59th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Good as Gold: The awards
    Less than three weeks before opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Australia took home the gold at the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday. Five Australians walked away winners including Russell Crowe (Actor in a Leading Role – Drama) for “A Beautiful Mind,” and double-nominee Nicole Kidman (Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy) for “Moulin Rouge.”
   “A Beautiful Mind” was the overall champion, winning three other awards, including Best Picture (Drama), Best Screenplay, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Jennifer Connelly.
   “Moulin Rouge,” was runner up with two additional wins. Aussie Director Baz Luhrmann took home the trophy for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), and composer Craig Armstrong’s frenetic soundtrack won for Best Original Score.
   While the Golden Globes are voted for by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, they are often an indication of how the Academy members will vote fot the Oscars.
   The Foreign Press Association means no Yanks allowed, and can lead to some differences in who walks away with Oscar on her arm, and who just walks away.
   For example, the Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Film is rarely the same as the Academy’s pick. Americans have a different taste in foreign projects.
   France’s “Amelie” which has garnered rave reviews in the U.S., was snubbed by the Foreign Press in favor of “No Manís Land,” a Bosnian War drama. Despite this, “Amelie” is a virtual Oscar lock for Best Foreign Film, and may even challenge domestic product for a Best Picture nomination.
   The Academy Awards don’t distinguish between Comedy and Drama, which might give Gene Hackman (Actor in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy) a nod instead in the Supporting Actor category, because of “The Royal Tenenbaums” ensemble cast.
   Meanwhile Moulin Rouge’s Ewan McGregor could leapfrog both Hackman and Denzel Washington–from the poorly-reviewed “Training Day” — into a Best Actor nomination.
   Though Will Smith’s transformation into Mohammed Ali was extraordinary, Russell Crowe’s win at the Golden Globes makes it pretty difficult to bet against him on Oscar night. He won last year for “Gladiator,” which won’t hurt his chances.
   And it wouldn’t be the first time an actor won back to back Oscars. Nobody thought Tom Hanks would win again for 1994ís “Forrest Gump” after his 1993 win for “Philadelphia,” but he did.
   Crowe is a talented and versatile actor who, including his Oscar-nominated performance in 2000’s “The Insider,” has given audiences three brilliant performances in a row.
   As for the directors, veteran filmmaker Robert Altman took home the gold for his comedic murder mystery “Gosford Park.” With veteran director Altman behind the lens and several Britons in front of it, “Gosford Park” is the kind of film that usually does well at the Oscars.
   Despite Sissy Spacek’s well-deserved Best Actress (Drama) win, look for Halle Berry to become the first African American ever to win an Oscar for Best Actress.
   The Academy tends to bypass actresses over 40, and Berry’s performance in “Monster’s Ball,” which was filmed partly in and around Baton Rouge, has received massive critical praise.
   Unfortunately things don’t bode well for blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” The Academy rarely honors science fiction and fantasy films, and despite four nominations, including Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director for Peter Jackson, the enthralling Tolkien epic was shut out at the Golden Globes.
   One film ignored by the Golden Globes, but that is getting early Oscar momentum is Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down.” If the voters are feeling patriotic, Scott’s true-life action film could play the spoiler. And no one should count out 2001ís box office champion “Shrek” when the Oscars come around.
   While the Golden Globes are often a precursor for the Academy Awards, it is about more than just movies. The Golden Globes are unique because they reward excellence in both film and television.
   In the awards for television, HBO swept once again, winning Best Television Series (Drama) for “Six Feet Under,” Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) for “Sex and the City,” and Best Mini-Series for Tom Hankís WWII saga “Band of Brothers.”
   The Golden Globes are perhaps best known for heralding new talent, such as last year’s Cinderella winner Kate Hudson (Actress in a Supporting Role).
   If that is any indication, then future stars have arrived in the form of James Franco (Actor in a Leading Role – Television Movie) for his iconic portrayal of James Dean, and Jennifer Garner (Actress in a Leading Role – Drama Series) for the spy thriller “Alias.”
Jeff Roedel