Awards Season 2019: Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

This morning, the nominations for the 34th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced at a press conference in Los Angeles. That means two things: 1) Awards Season 2019 has started; 2) I get to start a new spreadsheet. It's the little things in life.

As you will probably know by now, the Film Independent Spirit Awards recognise films made wholly or partly outside the traditional studio system (although there is becoming an increasingly wide overlap between these and the more 'mainstream' awards). 

Below is a selection of nominations:

Best Feature

Eighth Grade

First Reformed

If Beale Street Could Talk

Leave No Trace

You Were Never Really Here

Best Director

Debra Granik (Leave No Trace)

Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Tamara Jenkins (Private Life)

Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)

Paul Schrader (First Reformed)

Best Male Lead

Johh Cho (Searching)

Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting)

Ethan Hawke (First Reformed)

Christian Malheiros (Socrates)

Joaquin Phoenix (You Were Never Really Here)

Best Female Lead

Toni Collette (Hereditary)

Glenn Close (The Wife)

Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)

Regina Hall (Support The Girls)

Helena Howard (Madeline's Madeline)

Carey Mulligan (Wildfire)

Best Supporting Male

Raul Castillo (We The Animals)

Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)

Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Josh Hamilton (Eighth Grade)

John David Washington (Monsters And Men)

Best Supporting Female

Kayli Carter (Private Life)

Tyne Daly (A Bread Factory, Part One)

Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace)

J. Smith-Cameron (Nancy)

A full list of nominees can be found here.

A very even spread of films getting multiple nominations this year, with Eighth Grade, First Reformed, We The Animals, and You Were Never Really Here with four nominations each. 

A few eyebrows may have been raised for the lack of nominations for Roma and The Favourite- they were not eligible for any other categories than Best International Film as the films do not contain 'significant American content'. Considering one's about a family in Mexico City and the other is about eighteenth-century England, they may have a point...

The Film Independent Spirit Awards will be handed out on Saturday 23rd February 2019 (the day before the Academy Awards). 

The next Awards Season update is just under three weeks away, when the Golden Globe nominations will be announced on 6th December. 

Stan Lee (1922-2018)

Like many, we at The Watchers are incredibly saddened by the passing of comic book supremo, Stan Lee, who passed away yesterday (12th November) at the age of 95. 

Born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28th 1922, his parents were Romanian Jewish immigrants. After graduating from high school in 1939, he became an assistant at Timely Comics, a pulp fiction company, filling the artists' inkwells, proofreading and erasing the pencil lines. Two years later, he made his comic-book debut with an all-text Captain America story- written under the pseudonym 'Stan Lee' (he planned to keep his given name for more literary work). In late 1941, Lee was installed as interim editor at Timely, following Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's departure. He was just under 19 years of age. From 1942-1945, Lee served in the US Army and served as a member of the Signal Corps before being transferred to the Training Film Division. He was one of only nine men to be given the military classification of 'playwright'. 

Stan Lee during his military service in World War II

After returning from military service, Lee continued as editor for Timely (which became known as Atlas Comics by the mid-1950s) but soon became frustrated with the restrictions of the comic book form and was churning out whatever was needed to satisy the readership- be that crime, horror, westerns. As he approached 40, Lee was on the brink of quitting comics and turning his attention to writing novels. Besides, DC Comics were stealing a march on the comic-book scene with the Justice League of America and Atlas didn't have anything to compare. His wife Joan told him to 'write one comic you are proud of' before finishing with comics. 

This comic would eventually become The Fantastic Four, which he co-created with Jack Kirby, and which published its first issue in 1961. The dysfunctional family unit became a massive success and the first foundation of what would be known as Marvel Comics was laid. In 1962, Lee co-created Ant-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor with Kirby and one of his most famous characters, Spider-Man, with Steve Ditko. Iron Man, Doctor Strange, the Wasp, the X-Men, Daredevil and the Avengers would soon follow. Over the years, he would create or co-create many other Marvel characters, including Groot, the Inhumans, Iron Fist, Black Panther, Falcon, Black Widow, and Nick Fury.

Throughout the 1960s, Lee would utilise a system that (although used by other comic-book studies) would come to be known as the 'Marvel method': the story would be brainstormed between the writer and the artist, a brief synopsis (rather than a full script) would be produced by the writer, the artist would draw the panels- working out the page-by-page storytelling- then pass the completed panels back for the writer to do the word balloons and captions. This system helped Lee maintain his workload and meet the deadlines, but could also give rise to claims that Lee took more credit than was due for the work; Lee had a particularly acrimonious time with the estate of Jack Kirby over such claims (a claim that was settled for an undisclosed sum 20 years after Kirby's death, with the terms of the settlement never made public). 

