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I'm reveling with a strong sense of irony as I write this. This is the first major editorial about any awards show I've written for this site, and it's one of the most historic Golden Globe shows at the same time. Did I say show? Sorry, I meant press conference. Yes folks, while the Golden Globes has never been taken as seriously as the Academy Awards, for the first time in years the Globes made major news for being the first televised awards show to be flat out canceled, and replaced with a press conference, where the nominees and winners were run through in less then an hour (when you exclude commercials), which was honestly one of the weirdest things ever. Truth be told, this was partially very convenient, since I don't really care for the television awards, and therefor didn't mind breezing through the television awards. On the other hand, without the stars, speeches, and live performances the show felt exactly as it should feel: A glorified press release.
While I know this is what these award shows typically are anyway, it felt really flat this time around, and I fear for the upcoming Academy Awards. Still, despite the flatness of the actual presentation, it was still a thrill to watch this thing. While the suspense was delayed a bit, there's still nothing like picking favorite actors and movies to win, and then finding out whether you're right or wrong in your predictions. A couple of upsets still provided thrills that you can't imagine unless you watch it live in some form at all. This means that the show, in a way, was also a great success. Yeah, the show suffered from the strike, the lack of glammer, and Billy Bush, but the fact that it was still fun in it's new (brief) presentation shows that the awards could live without the writers. In fact, depending on how people react to this show, we may actually see more scaling back even when the strike gets resolved, as this shows that the awards could certainly survive without the glamour, so I don't think protesting the show produced the effect the writers wanted.
Basically, they set out to prove that the Golden Globes show would not work without writers writing for it. In this regard, they failed. Big time. The Golden Globes have not been seriously hurt. Like I mentioned before, this was such a success, that next years show will most likely be more in touch with this show then in previous years. What this years Globes show proved is that while the glammer and hype may help the show, the entertainment value ultimately falls on whether or not the people wacthing care what wins. If you had a stake in the nominees and winners, then chances are this years Golden Globes was a breath of fresh air. All the thrill, excitement, and drama of finding out who won and lost in an hour. Can't beat that. And with Jon Stuart, a proven political comedian knwon for improvisions, hosting this years Academy Awards, I think the show will prove to be a bigger success on February 24th. Well, I wouldn't expect all post-award editorials to have a rant like this, but like I said, this is a big story, so it shouldn't be unexpected. But enough with that, on with the show (as it were):
Best Original Song
"Despedida" - Love in the Time of Cholera
"Grace is Gone" - Grace is Gone
"Guaranteed" - Into the Wild
"That's How You Know" - Enchanted
"Walk Hard" - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Original prediction and current preference: "That's How You Know" - Enchanted
The Winner: "Guaranteed" - Into The Wild
Okay, admittingly, "Guaranteed" is a good song and an admirable choice. That said, I'm kind of baffled that the song from "Enchanted" didn't win. It was clearly the best song nominated, and it's a shame that it lost. I remember being at a screening for "Enchanted," and once this song started to play you could feel everyone wanting to stand up and sing along with the song. Some people did. And friend and I were grooving in our seats. Again, the "Into The Wild" song was good, but the "Enchanted" song was enchanting.
Best Original Score
Into the Wild
Grace is Gone
The Kite Runner
Atonement
Eastern Promises
Original prediction and current preference: Atonement" - Dario Marianelli
The Winner: Atonement" - Dario Marianelli
This one didn't surprise me at all. While preferences to songs vary from person to person, the Globes usually get the scores right. Since the score I predicted to win won, all I have to say is this: Woo-hoo!
Best Animated Feature Film
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie
Original prediction and current preference: The Simpsons Movie
The Winner: Ratatouille
This was a tough one for me. While everyone knows "Ratatouille" was my favorite of the three here, I was wondering whether "The Simpsons Movie" would take the top prize here for being both the most successful TV show of all time as well as a hit movie. Then I feared that those two would be so popular, that they would cancel each other out and "Bee Movie" would make a surprise win. Well, in the end, the rat snuck away with the golden cheese. Strangely enough, last year "Cars" won the Golden Globe, which made people feel it would also win the Oscar, which ultimately went to "Happy Feet." Makes me wonder if I have my predictions right, but in reverse. Could America's favorite yellow family get the gold as a result? Who knows at this point.
Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (France, United States)
The Kite Runner (United States)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)
Original prediction and current preference: The Kite Runner
The Winner: The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
As one of the few categories to not air during the press conference, this not only hurt these wonderful films, but also helped hide a huge surprise we were to get later on in the show. Basically, if the strike affected one thing it's the foreign films. Foreign films are, honestly, the only films that tend to be seriously helped at the box office by nominations alone, much less actually winning something. Yet this year, since they didn't air it, these movies may just slip away from the general public. That said, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" won the top prize here. I can't really say much about it, since I haven't seen it yet. What I can say is even though I was throwing my vote behind "The Kite Runner" (which would have made my top ten if "Hairspray" hadn't gotten ahold of me), I was secretly hoping "Lust, Caution" would win. It would have been interesting to see peoples reaction to the first NC-17 rated film winning a Golden Globe. Of course, there was no party, so maybe there would have been no real reaction anyway. Oy vey.
Best Screenplay
Diablo Cody - Juno
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War
Original prediction and current preference: Diablo Cody - "Juno"
The Winner: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
Eh, this one I half expected. It was always a showdown between "Juno" and "No Country For Old Men." It's just given the choice between an original screenplay and an adapted screenplay, the Globes almost always vote for the original. Especially when the original is written by an unknown. All that aside, this is a logical choice. If you've read the book of "No Country For Old Men" then chances are you know how difficult it must have been to adapt this stupid thing, so I think most of us are in agreement that this was a good choice. Plus, I have to be honest: While I liked many things about "Juno," the screenplay was the thing that honestly dropped that movie to three stars as opposed to four. It just got to be too smug for its own good.
Best Director
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright – Atonement
Original prediction: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
Current preference: Tim Burton - "Sweeney Todd"
The Winner: Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
As you can see, somewhere between December and January I saw Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and as a result some of my previous favorites changed a bit. In this case while I admire the Coen brothers brilliant direction for "No Country For Old Men," I liked Burton's better. So then, it was a huge, HUGE shock, that Julian Schnabel won the top prize for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly!" Now admittingly part of the shock may be attributed to the fact that no one watching TV even got to see "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" win the foreign film award, but most of the time Best Director never goes to someone who directed a movie that is not part of the main Best Picture race. I don't know if this will have any effect on the Oscars, but if the nominees of the Oscars mirror those of the Golden Globes, then Julian Schnabel may be the first person to win a Best Director Oscar for a movie that is not in the running for Best Picture. It would be a very historic upset indeed.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Original prediction and current preference: Saoise Ronan - "Atonement"
The Winner: Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"
Well, as they say in Hollywood, that's that. Amy Ryan, who was the favorite to win, didn't. Naturally my choice, Saoise Ronan, didn't win either. So who wins? Cate Blanchett, for playing Bob Dylan. Guess it really is a man's world in Hollywood after all.
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Original prediction and current preference: John Travolta - "Hairspray"
The Winner: Javier Bardem - "No Country For Old Men"
Let it be known here and now: Javier Bardem has always kicked serious butt in "No Country For Old Men." His win is not surprising and well deserved. That said, a part of me still hopes that John Travolta will make an upset at the Oscars, as I truly do feel his role was one of the more challenging roles of the year. That said, if Bardem wins the top prize in February I will be totally unsurprised, and will most likely stand up clapping in excitement none-the-less.
Best Actor - Musical Or Comedy
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John C. Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Original prediction: Ryan Gosling - "Lars and the Real Girl"
Current preference: Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd"
The Winner: Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd"
I can not tell you how happy this win made me feel. Johnny Depp has always been a very talented actor who's been underappreciated for far too long. Hopefully this win will help him get the award he deserved four years ago with "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl."
