Nearly 40 years after the film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? walked off with a bunch of Oscars, the English author proved that she continues to have the Hollywood touch.
The Hours, the film loosely based on her life and writing and made by British director Stephen Daldry, won the Golden Globe for best drama and Nicole Kidman won the best actress award for portraying Woolf.
At an event often seen as a warm-up for the Oscars, the other big prizes were spread around such films as Chicago, About Schmidt, and Gangs of New York. Jack Nicholson won the best actor in a drama award, while two of the stars of Chicago, Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger, took prizes for best actor and actress in a comedy or musical.
The Golden Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 90 foreign show business journalists, much mocked by US film critics for knowing more about hospitality lounges than films.
But their annual awards ceremony is broadcast by NBC, which pays $3-million for the privilege, and almost every actor and producer nominated was at the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton declaring their delight, regardless of what their private thoughts about the organisation might be.
No one film stole the night. Martin Scorsese won the best director award for Gangs of New York, which might be a signal he will finally win his first director’s Oscar.
”This year, I think you really see there is an enormous amount of really good performances by women,” said Nicole Kidman, who took the best actress award by a nose from other strong contenders. ”And I say to the writers, please keep writing for us, because we’re really interesting.”
Jack Nicholson won another award for his portrayal of a man suffering a post-retirement crisis in About Schmidt.
”I don’t know whether to be ashamed or happy, because I thought we made a comedy,” said Nicholson after taking the Globe for best drama actor.
Richard Gere used his thank you speech to describe Miramax Film’s co-chairman Harvey Weinstein as ”a kindly, lovable, gentle man who we all love, a little rough around the edges but with a heart of gold”.
The best supporting actor and actress awards went to Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep in Adapatation, an insider’s tale of the world of Hollywood screenwriting.
Streep was subjected to some typically relentless press interrogation, being asked by one inquisitor: ”Meryl, you have such a reputation for such exquisite perfection. Can you tell me when you are not perfect?”
Gene Hackman was given a lifetime achievement award, prompting him to reprise the old James Cagney line: ”Top of the world, Ma.”
Pedro Almodovar won the best foreign film prize for Talk To Her. ”I was afraid this movie would be received with scandal in this country,” he said.
”But I think the audience has embraced it without prejudice.” He made the only reference to the possibility of war with Iraq, saying the signs on his hotel door said ”Peace” rather than ”Do not disturb”, which made him think ”the rooms in my hotel are crying out for peace”.
Two films that have been talked about as Oscar contenders, The Pianist and Far From Heaven, left Globeless.
It was also a night of prizes for television. The Gathering Storm, about the pre-war Winston Churchill, which has picked up awards elsewhere, won the mini-series or motion picture made for television award.
Albert Finney took the best actor prize, but he was not present, and was said to be filming in Alabama. — Â