‘Sunshine’ leads indie film nominees
From Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES—The hit road comedy “Little Miss Sunshine” and the acclaimed drug-addiction drama “Half Nelson” led the list of contenders on Tuesday for the Independent Spirit Awards, the American art-house world’s version of the Oscars.
Each film scored five nominations, including best feature and best director. Another contender in the latter category was maverick filmmaker Robert Altman, who died last week at age 81. The director, a major figure in independent filmmaking, was cited for his last film, “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Four films, none of them with much name recognition, landed three nominations each: “American Gun,” a drama detailing the consequences of gun-related violence; “The Dead Girl,” an as-yet-unreleased drama about the female victims of a serial killer; “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” a coming-of-age memoir set in New York; and “Man Push Cart,” a U.S.-Iranian co-production about an immigrant coffee vendor.
The Spirit Awards, in their 22nd year, honour low-budget films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter and degree of independent financing. Winners will be unveiled on February 24, the day before the Academy Awards.
There is usually some crossover among nominees for the two awards, but little common ground among the winners. Last year was an exception because Oscar voters recognized a slew of low-budget films, such as “Crash,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “Capote,” which also were honoured at the Spirit Awards.
STUDIO REJECTION
“Little Miss Sunshine,” a crowd-pleaser starring Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear, revolves around a family’s cross-country trip to attend a girls’ beauty pageant. Five years in the making, it marked the feature directing debut of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, a husband-and-wife team whose day job is making TV commercials.
In the female lead category, Epps will vie for honours with Catherine O’Hara (“For Your Consideration”), Elizabeth Reaser (“Sweet Land”), Michelle Williams (“Land of Plenty”), and Robin Wright Penn (“Sorry, Haters”).