Golden Globes 2017: Aussies miss out as La La Land dominates
Whimsical modern-day musical La La Land pirouetted its way to Golden Globes glory.
Whimsical modern-day musical “La La Land” pirouetted its way into major Oscars contention as it swept the board at the Golden Globes, the glitziest party of the showbiz year.
Damien Chazelle’s nostalgic tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals picked up all seven of the statuettes for which it was nominated — giving the film momentum as it launches its campaign for next month’s Academy Awards.
The film’s influence was felt from the opening moments of the three-hour ceremony — host Jimmy Fallon and a slew of stars got the bash underway with a parody of some of the iconic scenes from the movie, which is set in Los Angeles.
“This is a film for dreamers,” said Emma Stone, who took home the prize for best actress in a musical/comedy for her role as aspiring actress Mia.
“I think that hope and creativity are two of the most important things in the world. And that’s what this movie is about.” Her co-star Ryan Gosling — who plays jazz pianist Sebastian — won best actor honours, while Chazelle took home prizes for best director and screenplay.
It earned awards for best original score award and best song for “City of Stars” shortly after the glitzy ceremony began — setting the tone for a record-breaking night.
Prior to Sunday, the record for the most Globes was shared by the 1975 release “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and the 1978 movie “Midnight Express,” with six wins apiece.
Gosling joked about breaking up his statuette to share with Stone and Chazelle, before getting serious with a heartfelt tribute to his partner, the actress Eva Mendes.
“I would like to try to thank one person properly and say while I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer,” he said.
‘Great reward’
Kenneth Lonergan’s unflinching “Manchester by the Sea” earned a Globe for Casey Affleck as best actor in a drama, but the film lost out to Barry Jenkins’s coming-of-age movie “Moonlight” for best drama.
Affleck, who was the heavy favourite in his category, paid tribute to his director.
“I don’t have enough time to say what I want to say about Kenny. So suffice it to say I love you, you’re beautiful, you’re a treasure to all of us who like movies and work in movies,” he said.
Best drama was the only award for “Moonlight,” a disappointing haul considering it had six nominations, including for the director and cast members Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali.
There was also a shock in the best actress in a drama category, where Natalie Portman was expected to pick up the award for her intense turn as Jackie Kennedy in “Jackie.” Instead, the award went to Isabelle Huppert for French rape-revenge tale “Elle.” In another surprise, “Elle” captured the best foreign language film award over the heavily favoured German-Austrian dramedy “Toni Erdmann.” “It was wonderful to work with you — you are wonderful. I love you, I love you, I love you,” “Elle” director Paul Verhoeven told Huppert.
Viola Davis picked up best supporting actress in a film for “Fences,” the screen adaptation of August Wilson’s play.
She hailed “extraordinary leader, great actor, great director” Denzel Washington, her co-star.
“It’s not every day that Hollywood thinks of translating a play to screen. It doesn’t scream money-maker, you know? But it does scream art. It does scream heart,” she said.
‘Extraordinary women’
On the television side, FX true crime anthology “The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” took home prizes for best limited series or TV movie, and best actress for Sarah Paulson for her portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark.
But AMC crime drama “The Night Manager” swept up three acting prizes, for Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman.
Netflix newcomer “The Crown,” a saga about Britain’s royal family, picked up statuettes for best drama series and best actress for Claire Foy.
The 32-year-old British actress said she wanted to thank some “extraordinary women,” including Queen Elizabeth II, who she praised for her more than 60 years on the throne.
“I think the world could do with a few more women at the centre of it, if you ask me,” she said.
Actor Donald Glover — who is due to star in the next “Star Wars” spin-off film — picked up the best comedy television series award for “Atlanta,” which he created, and later won a best actor statuette.
The US presidential election was on the minds of those at the Beverly Hilton. Fallon cracked a few jokes, but screen legend Meryl Streep took Donald Trump to task, in an emotional speech as she accepted a lifetime achievement award.
Fallon was assisted by “Jimmy’s Angels” — Stallone sisters Sistine, Scarlet and Sophia — who are jointly this year’s “Miss Golden Globe,” responsible for helping to hand out statuettes.
For the first time, the arrival of Hollywood’s A-listers on the red carpet — a top moment for fashion lovers — was live-streamed on Twitter.
WINNERS
FILM
Best film, drama: “Moonlight” Best film, musical or comedy: “La La Land” Best actor, drama: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea” Best actress, drama: Isabelle Huppert, “Elle” Best actor, musical or comedy: Ryan Gosling, “La La Land” Best actress, musical or comedy: Emma Stone, “La La Land” Best supporting actor: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, “Nocturnal Animals” Best supporting actress: Viola Davis, “Fences” Best director: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” Best screenplay: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” Best original score: Justin Hurwitz, “La La Land” Best original song: “City of Stars” from “La La Land” Best foreign language film: “Elle” (France) Best animated feature: “Zootopia”
TELEVISION
Best drama series: “The Crown” (Netflix) Best drama actor: Billy Bob Thornton, “Goliath” Best drama actress: Claire Foy, “The Crown” Best musical or comedy series: “Atlanta” (FX) Best musical or comedy actor: Donald Glover, “Atlanta” Best musical or comedy actress: Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”
Best limited series or TV movie: “The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX) Best limited series or TV movie actor: Tom Hiddleston, “The Night Manager” Best limited series or TV movie actress: Sarah Paulson, “The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” Best limited series or TV movie supporting actor: Hugh Laurie, “The Night Manager” Best limited series or TV movie supporting actress: Olivia Colman, “The Night Manager”
AS IT UNFOLDED
Moonlight, La La Land sccop top awards
‘Moonlight’ wins the Golden Globe for best movie, drama. “La La Land” won the Golden Globe Award for best film comedy or musical.
