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Instead the ensemble comedy 'Lovely & Amazing' and the 1950s period drama 'Far From Heaven' headed the list of contenders for the independent movie world's version of the Oscars organizers said on Wednesday.
Perhaps the biggest name on the list was 'Friends' co-star Jennifer Aniston who was nominated for her lead role in the comedy 'The Good Girl'.
The Spirit Awards honour films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter, budget and the degree of independent financing.
It was this lack of edginess knocked out current box office smash 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', the biggest independent movie of all time. The $5 million romantic comedy, which has sold more than $213 million worth of tickets in North America, picked up just one nomination. Star and screenwriter Nia Vardalos will compete for best debut performance.
'It's a different kind of aesthetic than the more challenging, artier other kinds of independent films', said Dawn Hudson, executive director of west coast branch of the Independent Feature Project, the event's organizer.
Indeed, nominated films covered such territory as guns in America ('Bowling for Columbine'), lesbian romance ('Kissing Jessica Stein') and serial killers ('Dahmer').
The awards will be handed out on March 22, the day before the Academy Awards during a leisurely luncheon underneath a marquee on Santa Monica Beach. There is usually some crossover between Spirit and Oscar nominees (which will be announced on Feb. 11), but none of this year's Spirit winners, including 'Memento' and 'In the Bedroom', nabbed Oscars the next day.
Leading this year's pack with six nominations was 'Lovely & Amazing', a comic take on female insecurity that marks the second feature for director Nicole Holofcener. She was nominated for both director and screenplay.
Three of its stars were also nominated: Catherine Keener (female lead), Emily Mortimer (supporting female) and youngster Raven Goodwin (debut performance).
Additionally, the film will compete for best feature, opposite 'Far From Heaven', 'The Good Girl', the kinky office sex drama 'Secretary' and the Midwestern family drama 'Tully'.
'Far From Heaven', a 1950s drama starring Julianne Moore (news) as a housewife who catches her husband (Dennis Quaid (news)) in bed with another man, received five nominations overall. Moore was cited for female lead, Quaid for supporting male, Todd Haynes (news) for director and Edward Lachman for cinematography.
'The Good Girl', the Hollywood morality tale 'ivans xtc'. and 'Tully' each picked up four nominations.
Other directing nominees were Gus Van Sant (news) ('Gerry'), Bernard Rose ('ivans xtc'.) and Joe Carnahan ('Narc').
Keener, Moore and Aniston will compete for the female lead prize against Maggie Gyllenhaal (news) ('Secretary') and Parker Posey (news) ('Personal Velocity').
In the male race, nominees were Derek Luke ('Antwone Fisher'), Graham Greene ('Skins'), Danny Huston ('ivans xtc'.), Jeremy Renner ('Dahmer') and 'Campbell Scott ('Roger Dodger').
Scott, who was previously nominated for 'Big Night' and 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle', said he hoped 'Roger Dodger's' three nods would boost the movie's profile. The $1 million black comedy marks the debut film for director Dylan Kidd, who will compete for screenplay and best first feature.
Scott plays the title character, a sleazy ad executive who mentors his teen-aged nephew. He spent three weeks shooting the film and received scale wages.
'I like that guerrilla film thing', Scott said in an interview. 'It keeps me awake'.
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