“The Wrestler,” a film which has already collected numerous significant awards, was selected as best picture on Saturday at the Spirit Awards, which honor independent productions. In addition, the movie won two other awards, including the best actor prize for its star, Mickey Rourke.

 

Held a day before the much-awaited Academy Awards, which are scheduled to take place on Sunday, the Spirit Awards included several winners who are also nominated for Oscars, such as three of the four acting choices: Mickey Rourke, Melissa Leo, who won best actress for her performance in  “Frozen River,” as well as Penelope Cruz, who was honored with the best supporting-actress prize for her role in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

 

Mickey Rourke delivered an extensive, amusing, expletive-loaded acceptance speech and dedicated the award to Loki, his much-loved Chihuahua who died almost a week ago. Moreover, he thanked everyone and mentioned the entire crew from the film director, Darren Aronofsky, to the wrestling community.

 

The supporting honors went to Penelope Cruz as a flammable artist in a three-way bond with her former husband and an American woman in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and James Franco as a fan of murdered gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s critically acclaimed biopic “Milk.” Woody Allen won the screenplay prize for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” his romance that pursues the sexual affairs of two American women that plan a trip to Spain.

 

“Milk” also received the prize for best first screenplay for Dustin Lance Black. The best first feature award was taken home by “Synecdoche, New York,” which marks the directing debut of Charlie Kaufman, who won a screenwriting Academy Award for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”