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Golden Globe winners
Gladiator, Almost Famous
Two
opposite films, one all about sword-fights and
the lives in a Roman Empire Gladiator and the
other a rock-comedy Almost Famous claimed Golden
Globe awards as best films in their categories.
The show mixed fresh faces like Kate Hudson, named
best supporting actress for Almost Famous, with
top celebrities including Tom Hanks, best actor
in a film drama for Cast Away, and Julia Roberts,
winning actress in a drama for Erin Brockovich.
It was filled with references to drug use by actors
like Robert Downey, Jr., currently entangled in
a legal snare for drug possession, who won best
supporting actor in a television comedy for his
appearances on Ally McBeal.
Presidential politics, too, figured prominently,
with NBC’s The West Wing taking honors for
best TV drama, and its star, Martin Sheen, named
best actor in a TV drama.
In a repeat of an episode at the Golden Globes
in 1998, Renee Zellweger, best actress in a comedy
for Nurse Betty, was in the restroom when her
name was called, causing British actor Hugh Grant
to wonder if she’d hidden under the table.
Elizabeth Taylor also had her own troubles onstage,
tearing open the winner’s envelope and almost
naming the winner for best film drama before she
had even called out the nominees.
“I’m new at this”, the two-time
Oscar winner said. “I usually get them”.
In short, it was a wacky ceremony for the Golden
Globes, one of the film industry’s most watched
events and typically viewed as a precursor to
the Oscars — the film industry’s highest
awards given out each March.
Heading into the awards, Gladiator, a film about
a Roman general who falls out of power and returns
to Rome as a slave and gladiator to avenge wrongs
to him and his family, and Traffic, a sobering
tale of drug use in the United States, had figured
to be the leading contenders for Globes with five
nominations each.
While each came out with two awards, it was Almost
Famous that surprised many industry watchers with
its two Globes — along with the two Globes
for director Ang Lee’s martial arts-filled
romantic drama Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
They had four and three nominations, respectively.
Almost Famous is based on director Cameron Crowe’s
coming of age experience as a 16-year-old rock
critic touring with Led Zeppelin. Accepting the
award onstage, he thanked his mom for letting
him tour with the decadent British rock legends
at such an early age.
“I convinced her they were a nice bunch of
fellas”, he said.
Roberts was one of the more vocal winners, saying
she was not going to leave the stage until she’d
said all she wanted, regardless of whether her
time ran out. She then went on to thank a long
list of people who had helped her, including Brockovich
director Steven Soderbergh.
“I would read the phone book to him, if he
asked me to”, she said about Soderbergh.
Then she ended her speech by saying, “I am
shamelessly filled with joy.”
Among some of the first-time winners were Zellweger
for portraying a star-obsessed stalker in Nurse
Betty, Benicio Del Toro, best supporting actor
for his portrayal of a Mexican cop trying to stay
uncorrupted in Traffic and Goldie Hawn’s
daughter, Kate Hudson, playing an avid rock fan
in Famous.
“I was in the bathroom”, Zellweger said
backstage after accepting her award. “I thought
I had something in my teeth and I wanted to fix
it.” Her snafu reminded observers of 1998,
when the same thing happened to TV star Christine
Lahti, who won an award that year for her work
on Chicago Hope.
In a surprise, Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee
was named best director for Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon, a widely acclaimed fantasy. He beat out
Soderbergh, the evening’s favorite, nominated
for both Traffic and Erin Brockovich.
Among the veterans taking home Golden Globes was
George Clooney, named best actor in a film comedy
for his portrayal of an escaped convict on the
run in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Clooney ‘confessed’
that “I am actually the illegitimate son
of John Ashcroft”, whose nomination for U.S.
Attorney General has caused controversy for his
conservative beliefs and speeches.
Shortly after Clooney, Robert Downey, Jr., who
has battled drug and alcohol addictions, took
the stage and said: “It’s nice not to
be under the table tonight.”
But after winning his own award, a contrite Downey
thanked the audience, said the award made him
feel very humble, and would help with his self-esteem.
He said people have been coming up to him on the
street and offering their support, and he added:
“I’ve been doing my part lately”,
he added.
Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, who won the
Globe for best screenplay, also noted the effect
drug use had played early in his life, and said
the experience helped inspire him to write the
film. Sheen, who portrays fictional U.S. President
Josiah Bartlet in West Wing, offered advice to
the newly inaugurated Bush.
Follow your heart, he said, then he wished him
the best.The liberal activist also gave a nod
to civil rights advocate Jesse Jackson, who recently
confessed to fathering an illegitimate child:
“Jesse, you are still a hero, and we need
you now more than ever.” Among other television
winners were HBO’s Sex and the City for best
TV comedy, and Sarah Jessica Parker for best actress
in a musical or comedy for the same show. Sela
Ward took the best actress in a drama for her
role in family drama Once and Again, and Kelsey
Grammer took home the statue for best actor in
a comedy for Frasier.
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