On the Eve of the Spirit Award Nominations, La La Land Not Eligible, Expect Big Things for Manchester and Moonlight

Tomorrow, the Spirit Awards will announce their nominations. More and more the Spirits are becoming an Oscar player out of sheer necessity. The Oscars have to be about independent film now because there are so few choices offered from the major studios. Of course, this year the majors have some great films like Arrival, Sully, Hidden Figures, Rules Don’t Apply, Patriots Day, and of course, Fences.

I expect tomorrow to be a blow out for Manchester by the Sea and for Moonlight. If Jackie is eligible it will be there, no doubt. No word on whether Birth of a Nation is eligible or if it will show up. We have heard that La La Land is not eligible. I wonder what else we might see pop up there – I’m betting that The Fits will show up somewhere. Probably American Honey. Maybe Certain Women.

Last year it was so great to see Tangerine represented so perhaps we’ll see something that daring again this year.

What do you think, Oscar peeps? Anyone got any good No Guts, No Glory predictions?