Good skating

Frozen River takes top prize at the Gotham Awards with a Best Actress nod for Melissa Leo. (Variety)

Acquired by Sony Classics after it screened in Sundance, "Frozen River" has become that rare thing in the 2008 indie/specialty world: a grassroots hit.

Like "The Visitor," which was also nommed for best feature at the Gothams, "Frozen River" benefited from coming out before the fourth-quarter prestige crush with a lot of fest buzz to get it started commercially. Released Aug. 1, the pic has cumed $2.3 million in the U.S.