Worst: The show felt like a slog
As a veteran of over a decade of Spirit Award shows I can tell you this one dragged. I mean it dragged. The speeches were good overall, but not as emotional in year past. Some of them, such as Dee Rees speaking during “Mudbound’s” Robert Altman win, were significantly longer than they needed to be. There was also the inclusion of presenting the inaugural Bonnie Award to Chloe Zhoe, a very deserving winner announced at the Spirits Brunch in January. All the taped portions of the telecast were for the other winners at the Brunch (neither funny nor entertaining) and throw in the Wiig bit and Nanjiani’s teleprompter battle it all just contributed to some serious pacing issues. The show actually seemed like it had too little to do for it’s allotted 2 and a half hour running time as the last three awards were handed out with longer than usual commercial breaks inbetween them.
Best: Salma Hayek
The Best Female Lead nominee for “Beatriz at Dinner” had the best one-liner of the event. When presenting the International Film award Hayek remarked, “This award has never gone to a shit hole nation, because there are no shit hole nations!” As you’d expect it got a great response from the audience and really woke up what had become a sleep room.
Best: Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon win First Screenplay
No one, and I mean no one has worked the awards circuit harder this season than “The Big Sick” scribes Nanjiani and Gordon. Not the “Lady Bird” crew, not the “Mudbound” family or the stars of “Call Me By Your Name.” Their win for First Screenplay at the Spirits was the first major honor for the couple who had debuted “Big Sick” at Sundance just a year prior with rumblings of it being a potential Best Picture nominee. That didn’t come to pass, but their hard work and fine script finally got some love from the Spirit awards voters. They were funny in accepting where Nanjiani made up for his handling of the teleprompter mix up by making a joke about Gordon’s father and then realizing that wasn’t gonna fly with her (“I messed up already”).
Best: “Get Out” triumphs
Not only did Jordan Peele accept the Best Director honor from the legendary Spike Lee, but Universal and Blumhouse’s low budgeted cultural phenomenon took the top prize. That may or not also come to pass at the Oscars, but Peele took the moment to remark on the fact that a “renaissance” of “stories from the outsider” that “the same stories that independent filmmakers have been telling for years are being honored and celebrated.” It was a moment that will inspire many even if “Get Out’s” incredible awards season ended in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
Worst: On the other hand, “The Florida Project” never has a moment
Consider this the following: “Get Out” had it’s moment. “Lady Bird” had it’s moment. “The Big Sick” had it’s moment. Underdog “Ingrid Goes West” had it’s moment taking Best First Feature. “Mudbound” had its moment. “I, Tonya” had its moment winning Supporting Female (Allison Janney) and Editing. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” had its moment taking home Spirit Awards for Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Supporting Male (Sam Rockwell). “Call Me By Your Name” had it’s moment winning Lead Actor (Chalamet) and Cinematography. Even Best Film nominee “The Rider” saw director Chloé Zhao receive a standing ovation for the inaugural Bonnie Award. And, yet, “The Florida Project,” which earned Best Director and Best Feature nominations didn’t even get a comedic bit with the hosts and star Brooklynn Prince. Sure, Spike Lee gave a shout out to Sean Baker when he presented the Best Director category, but he did that for all the nominees. Yes, the voters spread the love, but perhaps we’re still bitter at the nominating committees who overlooked one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year in one category after another. Maybe just a little.
What did you think of this year’s Spirit Awards? Share your thoughts below.
