Also competing for the top honor at the Spirit Awards are Annette Bening's lesbian family drama "The Kids Are All Right" and the rural crime thriller "winter’s Bone."

Bening, Franco, Portman and Stiller also are among lead-acting nominees. Presented by the cinema group Film Independent, the Spirit Awards will be handed out at a ceremony Feb. 26, the day before the Academy Awards. Joel McHale, star of the TV comedy "Community," will host the show, which airs on IFC.