In his comics, Lee would include a credit panel to properly acknowledge the inkers and letterers of the strip as well as the writer and artist. He'd also write the Bullpen Bulletins page and a 'Stan's Soapbox' where he'd discuss issues in his familiar, chatty style. Lee made his characters relatable- they had day-to-day issues, they weren't some on-high flawless creatures. Some looked like villains. Others were different, outcasts, freaks. He also used the comic books to discuss real-life issues, such as the Vietnam War and the Red Scare, with one comic historian noting that 'from 1962 to 1965, there were more communists [in Marvel Comics] than on the subscription list of Pravda'! DC didn't involve themselves with such things. In one 'Stan's Soapbox', he writes about the evils of bigotry and racism and how 'if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance'. 

One of the controversial panels in The Amazing Spider-Man #97

In 1971, Lee played no small part in the reformation of the Comics Code, which was created in 1954 by the Comics Code Authority (CCA) and acted as a de facto censor for comic books. If a comic-book didn't adhere to the Code, it was not authorised to use the Comics Code seal on the cover. This would cause publishers issues. When the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare asked Lee to write a story about the dangers of drugs, Lee did just that: a three-issue storyline within The Amazing Spider-Man comics where Harry Osborn would nearly die from an overdose. The CCA promptly refused to authorise the use of the seal (no matter that the presentation of drugs was shown distinctly as a negative). Luckily, Marvel essentially decided to publish and be damned, and those three issues went out without the seal: rather than there be any wholly negative problems, Marvel were praised for its social consciousness and the CCA eventually loosened the Code. 

In 1972, Lee stopped writing comic books- he was writing the copy for all of Marvel's covers- and stepped down as editor. He took up the role of publisher within Marvel (a role he would hold until 1996). His final issues of The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four came out in July and August respectively. He would occasionally write with various projects, such as a 1982 Silver Surfer one-shot with John Byrne, and the first issue of The Savage She-Hulk with John Buscema. 

Stan in Mallrats with Jason Lee

In the 1980s, Lee moved to Los Angeles to focus on developing Marvel's film and TV projects. He was the narrator for both The Incredible Hulk (1982-1983) and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends (1981-1983). In 1995, he appeared as a heightened version of himself in Kevin Smith's Mallrats. In 1998, Lee embarked on a new internet-based superhero production and marketing studio called Stan Lee Media. Sadly, this venture was shortlived when one of his investors was found to be illegally manipulating stock prices and was sent to prison. Lee himself filed for bankruptcy, although he was never implicated in any wrongdoing. 

In 2000, superhero movies were starting to be made with some money and some thought behind them, thanks largely to the original X-Men movie (starring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Hugh Jackman). As the X-Men's co-creator, Lee had a small cameo as a hot dog vendor. It's very much a blink-and-you-might-miss-it moment but was a fun Easter egg for fans. This wasn't the first superhero movie cameo Lee made, however: he was the jury foreman in The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk (1989). 

As more and more Marvel movies were being made, so Lee kept on being offered cameos- playing everything from a mailman to a beauty pageant judge, an Army general to a strip-club DJ. One of my particular favourites is in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) where he's a school librarian blithely unaware of the carnage happening behind him as Spider-Man and the Lizard have a massive scrap. His cameos soon became an integral part to a Marvel movie and fans reacted with glee at each one-liner or look. To many, a Marvel movie without a Stan Lee cameo won't feel quite the same. 

Stan's cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Lee continued to work in various mediums- writing graphic novels, attending conventions, meeting fans, writing several manga titles, appearing in films and TV shows, although increasing ill health sometimes meant he had to cancel convention appearances. In 2008, he was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts for his services to comic books, and was awarded the Producers Guild of America's Vanguard Award in 2012. His wife Joan, to whom he had been married for nearly 70 years and the person he credited as his muse and inspiration, passed away in 2017. She appeared with him for his cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse. He is survived by his daughter J.C. Lee. 

Stan and Joan Lee in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

It's difficult to think of someone who has had such an impact on popular culture as Stan Lee. He helped to bring comic books from niche to mainstream, and his legacy of dozens of iconic characters will endure. Lee once wrote 'entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you're able to entertain people, you're doing a good thing.' And you did entertain people. Thank you for everything. 

