Best Independent Films

"The Station Agent" is likely my favorite from the last ten or so years.

That's as I'm not so sure one could call "Brokeback Mountain" as independent -- Focus Features is a division of Universal.

I did see the cable hi-def channel broadcast of Soderbergh's "Bubble." A fascinating film.

Incidentally, Michelle Williams who is up for the Oscar this year for "Brokeback Mountain" is in the cast of "The Station Agent."

Boondock Saints rates in the top tier for me.

I also rather enjoyed Napoleon Dynamite and Pi.

Pi and Boondock Saints were good, and Donnie Darko is even better, but I don't think they can top The Phantom of the Opera. The plot for DD is better, but TPotO has far more 're-watch' value and is visually stunning.

I think I must be the only person on Earth who doesn't like Napoleon Dynamite. I honestly don't see the appeal to it unless you're watching it in another language- and then only to see how they dealt with all of the idiomatic phrases.

I just marginally enjoyed "Napoleon Dynamite" and wouldn't make it a point to watch it again.

I loved The Station Agent, Donnie Darko, and Napoleon Dynamite, in that order. I would gladly watch any of them again.

I often would not know what is independent and what is dependent (on what?). Is it a question of budget, or a question of which producer and studio are behind a film?

I recently saw City of Ghosts and I guess that was an independent film, considering that the storyline and the mis en scene appeared un-Hollywoodlike to me. To me it had certain weaknesses in the plot, but it gets extra points for atmosphere.

Here's the companies behind "City of Ghosts" (directed, incidentally, by Matt Dillon). It's a UA/MGM umbrella which complicates calling a film "independent." It's difficult to say that Focus Features, the production company behind "Vanity Fair" and "Brokeback Mountain" is an "independent" producer as it is wholly owned by Universal.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164003/companycredits

So, it is the producer that makes a film independent (of the big studios). I only noticed the film had been screened at the Sundance Festival, which I believe is an Indie event. I would not know which company is owned by which other (Except that Columbia belongs to Sony and Pixar to Disney (as does/did Miramax?).

I guess most independent US films do not make it to my little corner of the world.

Miramax's principals, the Weinstein brothers, bailed on Disney after the "Farenheit 9/11" debacle but it's still owned by Disney. Disney is in negotiations to purchase Pixar -- all the previous films including "Finding Nemo" were actually a joint venture by the two seperate companies.

It's the big studio conscience which seems to be prompting them to create small studios to make art house films that actually have something to say about the human condition, not just the often mindless entertainment, disposable movies. "Brokeback Mountain" could wake them up again as it's going to be one of the most profitable movies of the year.

Napoleon Dynamite

I'm not sure it's the best, but "Sex, Lies and Videotape" broke open the indie market into the 90s.

And Soderbergh keeps reeling them out, both mainstream and quirky independents like the recent "Bubble" which people either love or hate:

Director - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s)

Untitled Steven Soderbergh/Spalding Gray Documentary (2007) (announced)
Guerrilla (2006) (filming)
The Good German (2006) (post-production)


Bubble (2005/I)
"Unscripted" (2005) TV Series (pilot)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Eros (2004) (segment "Equilibrium")
"K Street" (2003) TV Series
Solaris (2002)
Full Frontal (2002)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
... aka 11 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka O11 (USA: informal short title)
Traffic (2000)
... aka Traffic - Die Macht des Kartells (Germany)
Erin Brockovich (2000)


The Limey (1999)
Out of Sight (1998)
Schizopolis (1996)
... aka Steven Soderbergh's Schizopolis (USA: video box title)
Gray's Anatomy (1996)
"Fallen Angels"
- The Professional Man (1995) TV Episode
Underneath (1995)
... aka The Underneath (USA: promotional title)
King of the Hill (1993)
Kafka (1991)
... aka Kafka (France)


Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
... aka Sex, Lies... (USA: short title)
Winston (1987)
Yes: 9012 Live (1986) (V)

Spalding Gray...I sure do miss him, I could listen to that guy talk for hours....such a great storyteller.

