SANTA MONICA, CALIF.: The oddball romance Silver Linings Playbook was named best picture Saturday at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film, Hollywood’s last pregame show before the Academy Awards.
Silver Linings Playbook led with four wins, including best actress for Jennifer Lawrence and director and screenplay for David O. Russell.
Lawrence is the best-actress favorite at Sunday’s Oscars for her role as a young widow in a shaky new relationship with a man fresh from a mental hospital.
The Sessions received two acting prizes, for John Hawkes as a man in an iron lung hoping to lose his virginity and Helen Hunt as the sexual surrogate helping him through it.
The award for best supporting actor went to Matthew McConaughey as a flamboyant stripper in Magic Mike.
In barely three years, Lawrence has risen from a relative unknown to superstar hero of The Hunger Games franchise and potential Oscar winner at just 22. Her quick ascent began with another Spirit Awards nominee, Winter’s Bone, which won the top honor at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and earned Lawrence her first Oscar nomination.
Lawrence said she loves independent film for the thrill of freezing with the crew in the middle of the night because they all believe in a story.
“That’s why I do what I do. I love that feeling. I mean, I’d rather be warm,” Lawrence said.
McConaughey, also a best-actor nominee at the Spirit Awards for Killer Joe, is a Hollywood A-lister but a relative newcomer to key film awards.
“I had to take my pants off to win a trophy,” McConaughey said, adding that five of his last six films were independent productions and the “most creative fun of my acting career, hands down.”
‘Twilight’ rules Razzies
Also Saturday, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 was picked as last year’s worst picture by the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof in Los Angeles that hands out prizes for Hollywood’s lousiest movies.
The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the Razzies with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy.
Pop singer Rihanna won worst supporting actress for the action dud Battleship.
Adam Sandler was named worst actor for the second year in a row for the raunchy comedy That’s My Boy.
Sandler’s 2011 film Jack and Jill, swept all 10 Razzie categories at last year’s mock ceremony.