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. 

Excelsior, true believer. 

Rhys, Tez & Matt
The Watchers

For Your Consideration: Possible Contenders For Awards Season 2019

Well, would you look at that? It's almost time for awards season to ramp up again. 

Starting this coming Friday (16th November) and going through til 24th February, it's going to be three months (more or less) of trophies, statuettes and gushing praise. So if you're a fan of this hoopla, welcome to the madness. If you're not, there'll still be other stuff happening on the blog, so don't worry.

As I've done nearly every year since the blog has been running- - I've had a look back at the major festivals of the year to see if I can glean potential award bait for the upcoming season. As usual, I think there's a case of some stone cold certs, a few potentials and a few never-in-a-month-of-Sundays. So here we go!

A Star Is Born is virtually guaranteed to be nominated left, right and centre. This is the fourth version of the film and all previous versions (1937, 1954 and 1976) have been nominated for- and won- several high-profile awards. Bradley Cooper's direction has been praised highly (for a debut director) and his performance and that of Lady Gaga have been warmly received by fans and critics alike. Several of the original songs might also be featured. 

La La Land director Damien Chazelle reunites with leading man Ryan Gosling for First Man, a biopic of Neil Armstrong. Focusing first on the man then on the mission which saw him set foot on the Moon, it's a considered and technically accomplished piece of film-making. It should have a strong showing in the technical fields, with Gosling potentially a Best Actor nod and Claire Foy a Best Supporting Actress nominee for her turn as Armstrong's wife Janet. 

Intrigue. Plotting. Sex. The Favourite has it all. In the early Eighteenth Century, in the last years of Queen Anne's reign, a struggle for the Queen's favour begins between an established courtier and a new servant. Now, I'm the first to admit that I wasn't a massive fan of Yorgos Lanthimos' last film (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer bored me rigid) so the thought of seeing The Favourite felt more like a chore than a pleasure. But there's a very strong cast- Olivia Colman won the Best Actress award at Venice for her turn as the frail Queen Anne, whilst Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone complete the triangle with their turns as the old confidante and the new blood. Expect to see all three names feature heavily. 

Christian Bale gives another incredible physical transformation to play former Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice, the latest film by Adam McKay (The Big Short). Focusing on Cheney's rise to the second most powerful position in America, there's a starry cast playing the real-life figures in the White House. This year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Sam Rockwell plays George W. Bush, whilst Amy Adams takes the role of Cheney's wife Lynne.

Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Awards, Green Book is a biographical comedy-drama directed by Peter Farrelly. Yep, THAT Peter Farrelly. Shallow Hall, Dumb And Dumber, Movie 43 Peter Farrelly. But then we live in interesting times where Eli Roth can make a family film, so all bets are off. It's the chalk-and-cheese story of a fast-talking Italian-American bouncer who becomes a driver for a black pianist on a tour of venues in the American South in the 1960s. Viggo Mortensen plays Tony (although he may have inadvertently scuppered his chances by the unfortunate use of a certain racial epithet during an interview) whilst Mahershala Ali gives a nuanced and dignified turn as the pianist Don Shirley. Expect to see this film come up a lot.  

Alfonso Cuaron's most personal film to date, Roma took the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Not only did Cuaron write and direct the film, he also acted as his own cinematographer. A cast of relative unknowns and non-actors help tell the story of a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s. Yalitza Aparicio's central turn as Cleo has been critically acclaimed, as has the whole production. However, the fact that it's been distributed by Netflix may cause some issues in terms of wider awards recognition as some bodies won't count any streaming service films. 

BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee's riotous take on the incredible true story of Ron Stallworth, a Black police officer who managed to infiltrate the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, may have the social relevance and clout to do well. Performances by John David Washington (as Stallworth) and Adam Driver (as Stallworth's workmake Flip) have been praised, as has the script and Lee's direction. 

Barry Jenkins follows up Moonlight with an adaptation of the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk. The story of a pregnant young woman from Harlem who desperately tries to prove that her fiance is innocent of assault, If Beale Street Could Talk has a strong ensemble cast, with the performances of KiKi Layne and Regina King particularly praised. The score, by Nicholas Britell, and the script, adapted by Jenkins, have also been praised highly.  

