ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
It’s awards season for Hollywood, and one of the most hotly anticipated ceremonies of the year -the 72nd Annual Golden Globes – aired on Sunday, Jan. 11, with some winners bringing little surprise and others coming seemingly out of nowhere. Here’s a brief rundown of the night’s winners and a look at whether or not this year’s Globes may have predicted the upcoming Academy Awards.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Julianne Moore (“Magnolia”, “Children of Men”) took home this award for her starring role in the film “Still Alice,” in which she plays Dr. Alice Howland, a university linguistics professor who’s diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama-
This award went to relative newcomer Eddie Redmayne (“Les Miserables”) for his portrayal of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.” The film focuses on Hawking’s early life as a student at Cambridge, his marriage and his eventual diagnosis of motor neuron disease at the age of 21.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams won her award for the film “Big Eyes.” Directed by Tim Burton (“Big Fish,” “Beetlejuice”) and co-starring Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”), “Big Eyes” is based on the true story of artist Margaret Keane (Adams) and her husband Walter (Waltz), who took credit for her paintings in the 50s and 60s.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical-
Considered by many in Hollywood to be past his prime, Michael Keaton’s comeback in last year’s mind-bending “Birdman” earned him a Golden Globe. Keaton stars as Riggan Thompson, a washed-up superhero actor attempting to mount a Broadway play as his big comeback. Keaton is one of the top contenders for the Oscar for Best Actor.
Best Screenplay,
Motion Picture
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo won this award for their screenplay for the aforementioned “Birdman,” which was also directed by Iñárritu and edited to appear as though the film was shot in one long, continuous take.
Best Director,
Motion Picture
Richard Linklater (“Dazed and Confused,” “Bernie”) beat out the competition to take home the coveted Best Director award for his film “Boyhood.” Shot over a period of twelve years and co-starring Ethan Hawke (“Before Midnight”), Patricia Arquette (“True Romance”) and Linklater’s daughter Lorelei, “Boyhood” shows the coming-of-age of a young boy named Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane.
Best Motion Picture, Drama-
“Boyhood” also earned the prized Best Picture, Drama award. Like “Birdman,” it was an immensely ambitious undertaking for Linklater and company, and there’s nothing else in the world quite like it. “Boyhood” is easily the top contender for this year’s Best Picture Oscar.
Best Motion Picture,
Comedy or Musical
Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the evening was this award being given to the Wes Anderson (“Moonrise Kingdom”) comedy “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Released way back in March, “Budapest” was considered by many to have little chance against the awards juggernaut that is “Birdman.” The 1930s set ensemble piece features Wes Anderson alumni Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Owen Wilson, alongside stars Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori.
The Golden Globe Awards are typically seen as strong indicators for Oscar-winners, but surprises and snubs are nearly as common as correct predictions in the awards business. Will Best Actor go to Redmayne or Keaton? Or will Steve Carell steal the show for his haunting performance in “Foxcatcher”? And which film will find itself alongside the other historic Best Picture winners, such as “The Godfather” and “The Silence of the Lambs”? Predictions are running wild, but we’ll all have to wait for the 87th Academy Awards, airing Feb. 22, 2015.
