"Heaven" at the Antiwar Spirits

What if they held an awards show, and an antiwar rally broke out?

Catch a rebroadcast of the 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards. You'll find out.

From the opening, acoustic strains of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," to provocateur Michael Moore's acceptance speech about our "fictitious times," our "fictitious President" and the White House's "fictitious reasons" for war with Iraq, the so-called indie Oscars lived up to its rep.

The only things as prevalent as peace pins at Saturday's dress-cool, beachside ceremony in Santa Monica were awards for Far from Heaven.

The nod to lush, 1950s-era potboilers swept all five categories in which it was nominated, including Best Feature, Best Female Lead (a blue-jeans wearing Julianne Moore), Best Supporting Male (a leather-jacket clad Dennis Quaid) and Best Director (Todd Haynes). The film also earned a Spirit for cinematography.

Other top winners included: Derek Luke, named Best Male Lead for Antwone Fisher; Emily Mortimer, a no-show, honored as Best Supporting Female Lead for Lovely & Amazing; and Nia Vardalos, ditto, tapped as Best Debut Performer for My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

While rumors have stars dropping out of Sunday's could-be Oscars over security and/or PR concerns regarding the Iraqi bombing, the MIA Spirit winners both had plausible, non-war-related excuses: Mortimer's husband, Jurassic Park III's Alessandro Nivola, said the actress was shooting a new film in Scotland; Vardalos' Greek costar, Louis Mandylor, said the breakout star was a last-minute cancellation after a long night taping her new CBS sitcom.

It's hard to imagine movie stars skipping the Spirits because they were afraid to flaunt their movie-starness in a time of international conflict. On Saturday, all a low-key-minded celeb had to do was, either: (a) walk briskly past the photographers and reporters on the blue, not red, carpet; or (b) avoid the main backstage interview room (à la, every single A-list presenter).

There also was a third option. Win an award, speak your mind on stage:

"We teach our children not to fight. Fighting is not the answer."--Julianne Moore, accepting her Best Actress award. "We have a right to voice our concerns without being called anti-American."--presenter Don Cheadle, speaking on behalf of IFP/Los Angeles, the group behind the Spirits. "Anytime you've got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, you're not long for the White House."--Michael Moore, accepting his award for Best Documentary (Bowling for Columbine). "Let's use some of our spirit this year to get [President] Bush out of office."--Mike White, accepting his award for Best Screenplay for The Good Girl.

Far from scandalized, Spirit organizers encouraged the editorializing. During the ceremony, IFP/Los Angeles executive director Dawn Hudson urged the assembled filmmakers and actors to "speak out" in their art, if not the award show itself.

Some let their green-hued peace pins do the talking, or, rather, some of the talking. Winners Moore (Julianne) and Todd Haynes were among the peace-pin contingent. Fellow winner Moore (Michael) did things his way, per usual, sporting a label that read, "Shoot movies, not Iraqis."

The peace pins, and possibly Moore's bumper-sticker sentiment, could make repeat performances at Sunday's Oscars, which are still scheduled for Sunday (last we checked). The Moores, Haynes and Far from Heaven lenser Edward Lachman are all nominated for Academy Awards. (Julianne Moore is actually up for two Oscars: Best Actress for Heaven and, Best Supporting Actress for The Hours. Haynes is nominated as a screenwriter for Heaven.)

Neither Julianne Moore nor Michael Moore expect to be talking more about war, or peace, from the podium at Hollywood's Kodak Theater on Sunday.

Declared Michael Moore backstage: "I won't win tomorrow night."

Opined Julianne Moore: "I don't think I'm going to win the Oscar."

Unfortunately for the Moores, they may well be right. The Spirit Awards are a lousy barometer for the Academy Awards. Last year, not a single Spirit winner in the top acting, writing and directing categories repeated at the Oscars.

Some Spirit winners, like Dennis Quaid, don't even get to try their luck at winning the little golden guy--they aren't nominated.

Backstage, Quaid, who garnered some of the best reviews of his career as Julianne Moore's sexually confused husband in Far from Heaven, refused to be bitter about the Oscar snub.

"Vengeance is not in my heart," Quaid said, likely making ex-wife Meg Ryan's day.

Derek Luke wasn't feeling vengeance, either, just sweet satisfaction.

"Four years ago, I was waiting tables--here at the Spirit Awards," the Antwone Fisher star said on stage, before handing his trophy to his wife, Sophia, to whom he dedicated the award.

Neither Quaid nor Luke wore peace pins. Nor did they debate the Baghdad bombings. Not everybody at the Spirits did. At the end of the afternoon, it was an awards show. The cocktails flowed; the complimentary bottles of Perrier and tins of Altoids abounded. Stars who didn't meet the press backstage, posed for paparazzi pictures on the blue carpet.

"Saddam Hussein. George Bush. No one will stop me from getting my gift bag," host John Waters quipped in his opening monologue.

The usually efficient Spirit Awards stretched about eight minutes over the planned two-hour run time, in part to the speechifying, in part to presenter Brittany Murphy's utter inability to present. (Memo: First read the nominees, then open the envelope).

Oscar organizers' boasts of high star turnout for Sunday's awards aren't looking boastful based on attendance at the Spirits. In addition to Julianne Moore, fellow acting Oscar nominees Daniel Day-Lewis, Adrien Brody, Chris Cooper and John C. Reilly were all on hand Saturday, as was Halle Berry, a scheduled presenter.

Here's a complete rundown of winners of the 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards:

Film: Far from Heaven Actress: Julianne Moore, Far from Heaven Actor: Derek Luke, Antwone Fisher Supporting actress: Emily Mortimer, Lovely & Amazing Supporting actor: Dennis Quaid, Far from Heaven Debut performance: Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding Director: Todd Haynes, Far from Heaven Screenplay: Mike White, The Good Girl Cinematography: Far from Heaven Documentary: Bowling for Columbine Foreign Film: Y Tu Mama Tambien First Film: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys First Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson, Secretary John Cassavetes Award (best feature under $500,000 budget): Personal Velocity Turning Leaf Coastal Reserve Someone to Watch Award (for a filmmaker): Przemyslaw Reut, Paradox Lake DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award (for a documentary filmmaker): Jennifer Dworkin, Love & Diane Motorola Producers Award: Effie T. Brown, Real Women Have Curves and Stranger Inside