The Wrestler triumphs at Indie Spirit Awards (2009)
Story by Jack Foley
MICKEY Rourke and Darren Aronofsky scored a double success at the 2009 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards on Saturday (February 21, 2009), when their film The Wrestler took three prizes.
The Fox Searchlight picture was named best feature, Rourke took best actor and Maryse Alberti won for cinematography.
Commenting upon receiving his prize, Aronofsky told the audience at the Santa Monica ceremony: “The thing I love about the Spirit Awards is every film here is a passion piece; we all bled to get to this room.
The filmmaker, who also produced the film, collected his trophy with fellow producer Scott Franklin.
He added: “I realized while doing special effects on a space movie that I really loved working with actors more than anything else.”
Rourke, meanwhile, pipped Milk‘s Sean Penn to the best male lead and was visibly delighted as he accepted his award and hailed his comeback for the umpteenth time.
He dedicated his award to his recently departed dog, Loki, and urged directors in the audience to give his fellow actor Eric Roberts a good part, saying “he deserves a second chance”.
Other Indie Spirit winners
Melissa Leo was named best female actress for her performance in Sundance winner Frozen River, and was equally overjoyed at the podium.
Hailing the strength and importance of independent cinema and the opportunities it affords, she declared: “You are my people, you know you are my people.”
Tom McCarthy was named best director for his work on the immigrant drama The Visitor, which features an Oscar nominated star turn from veteran performer Richard Jenkins.
And Milk took home two awards – for James Franco as best supporting male for his performance as Harvey Milk’s longtime lover, and Dustin Lance Black, who won the award for best first screenplay.
Commenting on his trophy, Black said: “It’s been 30 years since Harvey Milk gave his life for this movement, and I’ve got to say, I don’t think we can wait 30 years more for full civil rights for gays and lesbians.”
Franco, meanwhile, paid tribute to Milk director Gus Van Sant, admitting he’d jumped at the chance to join the film because “before I even started acting, I fell in love with Gus Van Sant’s movies, and I’d watch them repeatedly”.
Penelope Cruz, meanwhile, continued her hot run by collecting another prize for best supporting female for her turn in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Charlie Kaufman, meanwhile, picked up the prize for best first feature, for Synecdoche, New York and James Marsh was awarded best documentary for Man on Wire. The film’s subject, French acrobat Philippe Pettit, was in the audience.
Director Laurent Cantet took the prize for best foreign film for The Class, which was last year’s Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, and the John Cassavetes Award for best first feature made for under $500,000 went to New Year’s Eve-set drama In Search of a Midnight Kiss from writer-director Alex Holdridge and producers Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy.