40th Annual Spirit Nominations - "Anora" and "I Saw the TV Glow" Lead
Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 8:45PM
NATHANIEL R in Aidy Bryant, Anora, Didi, English Teacher, I Saw the TV Glow, Julianne Moore, Spirit Awards

 

by Nathaniel R

Oscar hopeful Anora and probable future cult-classic  I Saw the TV Glow led the nominations for the 40th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. As is the organization's tradition, there's a long time before the show. The awards aren't until February 22nd, 2025... significantly after or just around the time of awards shows that have not yet announced their nominations like the Golden Globes (Jan 5), Critics Choice Awards (Jan 12), SAG Awards (Feb 23), and the Oscars (March 2). 

The complete spirit nominations in tv and film categories and several comments and questions after the jump... 

MOVIE AWARDS

Best Feature

 

 

Anora also led the Gotham Award nominations though it won no actual prizes. That's unlikely to happen again at the Spirits since there's a wide voting body rather than individual juries. Nickel Boys was banking on critical enthusiasm, given its release strategy, and it received it. 

Has I Saw the TV Glow derailed The Substance's hopes of winning 100% of the cult-enthusiasts vote this awards season or does the Demi Moore of it all keep The Substance firmly in the more mainstream awards bodies conversation? 

Best First Feature

 

 

I guess I need to find this In the Summers; It's in good company.

John Cassavetes Award (for the best feature made for under $1,000,000)

 

 

Remember when this was for films under $500,000? That was true until 2023 but, you know, inflation. Two of these are LGBTQ+ movies (Big boys, The People's Joker) 

Best Director

 

 

A major divide from Best Feature with only Anora and I Saw the TV Glow in both categories. Wonder how close these other films were to landing a Best Feature nomination. 

I was hoping not to have to see The Apprentice given the early critical shrugs it received combined with the state of the world and the deep deep depression erupting from the knowledge that the Orange Oligarch will be in our faces and lives for many more years to come. 

Best Screenplay

 

 

It's fun when films like Heretic and I Saw the TV Glow, which obviously couldn't have been conceived with big expectations of awards, actually do end up in the awards race.

Best First Screenplay

 

 

Finally some love for Problemista (in a few places here). It's such a  singular picture that it's already shockingly undervalued just nine months after release. I hope Julio Torres showers us with more feature films. 

Best Lead Performance

 

 

Some interesting disagreements with the Gotham list . They're not exactly parallel awards bodies, of course, but they're closer to each other than any other prizes. Only half of the nominees also made the previous list: Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Justice Smith (I Saw the TV Glow).

Best Supporting Performance

 

Same divide here (almost). The six performers who made it to both the Gothams and the Spirits: Borisov, Culkin, Deadwyler, Lundy-Paine, Maclin, and Pearson.

Awards always end up feeling so arbitrary when you feel passionately about someone who doesn't place. Like, for instance, how do you watch The Brutalist as the nominators did, and NOT think the Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce are deserving or at least more deserving than a few of the others that were chosen in both the lead and  supporting categories? How ??? 

Best Breakthrough Performance

 

Allow me to grumble that Izaac Wang is not here. What a performance he gave in Didi. 

Robert Altman Award

 

 

Best Cinematography

 

Very surprised to see I Saw the TV Glow excluded given that they loved it and its Cinematography by Eric Yue (who also did amazing work on A Thousand and One the year prior) is one of its key achievements. 

 

Best Editing

 

 

Best Documentary

 

 

Best International Film

 

Producers Award
This award is for emerging producers who demonstrate creativity, tenacity, and vision - the nominations are not for specific films

 

 

Someone To Watch Award
An award for talented filmmakers who have not yet received appropriate recognition.

 

 

True Than Fiction Award
Presented to a emerging documentarians who have not yet received significant recognition

 

 

 

SERIES AWARDS

Best New Scripted Series

 

What a fine list! (Disclaimer: I have not seen Diarra from Detroit so I'm hoping it's as good as these others) 

Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series

 

So happy for Brian Jordan Alvarez who has been shilling his quite hilarious and gay series with funny shirtless conviction on social media. Nice to see some applause for Julianne Moore, too. I think Mary & George is easily her best performance since her Oscar win but awards bodies haven't rallied around that series much.

Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series

 

Applause to the nominaters for the inclusion of Chloe Guidry who is disturbing and memorable in Under the Bridge but the kind of performance most awards bodies would undervalue for a number of reasons: she's young, there's an even more sociopathic teen role in the same ensemble, there are multiple more sympathetic and not unshowy teen roles in the same ensemble, and there are two celebrity actresses in the leading roles. Despite all that Guidry is best-in-show. 

 

Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series

 

 

This is nothing new but I've always been confused about what awards bodies mean by "breakthrough". For example, Jessica Gunning has been acting fairly consistently in film and television since 2007 and has had at least one high profile credit before Baby Reindeer (in the joyous Pride which was up for Best Picture at the Golden Globes ten years back), so shouldn't her co-star Nava Mau be nominated in this category instead of in Supporting, thereby swapping places with her. Mau has only been working since 2019 and made only 4 shorts and one series before Baby Reindeer. No objection to them both being nominated --wonderful wonderful performances across the board in that limited series---but the split in categorization doesn't make much sense.

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series

 

I tried watching this since I love both lead actors, Rothwell & Ricamora, but found the pilot so sitcomy forced that I didn't press play on the second episode. Does it get better? 

 

Best New Non-Scripted or Doc Series

 

 

WHICH OF THESE NOMINATIONS ARE YOU MOST INTO? Care to answer any of the questions posed in these comments? 

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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