Best Actress - Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Ellen Page – Juno
Original prediction and current preference: Amy Adams - "Enchanted"
The Winner: Marion Cotillard - "La Vie En Rose"
This category made me upset. VERY upset! This one may take awhile, so grab a drink. Okay, it's no secret that for all this time I've been campaigning for Amy Adams to win this thing. Over the weeks though, I was starting to feel that Nikki Blonsky would be a good second choice, and I personally feel the Ellen Page performance was overrated anyway (though not too much, as she still makes the movie as good as it is). Then Marion Cotillard won. Now, ignoring the fact that it's unusual for an awards to honor a foreign language competition (and should do so more often), I get the feeling this was fixed. See, since the show got canceled, there was really no way to gauge the reactions actors had to being nominated. The only reaction shot we got was that of Nikki, who's reaction was recorded by a friend when the nominees were announced. Since that was the only reaction footage NBC really had they ran with it.
They played up Nikki winning this award. Would she win the award? What would her reaction be to actually winning? On and on they went, to the point where Nikki not winning would feel like a cheat. Well, she didn't win. Not only did they play up her winning greatly during the show, but she lost to a role that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn't have been nominated in the first place. "La Vie En Rose" is not a comedy. It's not a musical. It's a drama with some singing during piano lessons. Voters of the Globes: THIS IS NOT A PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY OR MUSICAL!!!! This would have been like John Travolta showing up in the Best Supporting Actress category for playing a woman. It makes no sense, and it's pretty obvious why it wouldn't make sense. Travolta is a man, and therefor, regardless whether he's playing the opposite sex or not, should only be nominated in the actor category.
Marion's role was that in a drama, and therefor should have been nominated in the drama category only. This gave her an unfair advantage because, well, the role was that of DRAMA! It's naturally going to be deeper then most of these performances, and therefore creates an unfair advantage. Nikki was one of the most charming discoveries this year. She can dance, act, and make us smile all at once. Her introductionary role is a movie that families will be enjoying for years to come. Nikki, no matter what this awards show says, you are the real winner of this award. Congratulations girl! I can't wait to see you in your next movie.
Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Across The Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd
Original prediction: "Hairspray"
Current preference: "Sweeney Todd"
The Winner: "Sweeney Todd"
I have a confession to make: In my original reactions editorial to the nominees I claimed that "Hairspray" did not make my top ten list. It did, and therefor I'm caught in a contradiction and I apologize for that. Of course I have since seen "Sweeney Todd," and while I loved "Hairspray," I liked "Sweeney Todd" just a tad bit more. I was happy to see "Sweeney Todd" win the top prize in this category, and I've got my fingers crossed for a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. And hey, maybe voters aren't as squeamish as I had originally thought?
Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster
Original prediction: George Clooney - "Michael Clayton "
Current preference: Daniel Day Lewis - "Their Will Be Blood"
The Winner: Daniel Day Lewis - "Their Will Be Blood"
Once I saw "There Will Be Blood" I figured Daniel Day Lewis would walk away with the Globe for his role. I don't know if that means he'll get an Oscar, but you never know. For now though, congratulations.
Best Actress - Drama
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley – Atonement
Original prediction and current preference: Kiera Knightley - "Atonement"
The Winner: Julie Christie - "Away From Her"
Eh, congratulations Julie Christie for winning the award. I haven't seen the film, but congratulations anyway.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Original prediction and current preference: Atonement
The Winner: Atonement
Ah, it feels good when you call the Best Picture winner. Seriously folks, when you can sit down and predict that a certain movie will win the top prize and actually see it win...well, there's no feeling quite like it. No feeling at all. I'm surprised that more critics and audiences aren't embracing "Atonement" as much as I thought they would. Seriously, it's a darn good movie, so what's the problem? Too much pre-hype? Oh well, looks like it's a front runner to win Best Picture next month.
And that's that. I must say, it's a tad strange to realize that I spent more time on this editorial page then it took to watch the Golden Globes, but hey, it was still fun overall. The results of these awards fill me with more confidence that not only will the Academy Awards be a fun show to watch, but that we might actually see some good people winning as well. Though that Best Actress win still bugs me, and it might bug me for awhile. That said, another year has gone by, and now it's time for the big show. Oh yeah, before I forget there's one more thing I want to point out. Let's take a brief look at my top three best films of last year:
3. Atonement (won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Drama)
2. Ratatouille (won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature)
1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical)
Last year my pick for the second best film of the year was "The Departed," which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Can I pick them, or can I pick them?
- -Kevin T. Rodriguez- -