Today's an eagerly anticipated date on the indie film lover's calendar, when Sundance unveils the competition lineup for January's festival, unleashing a flood of tempting contenders upon fans who can't wait to see what movies they'll be enjoying a few weeks hence, if they don't first die of hypothermia in a three-hour queue outside a packed Park City auditorium. But after we've allowed ourselves a fleeting moment to savor these titles on a purely artistic level, the harsh reality is that these are competition films that soon will be pitted against each other on a frozen battlefield high in the mountains of Utah, fighting for the same handful of awards.
In recognition of the skirmishes to come, and more than a little influenced by the looming threat of the awards season soon to rage all around us, we've pored over the list and handed out some preliminary prizes to some of the exceptional members of the 2010 lineup, based almost solely upon a well-constructed logline or eye-catching cast-list. After the jump, the results of Movieline's soon-to-be-much-ballyhooed Sundance Lineup Announcement Awards, which were handed out earlier today in a small ceremony at the Beverly Hills Adjacent Motor Inn:
The It's Like The Notebook, If They Shouted At Each Other Because They Started To Feel The Walls Of That Cute House He Built Her Closing In Award:
Blue Valentine
(Director: Derek Cianfrance; Screenwriters: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne and Joey Curtis)
A complex portrait of an American marriage, Blue Valentine charts the evolution of a relationship over time. Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mike Vogel, John Doman.
The Not Actually An MTV Reality Show About The Jersey Shore Award
Douchebag
(Director: Drake Doremus; Screenwriters: Lindsay Stidham, Drake Doremus, Jonathan Schwartz and Andrew Dickler)
On the verge of getting married, Sam Nussbaum insists he escort his younger brother, Tom, on a wild goose chase of a journey to find Tom's fifth grade girlfriend. Cast: Andrew Dickler, Ben York Jones, Marguerite Moreau, Nicole Vicius, Amy Ferguson, Wendi McClendon-Covey.
The Where's The Annual Joseph Gordon-Levitt Movie? Oh, Here It Is! And How About Some Natalie Portman, Too? Award:
Hesher
(Director: Spencer Susser; Screenwriters: Spencer Susser and David Michod; Story by Brian Charles Frank)
A mysterious, anarchical trickster descends on the lives of a family struggling to deal with a painful loss. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie, John Carroll Lynch.
The This Is Exactly The Movie And Actor We'd Pitch If You Said Let's Make A Sundance Movie Called Holy Rollers Award:
Holy Rollers
(Director: Kevin Tyler Asch; Screenwriter: Antonio Macia)--A young Hasidic man, seduced by money, power and opportunity, becomes an international Ecstasy smuggler. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Danny A. Abeckaser, Ari Graynor, Jason Fuchs.
The Probably Wishing Brothers Wasn't Opening This Weekend Award
Lovers of Hate
(Director and screenwriter: Bryan Poyser)
The shaky reunion of estranged brothers takes a turn for the worse when the woman they both love chooses one over the other. Cast: Chris Doubek, Heather Kafka, Alex Karpovsky, Zach Green.
The Hey, That Guy From General Hospital Is Making Movies Again Award:
Howl
(Directors and screenwriters: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman)
A nonfiction drama about the young Allen Ginsberg finding his voice, the creation of his groundbreaking poem HOWL, and the landmark obscenity trial that followed. Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels.
The Librarians Are Always Getting Sexual Awakenings Award:
Obselidia
(Director and screenwriter: Diane Bell)
A lonely librarian believes love is obsolete until a road trip to Death Valley with a beguiling cinema projectionist teaches him otherwise. Cast: Gaynor Howe, Michael Piccirilli, Frank Hoyt Taylor
The It's Probably Unfair To Call This One "Adventureland with Ice Skates," But The Title Really Isn't Helping Matters Award
Skateland
(Director: Anthony Burns; Screenwriters: Anthony Burns, Brandon Freeman, Heath Freeman)
In the early 1980s, in small-town Texas, dramatic events force a 19-year-old skating rink manager to look at his life in a very new way. Cast: Shiloh Fernandez, A.J. Buckley, Ashley Greene, Brett Cullen, Ellen Hollman, Heath Freeman.
The You Can Count On Me Ruffalo/Linney Reunion We've Been Lusting For Award:
Sympathy for Delicious
(Director: Mark Ruffalo; Screenwriter: Christopher Thornton)
A newly paralyzed DJ gets more than he bargained for when he seeks out the world of faith healing. Cast: Orlando Bloom, Mark Ruffalo, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, John Carroll Lynch.
The Most Likely To Be Mobbed By Thousands Of 13-Year-Old Girls Who Have No Idea What They're Lining Up To See, And Then Exit The Theater Thinking Strippers Are Cooler Than Vampires Award:
Welcome to the Rileys
(Director: Jake Scott)
On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman. Cast: James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo
Special Documentary Competition Bonus Section!
The Devil Wore QVC Jewelry Award:
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
(Directors: Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg)--A rare, brutally honest glimpse into the comedic process and private dramas of legendary comedian and pop icon Joan Rivers as she fights tooth and nail to keep her American dream alive.
The Seven Dashes Stand For A Naughty Word We Can't Put On A Poster When We Sell This Movie Award:
I'm Pat _______ Tillman (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)--The story of professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the U.S. government when their beloved son dies in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004.