18th Independent Spirit Awards
DateMarch 22, 2003
SiteSanta Monica, California, U.S.
Hosted byJohn Waters
Highlights
Best FilmFar from Heaven
Most awardsFar from Heaven (5)
Most nominationsLovely & Amazing (6)

The 18th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 2002, were presented on March 22, 2003. It was hosted by John Waters. The nominations were announced on December 12, 2002.[1][2][3][4][5]

Additionally, this ceremony is notable for when presenter Brittany Murphy seemingly bungled the reading of the winner for Best Debut Performance.[6] In reference to her acting ability, legendary film critic Roger Ebert wrote:

As for Brittany Murphy, for me, it goes back to the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards [where] Murphy was assigned to present one of the awards. Her task was to read the names of the five nominees, open an envelope, and reveal the name of the winner. This she turned into an opportunity for screwball improvisational comedy, by pretending she could not follow this sequence, not even after the audience shouted instructions and the stage manager came to whisper in her ear not once but twice. There were those in the audience who were dumbfounded by her stupidity. I was dumbfounded by her brilliance.[7]

Suspiciously, video footage of the entire ceremony is absent from online resources despite prior and subsequent ceremonies being made available in their entirety officially on Film Independent's YouTube account. However, footage of Murphy's alleged act was used for the 2021 HBO Max documentary titled What Happened, Brittany Murphy?.[8]

Winners and nominees

Todd Haynes, Best Director winner
Derek Luke, Best Male Lead winner
Julianne Moore, Best Female Lead winner
Dennis Quaid, Best Supporting Male winner
Emily Mortimer, Best Supporting Female winner
Mike White, Best Screenplay winner
Best Feature Best Director
Far from Heaven Todd Haynes – Far from Heaven
Best Male Lead Best Female Lead
Derek Luke – Antwone Fisher Julianne Moore – Far from Heaven
Best Supporting Male Best Supporting Female
Dennis Quaid – Far from Heaven Emily Mortimer – Lovely & Amazing
Best Screenplay Best First Screenplay
The Good Girl – Mike White Secretary – Erin Cressida Wilson
Best First Feature Best Debut Performance
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Nia Vardalos – My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Best Cinematography Best Documentary Feature
Far from Heaven – Edward Lachman Bowling for Columbine
Best Foreign Film
Y tu mamá también • Mexico

Special awards

John Cassavetes Award

Personal Velocity: Three Portraits

Truer Than Fiction Award

Jennifer Dworkin – Love & Diane

Producers Award

Effie Brown – Real Women Have Curves and Stranger Inside

Someone to Watch Award

Przemysław Reut – Paradox Lake

Films with multiple wins and nominations

Films that received multiple nominations

Nominations Film
6 Lovely and Amazing
5 Far from Heaven
4 The Good Girl
Ivans Xtc
Tully
3 Dahmer
Interview with the Assassin
Manito
Narc
Personal Velocity: Three Portraits
Roger Dodger
Secretary
2 Antwone Fisher
Charlotte Sometimes
Gerry
Hysterical Blindness
Kissing Jessica Stein
Real Women Have Curves
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

Films that won multiple awards

Nominations Film
5 Far from Heaven

References

  1. ^ Harris, Dana (March 22, 2003). "'Heaven' tops Indie Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  2. ^ Hernandez, Eugene; Brooks, Brian (March 22, 2003). ""Far from Heaven" Sweeps 2003 Independent Spirit Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Hiatt, Brian (March 22, 2003). "Anti-war speeches dominate pre-Oscar awards". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  4. ^ Vancheri, Barbara (March 22, 2003). "'Far from Heaven' sweeps Independent Spirit Awards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  5. ^ "Independent Spirit Awards nominees announced". Los Angeles Times. December 12, 2002. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  6. ^ Keane, Sean (November 14, 2018). "Indie Indeed: The most memorable moments in the history of the Independent Spirit Awards". Yardbarker. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Ebert, Roger (February 5, 2013). Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-7407-9219-9. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  8. ^ "Brittany Murphy at the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards". April 10, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022 – via YouTube.

External links

Independent Spirit Awards
Categories