My 2007 Golden Globes Rant
I was thinking of posting a much more explicit picture, but even I turned red...
My most interesting revelation Monday night? I finally had a flash that I knew him: by him, I mean, Bill Condon, the director (and screenwriter) of Dreamgirls! (And Kinsey; and Gods and Monsters; plus he wrote the screenplay for Chicago.) He was a child prodigy, even then, in our Latin classroom at Columbia, under the tutelage of my--perhaps, our?--favorite professor, Steele Commager. It took a few years for my "recognition level" to rise sufficiently: I'm so oblivious, sometimes (plus people change, though it's obviously...he). As he also lived in my ex's dorm--where I spent most of my time--I probably saw him all the time, right? And we must have had a conversation or two, don't you think? More than anything, I remember Mr. Commager calling on, "Mr. Condon," to translate. Not a name one forgets...
I hope Jennifer Hudson remains a real person--so beautiful and touching to see and hear America's speech...and to see the audience reaction? I noted that Annette Bening had tears in her eyes: she must be a real person...At least Warren got the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Thrilled about Alec Baldwin: he's settling into a very secure "middle age." Not surprised about Her Majesty, on both counts (though Jeremy Irons was caught by surprise, don't you think)? Meryl topped a hard category, but her almost, but not quite, over the top performance as Miranda was hard to beat. And the best--absolutely the best--for me: Eddie Murphy, the ultimate Comeback Kid. One of the best black (in the humor sense, of course) comedies around is a little vehicle called, Bowfinger, that he did with Steve Martin, during his "leanish" years. Lest I forget: Forest Whitaker, for The Last King of Scotland. A Royal Year: I predict a repeat, come Oscar Time. Ditto for Babel: indisputably, one of the best "Best Movies" to come along in a while.
Sacha Baron Cohen: over the top, even with his "Borat" or some other kind of mask off (which, I've read, is a rarity). The audience was turning red, wasn't it? Dare I say that that was the funniest part in the movie for me? One more: a second Globe for Marty--will this finally be his year at the Oscars?
The most embarrassing moment? Remember I'm a closet Royalist: when Peter Morgan, the screenwriter of The Queen, made his openly disparaging comment about his sovereign. I don't think he'll be a welcome visitor at Buckingham Palace, any time soon.
I guess the above constitutes my "2007 Golden Globes Rant."
Below is what came out of me two years ago, when life was a bit more organized...
HOLLYWOOD CHATTERBOX PART ONE: THE GOLDEN GLOBES
THE NIGHT OF THE COMEBACK KIDS
BY GEORGINA MARRERO
P: If you wish to use Golden Globes Gander, go right ahead. I’m formally giving the piece the abovementioned title, for, guess what? Digging through “Georgina Memorabilia,” I rediscovered the scrapbook I created between 1965 and 1966. I keep rediscovering it, but this time I really paid attention: on the cover – a Duo-Tang, remember them? – I wrote, “Hollywood, The Stars, and T.V.,” by Georgina Marrero. And, on the first page inside: “Hollywood Chatterbox.” That’s me: always been me, daresay always will be me. This is something out of the Twilight Zone, isn’t it?
A disclaimer: probably more than usual, the following is imbued with my own perspective… lest I offend anyone. GM
Lights! Camera! Action! Or, should I say, “Beam Me Up, Scotty”? Last night, the Hollywood Foreign Press honored the finest in both the motion picture and television industries at the 62nd Annual Golden Globes.
On a sunny California afternoon, the stars began to arrive on the red carpet, amidst the screaming of adoring fans. Many of the ladies were smashingly retro, a la Veronica Lake. Scarlett Johansson, most recently of In Good Company, went platinum for the occasion. As beautiful as many of the gowns were, including Nicole Kidman’s one-shouldered teal Gucci graced by a peacock feather; Charlize Theron’s strapless teal (yes, also teal) John Galliano for Christian Dior; and Halle Berry’s one-shouldered muted olive green confection held together, as it were, by an amazing brooch, I think what really caught my eye this year were the hairstyles.
