I love the Golden Globes despite never wanting to watch them. They are irrelevant in a way that’s completely freeing – meaning that the host can get drunk, the honorees can get drunk, and a lot of yelling can take place during the celebration. I imagine it’s a lot like what the Oscars used to be before they were ever televised.
Don’t get me wrong. For the winners, it’s an auspicious occasion. It’s one more group (a diverse one at that) honoring great work done. For movie fans though, the broadcast is pure spectacle, and as someone who has stood next to Foreign Press members asking about what type of underwear Daniel Radcliffe wears, it’s also difficult to take the night all that seriously.
Here in the sober light of day, are the winners. Feel free to speculate as to what this means for the Oscars.
Best Motion Picture – Drama: The Social Network
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: The Kids Are All Right
Best Director – Motion Picture: David Fincher for The Social Network
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama: Colin Firth for The King’s Speech
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Paul Giamatti for Barney’s Version
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World (Denmark)
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture: The Social Network : Aaron Sorkin
Best Original Score – Motion Picture: The Social Network : Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Best Original Song – Motion Picture: Burlesque: Diane Warren (“You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me”)
The Cecil B. DeMille Award: Robert DeNiro
So, the Golden Globes splits up their Best Picture awards into drama and comedy, but they don’t do that split for their directors or supporting actors. Curious. And arbitrary.
Many might want to see this as a road to the Oscars, but even counting the weird math that comes with double the guesses, the Golden Globes have only picked the same Best Picture half of the time in the past decade. That’s four Best Dramas and one Best Comedy/Musical that matched up with the ultimate Oscar winner (Slumdog Millionaire, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Chicago, A Beautiful Mind, and Gladiator).
It was a huge night for The Social Network even though none of its actors won. Still, I think it’s that Cecil B. DeMille Award that tells us the most. Could Robert DeNiro sweep the Oscars this year?
What do you think?
