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THE long-running writers strike in Hollywood has
downgraded the usual glitzy Golden Globe awards ceremony into a
stiff, news conference-style affair. But just like the old showbiz
cliché, the show must go on and it did last Sunday, sans the usual
red carpet and star-studded highlights.
The broadcast network NBC
canceled the annual gathering of the best and brightest of Hollywood
in favor of an hour-long news conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
where clips of nominees were shown and reporters from entertainment
programs announced the winners.
“We all hope that the writers
strike will be over soon so that everyone can go back to making good
movies and television programs which is what the Golden Globes were
designed to celebrate,” said Jorge Camara, president of the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association that gives out the Golden
Globes.
Atonement, the romance movie with
lots of painful moments was named best drama film.
Julie Christie was named best
drama actress for Away From Her, edging out Keira Knightly who was
touted as a favorite before Sunday’s announcement for her very
potent performance in Atonement.
The film adaptation of Stephen
Sondheim’s stage musical Sweeney Todd took home the top plum in
the musical or comedy category. The film’s lead star Johnny Depp
was voted best actor in a musical/comedy by the Foreign Press
Association for his wonderful performance as barber who goes on a
killing spree, slitting the throats of his clients.
Daniel Day Lewis beat the stellar
cast of best drama actor nominees to emerge winner for his role in
There Will Be Blood. Cate Blanchett won best supporting actress for
the Bob Dylan tale I’m Not There, where she takes on one of six
actors playing incarnations of Dylan.
Marion Cotillard won for best
actress in a musical or comedy for a remarkable personification of
singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, playing the French icon from
youth through middle age and into her ailing final years.
Javier Bardem scored a
much-deserved victory as best supporting actor for his role as a
ruthless killer in search of a huge fortune in No Country for Old
Men. The film also gave writer-directors Ethan and Joel Coen the
best screenplay award.
Ratatouille was named best
animated film. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder won the Golden statuette
for best original song for “Guaranteed,” used as a theme song in
Sean Penn’s road drama Into the Wild.
For television, Jeremy Piven won
for his supporting role as a cutting-edge agent in HBO’s
Entourage, while Samantha Morton bagged the supporting actress award
for Longford.
Hollywood is hoping that the
strike will not affect the Oscars like the way it did to the Golden
Globes, which is considered by many a curtain raiser for the
much-awaited Academy Awards scheduled on February 24.
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