The hairstyles: Hilary Swank and Renee Zellweger sported high-end ponytails. And the hair colors: Renee’s now a brunette. Charlize Theron’s now raven-haired. Emily Watson’s reddish blond. Fortunately, Diane Keaton’s still frozen in Annie Halldom, with her low-maintenance flip, granny glasses, and long skirts. Meryl Streep still has to periodically brush a wisp of hair off her face. Goldie Hawn’s face is still framed by a maze of expertly highlighted curls. She wore what I perceive to have been an exquisite mother of pearl necklace atop a rather demure outfit, leaving the stunning brown strapless number with a “cut-out” in the sternum to her lovely daughter, Kate Hudson, herself a Golden Globe winner for Almost Famous.
Strapless and cinched at the waist was in: not only Kate, but also Charlize; Renee in a tea-length very dark brown Carolina Herrera; as well as newcomer Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera), in a frilly Ralph Lauren confection. Kate had a train; so did Cate Blanchett, in a gauzy, breezy blue-hued Jean Paul Gaultier that caught the camera’s eye repeatedly, as The Aviator table was the closest to the podium.
Uma Thurman was graciously draped in a white Grecian-inspired tunic. Not as gracious, however, was Diane Kruger (Troy, National Treasure) in her waist-baring, black and gold concoction: was she still in costume for her role as Helen, I wondered.
All in all: a lot of skin. More skin than jewelry. As to the men: in everything from elegant tuxes, through equally elegant monochromatic suits, through coat and tie, and all the way to dress shirt and pants. Or at least that’s the way Mick Jagger appeared to be dressed.
Other Europeans showed up in full force: the very debonair, suave, cosmopolitan chameleon, Johnny Depp; Fergie, and The Right Honorable Governor of the State of California and his wife. For the record, I didn’t spot Michael Moore in the audience.
After an hour of sometimes insipid, sometimes thought-provoking, probing on the part of the NBC anchors, the show began with two rapid-fire wins by the supporting actors in Closer: Clive Owen and Natalie Portman. Little girl Natalie’s finally growing up. Genuinely surprised, she gratefully accepted her Globe, acknowledging her parents in the audience. I wish it could have been a tie with Cate Blanchett (but the Oscars are around the bend).
Right after Anjelica Huston won Best Supporting Female in a TV Series/Mini-Series for Iron Jawed Angels, the first of the Comeback Kids had his moment: William Shatner garnered the male equivalent for Boston Legal. Other than Travelocity commercials with his old Star Trek sidekick, Leonard Nimoy, he’d been out of the loop for a while. He received the first standing ovation of the night.
As the entertainment community has come out in full force to offer and encourage assistance in the wake of the tsunami disaster, it came as no major surprise when President Clinton addressed the star-studded audience (and those of us at home) from New York via closed circuit TV.
In TV Drama, Mariska Hargitay won for Law & Order: SVU, and the very Scottish Ian McShane won for Deadwood. I daresay my editor and Management are very happy. I, myself, was very happy that The Life and Death of Peter Sellers won for Best Made for TV Movie.
The Best TV Musical/Comedy Actor Globe went to Jason Bateman, of Arrested Development. Is it my imagination, or is Ron Howard, one of the show’s executive producers, losing more and more of his hair with each passing year? I still remember him as Opie: now I know I’m getting old.
Next, the beautiful – and svelte, after four babies – Annette Bening was called up to the podium to receive the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her luminous performance in Being Julia. Graciously thanking everyone, she saved the best for husband Warren Beatty: something about a pizza lunch.
Nip/Tuck won Best TV Drama. That was a very excited cast and crew I saw bounding up to the front. Then the awards were presented for Best Actor and Best Actress in a TV Mini-Series or Movie to a delighted Geoffrey Rush, for his fantastic portrayal of Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers; and to Glenn Close, who played Eleanor of Aquitaine to Patrick Stewart’s Henry II in The Lion In Winter. She said something about not missing the wig: the clips showed a very long, very disheveled head of hair on Eleanor. I still fondly remember the original movie version, with Kate Hepburn and Peter O’Toole.
The Spanish movie, The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro) was honored as Best Foreign Language Film, as its star, Javier Bardem, stood up and cheered.
It was now time for the second Comeback Kid: Teri Hatcher, of Lois Lane to Dean Cain’s Superman fame, won for her leading role in the ensemble cast of TV’s hottest show, the dark comedy, Desperate Housewives. Ms. Hatcher was truly shocked, and, in a humbling speech, called herself a “two-time has-been.” Has-been, indeed: she looked lovely.
As the Golden Globe presents only one Screenplay award, this is a biggie. The honors went to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, for the penetrating, yet offbeat, Sideways. To steal Charlie Kaufman’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation) thunder is no mean feat.
