Commentary
January 19, 2003
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Golden Globes, Almost Live
by David Poland
-------------------------------------------------------5:54 pm PST
The first two awards for features went to Adaptation, the brilliant, quixotic Columbia release from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze. Winning in both supporting actor categories, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper, the likelihood that Adaptation will make it to a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards is significantly increased. It's not that The Academy cares who wins the Golden Globes. They really do not. But for a borderline film like Adaptation - one of many this year - these wins confirm the legitimacy of the film as an awards movie.
5:57 pm PST
Richard Gere wins for Chicago. A good sign for a big Chicago win. His only legitimate competition in the category was Nicolas Cage. The HFPA spreads it around.
5:57 pm PST
Renee Zellweger wins for Chicago... the trend has shifted fully...the fil is up for three more awards tonight and wil probably win two of three.
6:15 pm PST
The SHOCKER of the night... probably the shocker of the entire night... Alexnder Payne & Jim Taylor beat Charlie Kaufman, Bill Condon and David Hare for Best Screenplay!!!! Again, like Adaptation, this is a legitimacy call... or could it be the start of something bigger?
Also, about Renee Zellweger in Chicago... could the HFPA members be penalizing Catherine Zeta-Jones fo being in the wrong category... after they put her there against her and Miramax's will? Or is it, perhaps, Harvey's will?
6:26 pm PST
The "spread it around" (or at least the "spread it around Miramax") them continues with Eliot Goldenthal's win for his score for Frida. I have nothing against his work. It's quite good. But awards shows tend to lean towards the films that are up for more honors. On the other hand, Miramax made a big push for Goldenthal over the last few months. So the lesson is, perseverance pays.
6:37 pm PST
The Miramax team delivers again! This time, U2's single for Gangs of New York wins Best Song. Maybe it has nothing to do with Miramax... maybe they just hate Eminem and went with the only song from non-Americans.
6:57 pm PST
Twenty minutes since a movie award... zzzzzzzzzz.... Fuck fish and fuck Bono...
7:08 pm PST
The you go... Harvey Weinstein wins Marty Scorsese a Golden Globe and, probably, an Oscar nomination with it. I guess it's not so bad. No one seems to every win for their best work.
7:16 pm PST
Buzz is circulating around the Hilton that About Schmidt could take home Best Drama...
7:27 pm PST
Chicago? What a surprise!
7:35 pm PST
Almodovar's Talk To Her (Habla Con Ella) wins for Best Foreign Language Film... I'm a City of God guy, but Talk To Her is deserving... and not a Miramax movie... now, that's shocking!
7:40 pm PST
Congrats to Jack Nicholson, the mortal lock inthis category since his film, About Schmidt, premiered at Cannes last May.
7:47 pm PST
Last two awards to come... and then, I am on the run to a party. A full analysis of The Golden Globes will run in my column at TheHotButton.com tomorrrow.
7:48 pm PST
Nicole Kidman wins for The Hours... as she probably will on Oscar night in March. It is her best performance ever and certainly the best work in that film. Likely to be the only win for The Hours, which could hurt its Oscar chances. But I shouldn't say... will be a fact, one way or the other, in another couple of minutes.
7:52 pm PST
And Best Drama is The Hours! See, I spoke too soon! Well, this will be one to grow on... keeps the mystery of the Oscars alive and bizarre. I'll be going out now to see if I can get my shoe out of my mouth.
And I'm out of here... goodnight.
