Spirit, but no Oscar

By Mark Olsen, The Envelope

The Spirit Awards are not supposed to have anything to do with the Academy Awards. Not officially, anyway. But they are given out the day before the Oscars, and there has been a rather remarkable crossover in their nominees over the last few years. (Which side of the coin is moving towards the other is a matter of debate.)

Nevertheless, they are connected, and share many of the same attendees. The Spirit Awards are something of a cocktail mixer prior to the big show, as people are generally more relaxed as they hang around near the beach at a tent constructed for the occasion and wait in line for port-a-potties. The Spirits are not intended as Oscar’s pre-consolation prize, but here's a look at whether there really is something to the adage “Win on Saturday, Lose on Sunday.”