The Indie Spirit Awards are this weekend -- check you local listings. The nominations have are more of a cross-over to the Oscars than any year I can remember:

2006 Indie Spirit Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE:
"Brokeback Mountain"
"Capote"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"The Squid and the Whale"
"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"

BEST DIRECTOR:
Ang Lee - "Brokeback Mountain"
George Clooney - "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Gregg Araki - "Mysterious Skin"
Rodrigo Garcia - "Nine Lives"
Noah Baumbach - "The Squid and the Whale"

BEST SCREENPLAY:
"The War Within" - Writers: Ayad Akhtar, Joseph Castelo, Tom Glynn
"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" - Writer: Guillermo Arriaga
"The Squid and the Whale" - Writer: Noah Baumbach
"Capote" - Writer: Dan Futterman
"Nine Lives" - Writer: Rodrigo Garcia

BEST FIRST FEATURE:
"Crash" - Director: Paul Haggis, Producers: Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R Harris, Bobby Moresco, Paul Haggis
"Lackawanna Blues" - Director: George C Wolfe, Producer: Nellie Nugiel
"Me and You and Everyone We Know" - Director: Miranda July, Producer: Gina Kwon
"Thumbsucker" - Director: Mike Mills, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Bob Stephenson
"Transamerica" - Director: Duncan Tucker, Producers: Rene Bastian, Sebastian Dungan, Linda Moran

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY:
"Fixing Frank" - Writer: Kenneth Hanes
"Me and You and Everyone We Know" - Writer: Miranda July
"Junebug" - Writer: Angus MacLachlan
"The Beautiful Country" - Writer: Sabina Murray
"Transamerica" - Writer: Duncan Tucker

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD: (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
"Brick"
"Conventioneers"
"Jellysmoke"
"The Puffy Chair"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE:
Amy Adams - "Junebug"
Maggie Gyllenhaal - "Happy Endings"
Allison Janney - "Our Very Own"
Michelle Williams - "Brokeback Mountain"
Robin Wright Penn - "Nine Lives"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE:
Firdous Bamji - "The War Within"
Matt Dillon - "Crash"
Jesse Eisenberg - "The Squid and the Whale"
Barry Pepper - "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"
Jeffrey Wright - "Broken Flowers"

BEST FEMALE LEAD:
Felicity Huffman - "Transamerica"
Dina Korzun - "Forty Shades of Blue"
Laura Linney - "The Squid and the Whale"
S Epatha Merkerson - "Lackawanna Blues"
Cyndi Williams- "Room"

BEST MALE LEAD:
Jeff Daniels - "The Squid and the Whale"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Capote"
Terrence Howard - "Hustle and Flow"
Heath Ledger - "Brokeback Mountain"
David Strathairn - "Good Night, and Good Luck"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
"Good Night, and Good Luck" - Robert Elswit
"Keane" - John Foster
"Capote" - Adam Kimmel
"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" - Chris Menges
"Last Days" - Harris Savides

BEST FOREIGN FILM:
"The Death of Mr Lazarescu" - Romania, Director: Cristi Puiu
"Duck Season" - Mexico, Director: Fernando Eimbcke
"Head On" - Germany/Turkey, Director: Fatih Akin
"Paradise Now" - Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/France, Director: Hany Abu-Assad
"Tony Takitani" - Japan, Director: Jun Ichikawa

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" - Director: Alex Gibney
"Grizzly Man" - Director: Werner Herzog
"La Sierra" - Directors: Scott Dalton and Margarita Martinez
"Romantico" - Director: Mark Becker
"Sir! No Sir!" - Director: David Zeiger

Gee Lightwizard thats a great looking list. I wish I could see some of them, but my roomate keeps getting these overproduced mass marketed crap movies. I'm sure he'll come around soon. (or maybe I should go get my own damn movies.........and TV.....and DVD player....and...nevermind)

What mass marketed crap?

Something like "Chasing Amy" (no big box office there and hardly over-produced), or "A Very Long Engagement" (nominated as best foreign film and for cinematography, hardly over-produced or big box office), or "Hotel Rwanda" (ditto)?

What was the name of that movie by that director that did "Sex, lies and videotape" That released that released that movie in theaters, video and on T.V. at the same time. I loved that movie.

"Bubble" which was made with local actors on a tiny budget. Soderburgh makes big movies and then small movie. It was bought by INHD movie channel and I agree, it was experimental looking like "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and king of hits one hours after seeing the film.