visitor the small, much-beloved indie that scored a nomination for lead actor Richard Jenkins, but nothing else?
I'm thrilled by plenty of inclusions, like the overall love for Rachel Getting Married and Wendy and lucy, and the dual nods for Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But it wouldn't be a list of awards nominations if there weren't something to bitch about. Check out Variety's list and pick your favorite outrage.
