Every year, I look forward to the Film Independent Spirit Awards—watching the nominees and casting my votes—but it always seems to fly by. It doesn’t help that the Sundance Film Festival and the Oscar nominations land right in the middle of it all, but that’s the nature of awards season. Unlike some recent years, there doesn’t appear to be much overlap between Spirit Award contenders and eventual Oscar nominees. “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Moonlight,” “Anora,” and “Nomadland” were all represented at both ceremonies in their respective years, but this year it feels like “Train Dreams” is the only overlapping Best Picture nominee.
That said, “Train Dreams” was my pick in most of the categories in which it was nominated at the Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Director, Cinematography, and Lead Performance. The film carries a rich, quiet stillness, elevated by stunning cinematography and a standout performance from Joel Edgerton. His delivery is restrained, and those subtle, contemplative roles can be difficult to pull off—but he absolutely nails it. The story is heartbreaking and inspiring, while also exposing the deep-rooted rot in this country’s early history, a darkness that lingers over the main character’s life. I was disappointed Edgerton didn’t receive an Oscar nomination for his performance, so the Spirit Awards felt like the perfect place to recognize him.
The other film that stood out to me this year was “One of Them Days.” After first seeing it, my immediate reaction was, “It was better than it had any right to be.” Roommates, played by Keke Palmer and SZA, scramble to make rent by the end of the day, and through their chaotic antics, they search for meaning within their small, provincial lives. Both performances were fantastic. Had the categories not been so competitive, I might have voted for them there, but I ultimately supported the film in Best First Feature and First Screenplay.
While I suspect “Sorry, Baby” will be the more popular choice throughout the awards, I often found myself voting differently. “Twinless” was my pick for Best Screenplay; I found the premise incredibly original—a jilted gay lover befriending his deceased one-night-stand’s twin brother. I wish “Roofman” had received more nominations because I loved the film. In a tough Best Supporting Performance category, I ultimately voted for Kirsten Dunst. My preconceived notion that “She’s the He” wouldn’t be good was quickly proven wrong, with Misha Osherovich stealing the show—my pick for Best Breakthrough Performance. I also remember how “Warfare” left me tense and holding my breath, a feeling owed in large part to its editing, which earned my vote in that category.
In two categories that have largely gone the same way all season, I cast my ballot differently. In Best Documentary, “The Perfect Neighbor” seems unstoppable, but “Come See Me in the Good Light” resonated with me more emotionally, so I voted with my heart. For Best International Film, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Oscar Best Picture nominee “The Secret Agent” will win, but I found “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” more thought-provoking, with an incredibly subtle performance by Susan Chardy.
When it came to the television categories, however, I leaned toward the series and performances that have been sweeping the season. I voted for “Adolescence” for Best New Scripted Series, and for Erin Doherty (Supporting Performance) and Owen Cooper (Breakthrough Performance), almost based on their one episode together alone. After binging all fifteen episodes of “The Pitt” in a twenty-four-hour period, it goes without saying that Noah Wyle was my pick for Lead Performance. And in New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, I couldn’t help but be moved by Paul Reubens in “Pee-wee as Himself,” seeing his life chronicled in a way that felt both intimate and overdue.
The awards take place this Sunday, February 15, hosted by Ego Nwodim at the Hollywood Palladium. The ceremony has been moved from its usual home at the Santa Monica Pier due to ongoing renovations. Normally, the Spirit Awards offer a chance to see major stars just weeks before the Oscars, but with a full month between ceremonies this year and not as many of the same films nominated, there may be little crossover. Still, I’m excited to see who ultimately wins—and who shows up.
