以与古典好莱坞截然不同的姿态出现的美国独立电影，是伴随着电影艺术、技术的发展和成熟而逐步完善、明晰起来的一种电影制作模式。从上个世纪二十年代好莱坞制片公司的初现，到派拉蒙判决后大制片厂的职能转变，再到上世纪六、七十年代的“新好莱坞”和九十年代圣丹斯国际电影节的崛起，好莱坞电影工业的每一次发展与变革都与独立电影息息相关。独立电影的独特属性，一方面来自其独立于好莱坞大制片厂体系的“生产方式”，另一方面，来自于在题材选择、影像风格、叙事手段等方面都相异于经典好莱坞的“独立精神”。进入新世纪以来，独立电影开始更加注重电影语言的平易近人，对社会现实的关照，以及与主流价值观的融合，并且开始在代表着美国主流价值观的奥斯卡奖上受到越来越多的肯定，几乎每年都有独立电影获得奥斯卡奖的重要奖项。本文在对新世纪以来的美国独立电影整体有所把握的情况下，运用电影叙事学理论，以新世纪以来获得奥斯卡奖的二十余部美国独立电影为主要研究对象，重点分析这些影片的叙事特色，并结合美国电影工业现状，探讨独立电影、独立导演与好莱坞主流电影之间的关系。首先，本文从好莱坞大制片厂与独立制片的关系出发，简要论述美国独立电影的工业脉络，分析其新世纪以来的制作现状。其次，本文运用电影叙事学理论，对新世纪以来，由独立制片公司制作或发行、获得了奥斯卡重要奖项的美国独立电影，从人物形象设置、叙事结构分析、叙事风格呈现三个方面进行论述。在与好莱坞经典影片的对照之中，从纵向上梳理独立电影叙事特色、作者风格、类型拓展等方面的继承与创新，从横向上综合分析近年来独立电影在主题表达、人物塑造与时空表达等方面的共性和独到之处。最后，在搞清楚“谁在叙述”“怎样叙述”等问题后，本文联系当代美国的社会、文化背景以及近几年来美国电影艺术审美方向的转变，探讨美国独立电影的发展趋势。从艺术与商业两个角度出发，结合美国电影市场的现状，论述独立电影精神对美国电影创造的理论意义和现实意义，并针对这些电影在奥斯卡奖上屡屡获奖的现象，总结独立电影叙事策略赢得市场，受到代表美国主流价值观的奖项之肯定的原因。

The American independent films which appear in a very different way from classic Hollywood, is a kind of productive mode which is gradually perfecting and clearing and accompanied by the development and matureness of the art and technique of film. From the first appearance of studios in the 1920, to the functional transformation after Paramount Judgment, and from New Hollywood to the rise of Sundance International Film Festival in the 1990s. The development and revolution of Hollywood industry is influential to independent films every step of the way. The independent feature of independent films is decided by the way of manufacture which is independent from Hollywood major studios. On the other hand, it is decided by the independent spirit in aspects of topic choice, image style and narrative strategy which are different from ‘Hollywood classics’. Independent films feature ‘author movie’. In the 21th century, independent films have gained more concentration on the approachable of film language and the merge with the mainstream values, thus won the affirmation of the mainstream American values which represented by the Oscar. On the basis of having grasped the American independent film since the new century as a whole, this paper uses the film narrative theory to discuss the over 20 Oscar winning American independent films since the new century. It inclusively discusses the narrative feature of these films. This paper also combines theories with the American film industry status and explores the relationship between ‘Indiewood’ and Hollywood.Firstly, this paper begins with the relationship of Hollywood studios and independent productions. It briefly discusses the context of the American independent film industry and analyzes the productive status since 21th century. Secondly, this paper focuses on applying the principles of film narrative theory to independent films that are produced or distributed by independent production companies and have won major Oscar awards in this century. It discusses these films from three aspects: characters setting, narrative structure analysis and narrative style presentation. In contrast with classic Hollywood films, this paper combs the inheritance and innovation of independent films in narrative features, auteur style, character creation and genre expansion from the longitudinal. And it comprehensively analysis the common and unique of the independent films in theme expression, characterization and temporal expression from the horizontal. In the end, after figuring out ‘who is narrating’ and ‘how to narrate’, this paper contacts the contemporary American society, cultural background and the changes in the direction of American film aesthetic, to explore the development trend of American independent film. From the perspective of both art and business, combined with the status of the current situation of American film market, this paper discusses the theoretical and practical significance of the American independent films. And in respect to the fact that these films often win the Oscar, this paper summarizes the reason how the narrative strategy win the market and why they are rewarded by the award that represent the American mainstream values.