The quirky comedy on teen pregnancy triumphed at the Independent
Spirit Awards. “Juno” won the Best Feature award, Best Female Lead for Ellen
Page and Best First Screenplay for Diablo Cody. Ellen Page, Diablo Cody and Juno’s
director Jason Reitman, are also nominated for Oscars.
“This is so, so special, but this is pretty much all Diablo
Cody's fault,” said Page, according to The Associated Press. “She wrote one of
the best screenplays I have ever read and created a teenage female lead I feel
like we've never seen before.”
"This is the coolest award in the coolest category.
There is nothing like writing a first screenplay," said Diablo Cody, who is
currently writing a new screenplay about a demonic cheerleader.
Director of “Juno”, Jason Reitman, did not get the Best
Director award, which went to Julian Schnabel for “The Diving Bell and the
Butterfly”, based on the memoir of French “Elle” editor Jean-Dominique Bauby.
The award for Best Supporting Female went to Cate Blanchett,
for her portrayal of Bob Dylan, in the movie “I’m Not There”. The Australian
actress played Dylan during his amphetamine-fueled period in the 60’s. She
dedicated her award to co-star Heath Ledger, who died from an accidental drug
overdose last month, describing him as “a beautiful free spirit.” Cate Blanchett
is the big favorite to win the Best
Supporting Actress Academy Award for the same role.
“I’m No There” won also the Robert Altman award and while
accepting the award the director Todd Haynes remembered Heath Ledger. "He
never left the set - I think he was really interested in watching the process
of film-making and how we were going about it”, said Haynes. “We miss him”
“I’m Not There” was also nominated for Best Supporting Male,
but the award went to Chiwetel Ejiofor for his role in “Talk To Me”.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was awarded the Best Male Lead, for
his role in “The Savages”, where he played a son in conflict with his aging
father. He is also nominated for the best supporting Academy Award for “Charlie
Wilson's War”. “The Savages” won also the Best Screenplay award for Tamara
Jenkins.
The best documentary prize went to Dan Klores’ “Crazy Love”,
while the best foreign film award went to “Once”, a low budget Irish film,
starring Glen Hasard and Marketa Irglova.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Meg Ryan, Kate Beckinsale, Colin
Firth, Sienna Miller are some of the stars who were present at the ceremony.
Angelina Jolie was amongst the nominees at the Best Female Lead
for her role in “A Mighty Heart” as the wife of slain reporter Daniel Pearl.
The Spirit Awards are open to movies which cost less than 20
million dollars to make and which played in theaters for a week or at a top
festival.