As there are also no awards for adapted scores and adapted songs, special kudos go out to Howard Shore, for his flexible, “very 20s” score for The Aviator. And then it was another Comeback Kid’s (of sorts) turn: Mick Jagger, sans jacket and tie, claimed his Globe for Best Original Song, “Old Habits Die Hard,” which he resurrected for Alfie. Stumbling his way a bit through his comments, his collaborator, David A. Stewart, smoothed things out a bit. “I’ve been to a few of these things,” the rock legend had commented on the red carpet.
Prince (whom I’d recently seen in drag, at Art Basel) seriously, and proudly, introduced Ray as one of the five movies being nominated in the musical/comedy category. “Jamie Foxx IS Ray,” he stated. This led right into the Best Director award. Another toughie, given the competition (including Martin Scorsese): Clint Eastwood won for Million Dollar Baby. The man of few words received a standing ovation.
Prince presaged what was to come next: Jamie Foxx received the Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for what I believe is one of the defining, tour de force performances of our lifetime, in his portrayal of Ray Charles. To another standing ovation, he sang and improvised his way through a simple, eloquent, and, ultimately, very touching speech. Without question, this was the highlight of the evening.
It was, however, followed by the presentation of a very special award, The Cecil B. DeMille Award, to Robin Williams. Pierce Brosnan began the kudos, and Mike Nichols rounded it out, referring to Williams as “the soupy human from another planet” who is also “a wonderful human being.” Among the accompanying clips, of course, was that marvelous sashay from The Birdcage, that inimitable “Oooh” from Mrs. Doubtfire, and Robin’s resounding “Goo-ood morning, Viet-naaam!”
In the midst of yet another standing ovation (the great Mike Nichols received one, too), Williams humbly, gratefully – and, of course, hilariously – accepted his award. Eyeing Jim Carrey in the audience, he thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press – and the entertainment industry in general – for acknowledging comedy. He thanked his kids, whom he proudly pointed out, and his wife, presenting her with a “Wifetime Achievement Award.” In a nanosensical (my word, here) moment, I think he mumbled something about Angelina Jolie under his breath. Am I right here?
Regardless, I won’t soon forget what he said his assistant says to bring him down to earth: “Hey, Mork Guy.” Robin Williams is a National Treasure.
Getting close to the end, here, but what a finale. Best Male Actor in a Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio, as Howard Hughes in The Aviator. He shone, was gracious, heaped enormous praise upon Martin Scorsese, who appeared humbled. What’s going to happen six weeks from now at the Oscars, I’m already asking myself. Have been asking myself since Christmas Day, when The Aviator came out.
It was time for the Best TV Comedy. With Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall, and Cynthia Nixon (though no Sarah Jessica Parker) in the audience, I was harboring a not so slim hope that Sex and the City stood a chance.
Desperate Housewives proceeded to yield two Comeback Kids, after all: Teri Hatcher; and the show’s creator, an erstwhile comedy writer “has-been,” Marc Cherry, who came forth to claim the Best TV Comedy award. Chortling, he informed the audience “no one would take my phone calls for two years,” that he was “supported by my wife and my mother,” who ultimately gave him the idea for the show. That was one very happy man, and one very happy cast and crew.
Best Director sometimes – though not always – presages who the Best Actor and/or Actress in a Drama is going to be. Last night belonged to the man of few words and to his Million Dollar Baby: Hilary Swank. Resplendent in her Calvin Klein copper-brown dress, with ponytail bobbing up and down, Hilary lovingly, and eloquently, acknowledged Eastwood. She mentioned his kindness and also lavished major praise on her costar, Morgan Freeman, whom Eastwood had earlier identified as “the greatest actor alive.”
The two biggies remained: Best Musical/Comedy, which – not surprisingly – went to Sideways. Payne and his troupe happily trotted to the podium one more time.
Finally, Nicole Kidman, in that beautiful teal dress with that splendid peacock feather, announced the Best Drama. The Aviator. Scorsese, DiCaprio, and the rest of the movie’s major producers and execs claimed their Globe. Lest we forget Howard Hughes was a man’s man. And then Nic said goodnight. I hope Jamie had as good a night as he said he would.
Copyright, 2005 by Georgina Marrero 1789 words All Rights Reserved
Perhaps I'm also a Comeback Kid, after all?
posted by Ninina Mameyez at 9:28 AM
0 comments
