As part of its goal not to be noticed or talked about by anyone, the Independant Spirit Awards held its ceremony on Saturday, a day before the Oscars.  The Wrestler took home the best picture award it deserved at the Oscars, James Franco won best supporting actor for Milk even though he was better in Pineapple Express, and Woody Allen won best screenplay for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (even though he would’ve preferred not have another turgid discussion about categorical imperatives). You can see the full list of winners after the jump, but the most important thing that happened was Mickey Rourke giving yet another amazing, foul mouthed, refreshingly honest acceptance speech.

“Eric Roberts is probably the best actor I ever worked with and I don’t know why in the last 15 years ain’t nobody give him a chance to show his shit again, because whatever he did 15, 20 years ago should be forgiven – no, I’m goddamned serious.  Eric Roberts is the f-ckin man, and like I got, he deserves a second chance.  …It’s nice to be presented an award by these two talented… uh, three talented – I don’t know what you do, honey… I wanna thank, uh, Melissa, Marisa – Marisa Tomei! Goddammit, she had to do all this bare ass, and she brought it, and – is she here?  Well anyway, not many girls can climb the pole.  But she did it and she did it well.

There’s six minutes of acceptance speech, and all of it more awesome than anything that’s happened at the Oscars pretty much ever.  For whatever reason, the guy makes me laugh and tear up every time he opens his mouth.  What the hell is wrong with me?  I don’t even tear up when relatives die.  I think my insides might be broken.

Best Feature, The Wrestler
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin

Best Director, Tom McCarthy – The Visitor (Overture Films)

Best Screenplay, Woody Allen – Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)

Best First Feature, Synecdoche, New York (Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel

Best First Screenplay , Dustin Black Lance – Milk (Focus Features)

John Cassavetes Award (For the Best Feature made for under $500,000)
In Search of a Midnight Kiss (IFC Films)
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan, Scoot McNairy

Best Supporting Female: Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)

Best Supporting Male, James Franco – Milk (Focus Features)

Best Female Lead, Melissa Leo – Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Male Lead, Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Cinematography, Maryse Alberti – The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Foreign Film, The Class (Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Laurent Cantet

Best Documentary, Man On Wire (Magnolia Pictures)
James Marsh

Robert Altman Award
Synecdoche, New York (Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble cast members: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams.

Piaget Producers Award which honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films
Heather Rae, producer of Frozen River and Ibid

Acura Someone To Watch Award for a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition
Lynn Shelton, director of My Effortless Brilliance

LaCoste Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant attention
Margaret Brown, director of The Order of Myths