Two 'Boy's may feature heavily. The first is Beautiful Boy, an adaptation of memoirs from a father and son (David and Nic Sheff) exploring the family's experience of Nic's drug addiction. It's a weighty and heavy subject and the performances by Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet have been acclaimed, so expect to see their names mentioned. The other 'Boy' film deals with a similarly weighty subject: that of gay conversion. Boy Erased, based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, tells the story of Jared Eamons, a Baptist preacher's son (played by Lucas Hedges) who is outed by his parents then forced into a gay conversion program. Hedges' central performance is a strong one, whilst there's been praise for the performances by Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman as Jared's parents. 

However, Kidman could alternatively be in the running for a Best Actress nod with her stunning central turn in Karyn Kusama's Destroyer, playing an LAPD detective whose past comes back to haunt her. Widows- directed by Steve McQueen (Shame, 12 Years A Slave)-  updates the 1983 Lynda La Plante mini-series from London to Chicago. Early buzz has suggested stroing performances by Viola Davis and Elizabeth Debicki, which may well translate into acting nominations. Meanwhile, Glenn Close has been getting some of the best reviews of her career- no mean feat- for her role in The Wife, as the titular spouse behind a Nobel Prize-winning writer, so she may well figure. 

With the success of Get Out during this year's awards season, we could see a couple of horror films feature throughout the 2019 season. One of the most likely nominations will be for Toni Collette's anguished and intense performance in Ari Aster's Hereditary. Similarly, Luca Guadagnino's retelling of Dario Argento's Suspiria may feature in the technical awards- as its soundtrack by Thom Yorke has been widely praised and some of the visual effects are impressive (if a little... squishy). I would have said there'd be a potential Supporting Actress nod for Tilda Swinton as the icy Madame Blanc but that looks less and less likely the more you find out about the film. 

The awards bodies do love a biopic, so expect to see the following films mentioned:

- Can You Ever Forgive Me? - a rare dramatic role for Melissa McCarthy in the story of Lee Israel, a celebrity biographer and prolific art forger. Richard E. Grant has also been praised for his supporting turn as Lee's louche friend Jack.

- At Eternity's Gate - having won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, Willem Dafoe may well get some awards love for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh during the troubled painter's final years

- Bohemian Rhapsody - Rami Malek gives an uncanny turn as the flamboyant Freddie Mercury, frontman of Queen, in this otherwise patchy and middling film. 

- Mary Queen Of Scots - either Margot Robbie or Saoirse Ronan (or indeed both actresses) could well be nominated for their work in this biopic of the rivalry and the- ultimately failed- attempt to supplant Elizabeth I (Robbie) on the throne with Mary Stuart (Ronan). 

This just leaves one big question: will Black Panther get a Best Picture nomination? 

There's always a sniffiness to comic-book or genre movies as if they're somehow lesser artforms. Cobblers. They still require a lot of hard work and graft, just as any refined drama or biopic. But they tend to be relegated to the technical awards as a bit of a sop. Even plans to introduce a new Oscar- Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film- have been postponed (which Black Panther was widely expected to win, despite there being no criteria for what films would get a nomination- box-office gross? Rotten Tomatoes rating?), so really it's anyone's guess. On a personal level, I found the acting and the direction, the visual effects and the very tight script, to be among the best of cinema for the last year. Hopefully, the award bodies may start to think the same. 


The timetable for the major awards in 2019 is as follows:

Film Independent Spirit Awards
Nominations announced: 16th November 2018
Awards ceremony: 23rd February 2019

Golden Globes
Nominations announced: 6th December 2018
Awards ceremony: 6th January 2019

Critics' Choice Awards
Nominations announced: 10th December 2018
Awards ceremony: 13th January 2019

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Nominations announced: 12th December 2019
Awards ceremony: 27th January 2019

Producers' Guild Of America (PGA) Award
Nominations announced: 4th January 2019
Awards ceremony: 19th January 2019

Writers' Guild Of America (WGA) Award
Nominations announced: 7th January 2019
Awards ceremony: 17th February 2019

Directors' Guild Of America (DGA) Award
Nominations announced: 8th January 2019
Awards ceremony: 2nd February 2019

BAFTA Film Awards
Nominations announced: 9th January 2019
Awards ceremony: 10th February 2019

Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies)
Nominations announced: 21st January 2019
Awards ceremony: 23rd February 2019

Academy Awards (Oscars)
Nominations announced: 22nd January 2019
Awards ceremony: 24th February 2019


So, as you can see, there's plenty going on to keep us busy over the cold winter months. So, in the words of Ed Wood's Bela Lugosi (and apologies for the vulgarity)...