Affleck now an Oscar favourite
Casey Affleck has won the Golden Globe Award for best actor in a drama film for his portrayal of grieving father in “Manchester by the Sea.” Affleck’s performance is considered one of the best of his career and he is considered a favourite to receive a best actor Oscar nomination later this month.
Streep hits out at Trump
Meryl Streep has hit out at Donald Trump while accepting a top honour.
Streep repeatedly criticised Trump and his remarks targeting various groups, including foreigners and journalists, while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
Streep said a performance from the past year that stunned her came from the campaign trail, noting the incident where “the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country” imitated a disabled reporter from The New York Times, an incident replayed frequently in campaign advertising. “It kind of broke my heart when I saw it,” she said. “I still can’t get it out of my head, because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.” Streep said that “when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.” She noted that “Hollywood” is a reviled place. But in reviewing the backgrounds of several of her colleagues surrounding her at the Globes, she said that it’s really a community filled with people from other places united in the mission to show different people and make audiences feel what they feel. “If you kill ‘em all, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts,” she said.
Gibson misses out
La La Land’s Damien Chazelle has beaten Mel Gibson for the directing Golden Globe.
Gibson was nominated for his Australian-made war film Hacksaw Ridge, but Chazelle’s La La Land has scooped up major awards at the ceremony in Beverly Hills including screenplay and for Ryan Gosling for best actor in a musical or comedy film.
A crowning achievement
“The Crown” has won the Golden Globe Award for best drama TV series. The Netflix series had its name called back-to-back on Sunday night, with star Claire Foy winning the best actress in a television drama award.
A foreign affair
The winner of the Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film is France’s “Elle.” The film stars Isabelle Huppert as the head of a successful video game company whose life takes strange turns. The Globes are bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is comprised of journalists for media outlets around the globe.
Cartoon capers
Zootopia” is the winner of the Golden Globe Award for best animated film. The Disney film about a spunky rabbit who overcomes substantial odds to become a crime-solving police officer, stars Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and Idris Elba.
Gong for Gosling
Ryan Gosling has won the Golden Globe Award for best actor in a film comedy or musical.
Gosling won for his role in “La La Land,” which is the most nominated film at the ceremony. The actor gave heartfelt thanks to his partner, Eva Mendes, thanking her for supporting him during the film while she was pregnant with their second child and caring for her sick brother.
“While I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer,” Gosling said.
Nicole misses out
Viola Davis wins Golden Globe for best supporting actress for ‘Fences’. Nicole Kidman had been nominated for Lion. David stars opposite Denzel Washington in the first big-screen adaptation of an August Wilson play. Both won Tony Awards for their 2010 performances in a revival of the show. David noted in her acceptance speech this was her fifth Globe nomination and her first win, adding, “it’s right on time.”
Another Donald takes centre stage
“Atlanta” has won the best television comedy or musical Golden Globe Award. The FX show stars Donald Glover, who is also the show’s creator and director. In his acceptance speech, Glover said he was surprised by the honour. He thanked the city of Atlanta and its residents, adding he wasn’t sure the show would catch on when it first aired.
The Globes also awarded Tracee Ellis Ross the best actress in a television comedy during Sunday’s ceremony. She stars in the ABC series “Blackish.”
Billy Bob stands tall
Billy Bob Thornton is the winner of the Golden Globe Award for best TV drama actor.
Thornton won for his role in the Amazon series “Goliath.” He plays a disgraced lawyer seeking revenge against his former firm.
Night move
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the winner of the Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor.
Taylor-Johnson won for his role in “Nocturnal Animals.” It was the first award presented during Sunday’s ceremony, which is being broadcast on NBC.
Preview
It’s the first time in nearly a decade that someone other than Ricky Gervais or the duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler is hosting the Globes. But another transition is on the minds of many attendees. Though usually a boisterous, boozy affair, the coming inauguration of Donald Trump is looming over this year’s Globes, which take place 12 days before the president-elect is to be sworn in. Throughout the usual self-congratulatory toasting of Hollywood’s awards season, many stars and filmmakers have evoked a foreboding sense of dread over a Trump presidency. Fallon, the popular “Tonight Show” host, isn’t known for his political humour, but he has promised a steady diet of Trump jokes.
Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” comes in with a leading seven nods and a seemingly lock on the best picture award for a musical or comedy. Its stiffest Academy Awards competition, Barry Jenkins’ coming-of-age tale “Moonlight” and Kenneth Lonergan’s family drama “Manchester by the Sea,” will square off in the Globes’ dramatic categories, along with the heist thriller “Hell or High Water,” the Dev Patel-led “Lion” and Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge.”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” leads the television nominees with five nominations, including nods for stars Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown and John Travolta. A number of recent shows are also in the mix, including “Atlanta,” “Westworld,” “The Night Of,” “This Is Us” and “Insecure.” Last year’s ceremony, hosted by Gervais, drew 18.5 million viewers, down about 4 per cent from the year before. Among the presenters on tap for Sunday night’s show are Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Ben and Casey Affleck, Viola Davis, Amy Schumer, Sting and Matt Damon.
Surely many attendees will be thinking of those absent. After a year full of notable deaths, the back-to-back passing over the holidays of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher was felt acutely in a Hollywood that revered both. Reynolds and Fisher were laid to rest Friday in Los Angeles. One other thing is assured: Meryl Streep will go home with an award. Though always a good bet for hardware, Streep is this year’s recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement. She’s also nominated for her performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins,” her 30th Globe nod.
AP/Reuters
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