Theater News

Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, John Ortiz, Ben Stiller, Daphne Rubin-Vega, et al. Receive Spirit Award Nominations

Nicole Kidman
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Nicole Kidman
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)

The nominees for IFC’s 2011 Spirit Awards have been announced. The prizes will be presented in a ceremony to be held on February 26 at 2pm at the beach in Santa Monica. Joel McHale will host the event, which will be broadcast the same day on IFC at 10:00pm ET/PT.

The film version of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Rabbit Hole has received four nominations, including ones for Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart in Female and Male Lead performer categories, respectively. Also nominated are John Cameron Mitchell for Best Direction and Lindsay-Abaire for Best Screenplay.

The film version of the play Jack Goes Boating has also received multiple nominations, including one for playwright Bob Glaudini who has been nominated in the Best First Screenplay category. Also nominated are Daphne Rubin-Vega for Best Supporting Female and John Ortiz for Best Supporting Actor.

Among the other nominated performers in the Best Female Lead category are Annette Bening (The Kids Are Alright), Greta Gerwig (Greenberg), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Michelle Williams (Blue Velvet). The roster of nominees in the Best Male Lead category also includes Ronald Bronstein (Daddy Longlegs), James Franco (127 Hours), John C. Reilly (Cyrus), and Ben Stiller (Greenberg).

Ashley Bell, Dale Dickey, John Hawkes, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, Bill Murray, Mark Ruffalo and Naomi Watts have also all been nominated in the supporting categories. Nominated directors also include Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Danny Boyle (127 Hours), Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right), and Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone).

Among the winners of non-competitive awards is the film Please Give, which received The Robert Altman Award, which goes to the movie’s director, Nicole Holfcener, its casting director, Jeanne McCarthy, and its ensemble cast, including Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, and Sarah Steele.

The five films which will compete for Best Feature are 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.