A question I posed on this blog last fall — “Who is Tom McCarthy?” — was answered yesterday by Film Independent during its annual Spirit Awards: he is the Best Director of 2008. Yay! One pleasant surprise is the most I expect from any awards show. Will there be one tonight? The Oscars seem a bit pre-ordained, which is perhaps fitting, giving the theme of frontrunner Slumdog Millionaire. But take a look at the Original Screenplay nominees: Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Milk, WALL-E. These rank high among my favorite films of last year, so the list alone is a pleasant surprise. A five-way tie would be pretty cool, though.
