January 5, 2001
After all, it is Hollywood - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Late last month, before Christmas, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association unveiled their nominations for the 58th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Awards and self-adulation are a norm in Hollywood and all the more prestigious of honours is the Oscar. In prognosticating the Oscars, nearly everyone (Director’s Guild, SAG, Writer’s Guild, New York film critics, even BAFTA this year,) trot out their own awards in the hope of generating their own press, as well as providing Oscar watchers with hints as to who’ll receive statuettes at the Oscar’s in March. The Golden Globe’s are the first major awards of the season and considered a mirror as to who gets to go to the Oscars. The Globes are also considered Hollywood’s party of the year -- which they are and nothing else. The Hollywood Foreign Press hasn’t really been known for true objectivity, as they’ve been prone in the past for favouring those that have favoured them. Case in point, Sharon Stone. One year Ms. Stone decided to send watches to all Association members. She got a nomination and won an award. With criticism, the Foreign Press bosses instructed all their members to return the watches as there was the perception that their votes were bought and their awards were devoid of integrity.
I wouldn’t go so far as saying they’re devoid of integrity, but really their bash is an evening that much publicity can be derived. Publicists can relax as their clients are in full view of the rest of the world. If it sells a couple more tickets at the B.O., so much the better. The Foreign Press can also indulge in a little free press themselves.
Signalling from the nominations, one can safely assume that director Steven Soderbergh, late of Out of Sight, will be a well-mentioned name by the end of spring. The director of Sex, Lies and Videotape released two pictures in 2000: Erin Brockovich and Traffic. Brockovich was released earlier in the year and proved that Julia Roberts could act. Traffic to be released in wide circulation tomorrow stars Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and is regarded as a shoo-in Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Both films are nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama alongside Gladiator, Sunshine, Wonder Boys and Billy Elliot.
In Motion Picture Comedy, Almost Famous is nominated alongside Best In Show, Chicken Run, Chocolat and O Brother, Where Art Thou? The latter, the Coen Brothers’ latest hasn’t been receiving as much buzz as their previous outing, the much honoured Fargo. It’s interesting to note that critics have wondered aloud why Almost Famous is in the comedy category, as it was much more of a drama. Having seen Billy Elliot, I wonder here, why the two couldn’t switch places?
The Golden Globe’s are full of nominees that really wouldn’t get nominated for Oscars so they show up for the Golden Globe dinner for their own self-aggrandisement. Tom Hanks is nodded for Cast Away, which doesn’t look to wash up on Oscar shores this year. Hanks is in the Lead Actor Drama category. Sandra Bullock is nominated for Lead Actress Musical/Comedy for her turn in Miss Congeniality. Mel Gibson is nominated in the Lead Actor Musical/Comedy for What Women Want, as is Jim Carrey for The Grinch. Carrey won that category last year for Man On The Moon, and won the Drama category the year previous for The Truman Show.
Other notables that truly deserve recognition include Björk for Dancer In The Dark (Lead Actress Drama) and Joan Allen for The Contender in the same category. Michael Douglas is nominated for Lead Actor Drama for Wonder Boys as is John Cusak for High Fidelity. These four turned in decent performances in four decent pictures, thus they are getting their just reward.
The Supporting Actor categories are full of notable names, and unlike their leading counterparts they aren’t divided by film genre. In the Supporting Actress category, Hollywood darling and newlywed Kate Hudson is nominated for Almost Famous, as is Frances McDormand from the same picture. Joining them are Catherine Zeta-Jones for Traffic, Julie Walters for Billy Elliot and Dame Judi Dench for Chocolat.
In the Supporting Actor category, Jeff Bridges is nominated for The Contender, Willem Dafoe for Shadow of The Vampire, Benicio Del Toro in Traffic and Albert Finney for Erin Brockovich. Joaquin Phoenix, another rising star gets his first major nomination for his work in Gladiator.
Television is also honoured at the Golden Globe dinner. CSI, the new show on CBS, joins The Sopranos as a nominee for Best Television Series Drama. Jessica Alba is nominated for Actress in a Drama Series for the locally shot Dark Angel. Bette Midler also receives a nomination for Lead Actress work on her comedy, Bette.
Golden Globe night is a fun show, but really the awards don’t mean a hell of a lot. Winning a Golden Globe provides some attention, but it sure as hell is no Emmy or an Oscar. Look for Al Pacino to be feted for his body of work as he receives the Cecil B. DeMille award. The telecast airs Sunday, January 21, 2001 on NBC.
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