Jason Reitman's
Juno may be the film with the highest grossing box office earnings ($135M) in the pool of films nominated for Best Picture at tomorrow's Academy Awards. Today, however, in an informal beach ceremony hosted by Rainn Williams, the quirky comedy about a pregnant teenager who gives her baby up for adoption was crowned the leading independent film of 2008.
Juno received top awards for Best Feature Film, Best Female Lead
Ellen Page and Best First Screenplay for Diablo Cody.
"This is the coolest award in the coolest category," said a jubilant Cody said, accepting the best first screenplay award from Juno co-star Jason Bateman. Later, when receiving her award for best leading actress Ellen Page joked: "This is pretty much Diablo Cody's fault."
The other top winners of the night were The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I’m Not There, and The Savages which all received two awards. Jeff Blitz's charming Rocket Science had received four spirit nominations but came away from the night empty handed. John Carney's Irish musical Once was a surprise winner over Cristian Mungiu's Romanian drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.
The complete list of the winners:
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
Juno, Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, Russell Smith
BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
The Lookout, Director: Scott Frank
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
August Evening, Writer/Director: Chris Eska
Producers: Connie Hill, Jason Wehling
BEST SCREENPLAY
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Ellen Page, Juno
BEST MALE LEAD
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Talk To Me
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Janusz Kaminski, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
Crazy Love, Director: Dan Klores
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
Once , Director: John Carney (Ireland)
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
I’m Not There,
Director: Todd Haynes
Casting Director: Laura Rosenthal
Ensemble Cast: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw
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