gossip

Mo'Nique (left) stands backstage with presenter Nicole Kidman after winning best supporting actress for a motion picture for her role in ‘Precious’. — Reuters pic

BEVERLY HILLS, Jan 18 — Disney adventure “Up” won two early Golden Globe Awards yesterday, including best animated movie, and Meryl Streep claimed best actress in a film comedy at a show that took on a sombre tone after the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Box-office sensation “The Hangover” was named best comedy and Mo’Nique earned best supporting film actress, going against her reputation as a comedienne and playing an abusive mother in dark drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”.

Current blockbuster “Avatar” earned best director for James Cameron, and corporate downsizing drama “Up In the Air” garnered writing honours for Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

Among television awards, “Mad Men,” about the lives of Madison Avenue advertising executives, claimed its third straight Golden Globe for best drama and upstart musical “Glee” was named best comedy or musical.

The glitzy Golden Globes, one of the most-watched awards shows in Hollywood, were filled with statements of thankfulness by A-list celebrities far from the chaos of the recent disaster in Haiti. Many stars wore yellow, blue and red ribbons to show their support for victims.

Accepting her award on stage, Streep said she had to remember “my happy movie self, in the face of everything I’m aware of in the real world.” She said her mother, now deceased, had a sense of joy that, during difficult times, taught Streep how to be grateful for success.

The Golden Globe Awards are given out by some 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to film and television actors, directors and others, and a win here can give movies the momentum they need in Hollywood’s race for Oscars, the world’s top movie honours given out in March.

The ceremony is seen by tens of millions of viewers around the world, and can help propel TV winners to fame. The stars’ fashion choices on the glamorous red carpet give designers exposure to take their clothes to catwalks worldwide.

Sunday’s night’s choices among stars such as Sandra Bullock consisted of the usual black, but also deep and rich colours.

The show airs on US TV network NBC, and this year Ricky Gervais had been hired as host to bring his off-the-cuff and often controversial humour to yesterday’s show. He did not disappoint with some off-colour remarks about his genitals.

Heading into yesterday’s telecast, NBC’s contract-ending talks with late-night host Conan O’Brien, over being replaced on “The Tonight Show” by Jay Leno, were expected to be a big topic. And after his opening monologue, Gervais joked, “Let’s get on with it before NBC replaces me with Jay Leno.”

Elsewhere among TV winners, Julianna Margulies as the spouse of a jailed politician grabbed best actress in a drama for “The Good Wife,” while Michael C. Hall, playing a serial killer in “Dexter” earned the title best actor in a TV drama.

Alec Baldwin was best actor in a TV comedy playing a network executive in “30 Rock,” and Toni Collette claimed the honour best actress in a comedy for “United States of Tara”.

While TV awards grab a major share of the spotlight at the Golden Globes, films take on greater importance because of their impact on the Oscars.

Among nominees for best film drama, the night’s top award, Iraq war film “The Hurt Locker,” which on Friday was named best film by US broadcast critics, will compete against action-adventure “Avatar.”

Joining them in the best film drama race are “Up In the Air,” dark tale of abuse “Precious” and Quentin Tarantino’s World War Two fantasy “Inglourious Basterds.” — Reuters