Independent Spirit Awards 1988
The third presentation of the Independent Spirit Awards took place in Los Angeles in 1988 .
Summary
The best film was Das Messer am Ufer (River's Edge) against strong competition from The Big Easy and Matewan . John Huston's last feature film The Dead (The Dead) was not nominated for Best Picture, but won the Awards for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress. John Sayles ' Matewan was nominated five times, but won "only" the award for best camera for veteran Haskell Wexler . The Big Easy won the Best Actor Actor Award with Dennis Quaid , including against James Woods, who was nominated for the second time . Sally Kirkland prevailed with Anna… Exil New York as best leading actress against two actress legends, Joanne Woodward and Lillian Gish . The best debut film was the dance film classic Dirty Dancing , the best foreign film was Lasse Hallström's Mein Leben als Hund (Mitt liv som hund) , which prevailed against strong competition from John Boorman , Stephen Frears , who was nominated for the third time, and Louis Malle .
Winners and nominees
Best movie
The Knife on the River's Edge - Sarah Pillsbury , Midge Sanford
- The Big Easy - The Big Easy (The Big Easy) - Stephen J. Friedman
- Tough Guys Do not Dance (Tough Guys Do not Dance) - Menahem Golan , Yoram Globus
- Matewan - Peggy Rajski , Maggie Renzi
- Swimming to Cambodia - Renée Shafransky
Best debut film
Dirty Dancing - Emile Ardolino , Linda Gottlieb
- Anna… Exile New York (Anna) - Yurek Bogayevicz , Zanne Devine
- Hollywood Shuffle - Robert Townsend , Carl Craig
- Siesta - Mary Lambert , Gary Kurfirst
- Waiting for the Moon (Waiting for the Moon) - Jill Godmilow , Sandra Schulberg
Best Actor
Dennis Quaid - The Big Easy - The Big Easy (The Big Easy)
- Spalding Gray - Swimming to Cambodia
- Terry O'Quinn - The Stepfather
- Mickey Rourke - Barfly
- James Woods - Best Seller
Best main actress
Sally Kirkland - Anna ... Exile New York (Anna)
- Lillian Gish - whales in August (The Whales of August)
- Debra Sandlund - Tough Guys Do not Dance (Tough Guys Do not Dance)
- Louise Smith - Working Girls
- Joanne Woodward - The Glass Menagerie (The Glass Menagerie)
Best supporting actor
Morgan Freeman - Glittering Asphalt (Street Smart)
- Wings Hauser - Tough Guys Do not Dance (Tough Guys Do not Dance)
- James Earl Jones - Matewan
- Vincent Price - whales in August (The Whales of August)
The best supporting actress
Anjelica Huston - The Dead (The Dead)
- Karen Allen - The Glass Menagerie (The Glass Menagerie)
- Kathy Baker - Glittering Asphalt (Street Smart)
- Martha Plimpton - Shy People - Menacing Silence (Shy People)
- Ann Sothern - whales in August (The Whales of August)
Best director
John Huston - The Dead (The Dead)
- Jonathan Demme - Swimming to Cambodia
- Tim Hunter - The Knife on the Bank (River's Edge)
- Jim McBride - The Big Easy - The Big Easy (The Big Easy)
- John Sayles - Matewan
Best script
Neal Jimenez - The Knife on the Bank (River's Edge)
- Spalding Gray - Swimming to Cambodia
- Agnieszka Holland - Anna… Exile New York (Anna)
- Tony Huston - The Dead (The Dead)
- John Sayles - Matewan
Best camera
- John Bailey - Tough Guys Do not Dance (Tough Guys Do not Dance)
- Amir M. Mokri - Blondes Die Earlier (Slam Dance)
- Robby Müller - Barfly
- Fred Murphy - The Dead (The Dead)
Best foreign film
My life as a dog (Mitt liv som hund) - Lasse Hallström
- Goodbye children (Au revoir, les enfants) - Louis Malle
- Hope and Glory (Hope and Glory) - John Boorman
- The Stormy Life of Joe Orton (Prick Up Your Ears) - Stephen Frears
- Tampopo - Jūzō Itami