UPDATE: The story of a young Mumbai man who has a chance to win 20 million rupees answering questions about his real-life experiences was the big winner at tonight’s Golden Globes Awards. “Slumdog Millionaire” won four awards including Best Picture, Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. With the Academy Awards nominations announcement less than two weeks away, the film is clearly the front-runner at this year’s Oscars.
There were several highlights including Kate Winslet taking home two awards, Best Actress, Drama for “Revolutionary Road,” as well as Best Supporting Actress for “The Reader.” The emotional Winslet agonizingly thanked everyone responsible for her success including the “loves of her life,” Leonardo DiCaprio and her husband, director Sam Mendes.
In one of the evening’s most emotional moments, late actor Heath Ledger was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his brilliantly tortured performance in “The Dark Knight.” Director Christopher Nolan accepted on his behalf and Ledger’s triumph was saluted with a long standing ovation. Director and cultural icon, Steven Spielberg was also honored with the Cecil B. Demille Award for Lifetime Achievement.
As for our predictions, we finished at a disappointing 50 percent, correctly calling five out of the ten categories that we projected. Not bad, but far below our usual percentage as film industry insiders!
We promise a better result for the Academy Awards.
With two days to go before arguably the best and most fun award show of them all (don’t be mad Academy Awards, you’re still number one!), after a one-year hiatus the Golden Globes promises to give us all the glitz and glamor that everyone routinely comes to expect.
Friday, January 9, 2009: The awards season is generally divided into three parts, the film critics associations across the country weigh in and begin to build a consensus on early favorites. Then the Golden Globes select their nominees, further solidifying the critics’ choices. Finally, there is the big kahuna – the Oscar nominations which validate the selections of the other two entities. This year’s Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 22.
With so many worthy nominees and not enough Globes to go around, some of these categories are truly too close to call. We have gotten ahead of ourselves. With less than 48 hours, here’s our picks for Sunday night’s Golden Globes.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Indie hit, “Slumdog Millionaire” has really been a roll, winning various film critic’s association awards and generating huge buzz for it’s interesting storytelling style. In an election year, one also can’t ignore Ron Howard’s political drama, “Frost/Nixon.” The weakest film in this category may just be the 1960s relationship drama, “Revolutionary Road” which says a lot considering we like Kate Winslet’s performance in this film as well as “The Reader.” While “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is our second favorite film of the year (we LOVED “Doubt”) our gut tells us that the Globes have always been known for their unpredictability. We vacillate back in forth, but if you put a gun to our head something tells me that “Slumdog Millionaire” will take home the trophy.
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Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
This category is a three-actress race between industry titan Streep, young upstart Hathaway and the always reliable Winslet. For Hathaway to be in the conversation tells you that her work in “Rachel Getting Married” was pretty special. Winslet will probably get an Oscar nomination, but not for this film but her work in “The Reader.” With her earlier work in the summer hit, “Mamma Mia” and then taking a sharp left dramatic turn as strict disciplinarian nun in “Doubt,” Streep needs to make room on her mantle because her name will be called once again.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
This is the most competitive category of the night and a precursor for next month’s Oscar race. The only person who we believe doesn’t have a shot to win is Leo, who in our estimation, just doesn’t do enough to get to the promise land. Langella brings a fantastic sense of isolation and lonliness to his portrayal of Nixon, while Penn is brilliant as openly gay councilman Harvey Milk. Pitt gives the best performance of his career as a man aging in reverse. But Hollywood loves a comeback, which puts “The Wrestler” star Rourke in the pole position. It’s often said that awards are won by which actor suffers the most and without question Rourke fits that bill!
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Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Another competitive category that features four comedies and a lone musical. The ensembles of both “Burn,” “Mamma” and “Vicky” each can make a case but we believe that the winner comes from either “Happy or “Bruges.” Our gut tells us that the Globes will be in a mood to celebrate and will feel “Happy-Go-Lucky!”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey
We think it goes without saying that we feel Streep can walk on cinematic water and was solid singing in “Mamma.” Playing second fiddle to Scarlett Johannson, Hall shined in summer hit, “Vicky.” McDormand was perky yet distant in “Burn,” but we really really like Thompson’s performance in “Harvey.” Feels like it will be either Hawkins or Thompson with us giving another chance to “Last Chance’s” leading lady.
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Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey
While “Bruges” is great, the two leads will split their vote. With Franco’s win in his nomination, that leaves last year’s Oscar winner, Bardem and the post-”Graduate,” Hoffman. While Bardem is strong and grabs his role by the throat, Hoffman is scary good in “Harvey” and should take home the top prize.
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Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Kate Winslet – The Reader
In the words of “Good Times’” Florida Evans, damn, Damn, DAMN!!!!! Outside of Adams performance which we merely liked, we LOVED all of the other four ladies. Cruz popped into “Vicky” midway and gave the film a spark. After winning an Oscar a decade ago and starring in plenty of under the radar films, Tomei matched Rourke’s intensity in “The Wrestler.” What can we say about the consummate professional Winslet, but our vote goes to Davis who had a few moments on screen . . . and maximized every minute!
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
This category we will just cut to the chase. Cruise and Downey were absolutely hilarious in the year’s best comedy, “Thunder.” Fiennes and Hoffman gave solid performances in their respective movies. But no one gave a performance like Ledger’s tortured, twisted turn in “Knight.” While people will say that he is only getting this type of love because he no longer here, we think that if he were here the results would be the same except that he would be a WHOLE LOT busier!
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Best Director – Motion Picture
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road
This category is another cinematic battle royal, but several of the nominees have been honored in the past. Mendes produced a 1960s version of his earlier hit “American Beauty,” while both Fincher and Howard have been in this position before with various projects. While Daldry’s film is solid and worth, something tells me that Boyle ekes out a very close win but Howard could also still be in play!
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Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Eric Roth | The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley | Doubt
Peter Morgan | Frost/Nixon
David Hare | The Reader
Simon Beaufoy | Slumdog Millionaire
Every film in this category can make a case for taking home the top prize, but will voters want to reward an unconventional love story, an Indian rags-to-riches story, a mano y mano battle between a former president and a talk show host or a spirtual match of wills between a nun and a priest. We can’t go against our favorite film (considering the top three are all in this category) but something tells me that voters won’t go along with our choice of “Doubt’s” Shanley.
