Gold Standard: Gotham Awards: ‘Quirky’ group, but choices sometimes mirror the Oscars

Organizers of the Gotham Independent Film Awards see their event as a “launching pad,” with Joana Vicente, executive director of the Independent Filmmaker Project, likely to use the word “quirky” about a dozen times in any conversation about the ceremony and the movies it celebrates.

So Thursday’s nominations, which lean heavily toward the sexually frank coming-of-age story “Diary of a Teenage Girl” and Todd Haynes’ lesbian romance “Carol,” offer an early indication of the movies that critics groups might go for in December.

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Four panels -- each composed of five critics, writers and programmers (but predominantly critics) -- choose the nominees for picture, lead actor and actress, breakthrough actor, breakthrough director, screenplay (new this year) and documentary. The mandate, say those who participate in the voting (and they say it privately, as panelists aren’t supposed to divulge much on the record), is to let their freak flags fly and honor boundary-pushing movies and performances.

But with panels made up of just five voters, a movie can be scuttled by just one naysayer -- or lifted by the adoration of a couple.

A case in point is the best feature film category, which landed nominations for “Carol,” “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” the journalism procedural “Spotlight,” the iPhone-shot L.A. story “Tangerine” and the gritty New York drug drama “Heaven Knows What.”

Notably absent was “Room,” which scored a nom for Brie Larson from the panel picking the acting categories but not from the group bestowing picture. Before sounding the awards-season alarm for the tense mother-and-child story though, consider that “Heaven Knows What’s” New York connections (the setting and its filmmakers, well-regarded New York indie filmmakers Ben and Joshua Safdie) probably counted for a lot with a couple of the panel’s members.

Basically, it pays to look at the panelists, check their reviews on Metacritic and draw informed conclusions. “Heaven Knows What” scored a perfect 100 grade from Time Out New York critic Joshua Rothkopf and a rave from Salon’s Andrew O’Hehir. Both were on the Gothams’ picture panel, and it’s safe to say they led the charge for its inclusion.

One other award of note was “Spotlight’s” ensemble prize. Last year the Gothams gave a similar award to “Foxcatcher” after deciding it was impossible to single out Channing Tatum, Steve Carell or Mark Ruffalo from that film.

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“Spotlight,” which tells the story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into a church sexual abuse coverup, rates as even more of an ensemble piece. All of its cast members, who include Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Ruffalo, will be campaigned in supporting categories through the awards season.

And though the Gothams defiantly declare their independence from the Oscars, the film academy has ended up mirroring their picks recently. “Birdman” and Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) were overlap choices last year and Matthew McConaughey won both the Oscar and the Gotham prize for “Dallas Buyers Club” the year before.

While that’s mostly a matter of coincidence (what prize didn’t McConaughey win that year?), you can bet the makers of “Spotlight” and early front-runner actresses such as Larson and “Carol’s” Cate Blanchett are paying attention -- and celebrating -- the news.

Twitter: @glennwhipp