BEST FEATURE
Train Dreams • Netflix
Clint Bentley | Director
Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman | Producers
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2. Twinless • Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate
3. The Plague • IFC Films
4. Sorry, Baby • A24
5. Peter Hujar’s Day • Janus Films
BEST FIRST FEATURE
One Of Them Days • TriStar Pictures
Lawrence Lamont | Director
Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi | Producers
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2. Lurker • MUBI
3. Dust Bunny • Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions
4. East Of Wall • Sony Pictures Classics
5. Blue Sun Palace • Dekanalog
BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Bentley
Train Dreams • Netflix
Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman | Producers
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2. Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
3. Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
4. Lloyd Lee Choi – Lucky Lu
5. Ira Sachs – Peter Hujar’s Day
BEST SCREENPLAY
Twinless • Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate
Written by James Sweeney
James Sweeney | Director
David Permut, James Sweeney | Producers
—
2. Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
3. Splitsville – Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin
4. Sovereign – Christian Swegal
5. A Little Prayer – Angus MacLachlan
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
One Of Them Days • TriStar Pictures
Written by Syreeta Singleton
Lawrence Lamont | Director
Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi | Producers
—
2. Friendship – Andrew DeYoung
3. Lurker – Alex Russell
4. Blue Sun Palace – Constance Tsang
5. Outerlands – Elena Oxman
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
jOEL EDGERTON
Train Dreams • Netflix
Clint Bentley | Director
Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman | Producers
—
2. Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
3. Keke Palmer – One Of Them Days
4. Dylan O’Brien – Twinless
5. Tessa Thompson – Hedda
6. Chang Chen – Lucky Lu
7. Kathleen Chalfant – Familiar Touch
8. Ben Whishaw – Peter Hujar’s Day
9. Everett Blunck – The Plague
10. Théodore Pellerin – Lurker
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
KIRSTEN DUNST
Roofman • Miramax
Derek Cianfrance | Director
Dylan Sellers, Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell Taylor, Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery | Producers
—
2. Zoey Deutch – Nouvelle Vague
3. Archie Madekwe – Lurker
4. Haipeng Xu – Blue Sun Palace
5. Jacob Tremblay – Sovereign
6. Kali Reis – Rebuilding
7. Jane Levy – A Little Prayer
8. Nina Hoss – Hedda
9. Naomi Ackie – Sorry, Baby
10. Rebecca Hall – Peter Hujar’s Day
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Misha Osherovich
She’s the He • Self-Distributed
Siobhan McCarthy | Director
Halley Albert, Vic Brandt | Producers
—
2. SZA – One Of Them Days
3. Kayo Martin – The Plague
4. Tabatha Zimiga – East Of Wall
5. Liz Larsen – The Baltimorons
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Train Dreams • Netflix
Cinematography by Adolpho Veloso
Clint Bentley | Director
Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman | Producers
—
2. Warfare – David J. Thompson
3. Blue Sun Palace – Norm Li
4. Dust Bunny – Nicole Hirsch Whitaker
5. Peter Hujar’s Day – Alex Ashe
BEST EDITING
Warfare • A24
Editing by Fin Oates
Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland | Directors
Andrew Macdonald, Mathew Penry-Davey, Allon Reich, Peter Rice | Producers
—
2. Good Boy – Ben Leonberg
3. Splitsville – Sara Shaw
4. The Testament of Ann Lee – Sofía Subercaseaux
5. Eephus – Carson Lund
BEST DOCUMENTARY
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT •
Apple Original Films
Ryan White | Director
Jessica Hargrave, Ryan White, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen | Producers
—
2. The Perfect Neighor • Netflix
3. The Tale of Silyan • National Geographic
4. My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow • Self-Distributed
5. Endless cookie • Obscured Releasing
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl • A24
(Zambia, UK, Ireland)
Rungano Nyoni | Director
Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Tim Cole | Producers
—
2. The Secret Agent (Brazil)
3. All That’s Left Of You (Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus)
4. Sirāt (Spain)
5. A Poet (Colombia)
TELEVISION
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Adolescence • Netflix
Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham | Created By/Executive Producers
Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller | Producers
Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm | Co-Executive Producers
—
2. Common Side Effects • Adult Swim
3. Forever • Netflix
4. North of North • Netflix
5. Mr Loverman • BritBox
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Pee-wee as Himself • HBO Max
Matt Wolf, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Paul Reubens, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez | Executive Producers
—
2. Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time
3. Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television
4. Citizen Nation
5. Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Noah Wyle
The Pitt • HBO Max
Simran Baidwan, R. Scott Gemmill, Michael Hissrich, Erin Jontow, John Wells, Noah Wyle | Executive Producers
—
2. Seth Rogen – The Studio
3. Sydney Chandler – Alien: Earth
4. Ethan Hawke – The Lowdown
5. Stephen Graham – Adolescence
6. Lovie Simone – Forever
7. Lola Petticrew – Say Nothing
8. Michelle Williams – Dying for Sex
9. Anna Lambe – North of North
10. Lennie James – Mr Loverman
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Erin Doherty
Adolescence • Netflix
Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham | Created By/Executive Producers
Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller | Producers
Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm | Co-Executive Producers
—
2. Ben Whishaw – Black Doves
3. Taylor Dearden – The Pitt
4. Ariyon Bakare – Mr Loverman
5. Jenny Slate – Dying for Sex
6. Xosha Roquemore – Forever
7. Babou Ceesay – Alien: Earth
8. Poorna Jagannathan – Deli Boys
9. Stephen McKinley Henderson – A Man on the Inside
10. Sharon D. Clarke – Mr Loverman
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Owen Cooper
Adolescence • Netflix
Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham | Created By/Executive Producers
Philip Barantini, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Nina Wolarsky, Hannah Walters, Mark Herbert, Emily Feller | Producers
Carina Sposato, Niall Shamma, Peter Balm | Co-Executive Producers
—
2. Michael Cooper Jr. – Forever
3. Ernest Kingsley Junior – Washington Black
4. Asif Ali – Deli Boys
5. Wally Baram – Overcompensating
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