Silent film, Hollywood icons lead Golden Globes
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The black-and-white silent film “The Artist” led the Golden Globes with three wins Sunday at a show that spread Hollywood's love around among a broad range of films, including best drama recipient “The Descendants” and its star, George Clooney.
Wins for “The Artist” included best musical or comedy and best actor in a musical or comedy for Jean Dujardin.
The dual best-picture prizes at the Globes could set up a showdown between “The Artist” and “The Descendants” for the top honor at next month's Academy Awards.
Other acting winners were Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, and Octavia Spencer, while Martin Scorsese earned the directing honor.
“I gotta thank everybody in England that let me come and trample over their history,” said Streep, earning her eighth Globe, this time as dramatic actress for playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Williams won for actress in a musical or comedy as Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn,” 52 years after Monroe's win for the same prize at the Globes for “Some Like It Hot.”
The supporting-acting Globes went to Plummer as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in the father-son drama “Beginners” and Spencer as a brassy housekeeper joining other black maids to share stories about life with their white employers in the 1960s Deep South tale “The Help.”
“With regard to domestics in this country, now and then, I think Dr. King said it best: `All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.' And I thank you for recognizing that with our film,” Spencer said.
Scorsese won for the Paris adventure “Hugo.” It was the third directing Globe in the last 10 years for Scorsese, who previously won for “Gangs of New York” and “The Departed” and received the show's Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement two years ago.
Steven Spielberg's “The Adventures of Tintin” won for best animated film, while the Iranian tale “A Separation” was named the foreign-language winner.
On the TV side, the names were familiar: Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Claire Danes, Laura Dern and Jessica Lange. The work for which they were honored by the Golden Globes Sunday night wasn't.
They are actors largely known for their work in film or in shows on commercial broadcast networks. Each took Golden Globe trophies for roles on new cable television series that won critical acclaim and commercial success in the past year, sometimes both.
Danes won her third Globe for portraying CIA agent Carrie Mathison on Showtime's new “Homeland.” The series that explored terrorism and an Iraq war veteran also won a Golden Globe for best television drama.
Danes, who won her first Globe at age 15 for “My So-Called Life,” remembered being so flustered then that she forgot to thank her parents.
“I am so lucky to have another opportunity to let them know how lucky I am to have their love and encouragement,” she said.Grammer's signature television role was the pompous psychiatrist Frasier Crane for many years on “Cheers” and “Frasier,” but he won for best actor in a TV drama Sunday for playing a powerful Chicago mayor on Starz's “Boss.”
LeBlanc, one of NBC's famed “Friends,” didn't need to stretch too far in his new role he played Matt LeBlanc in the Showtime series “Episodes,” winning him honors for acting in a comedy. He thanked the show's writers.
“They wrote a Matt LeBlanc who, let's be honest, was a lot more interesting and fun than the real thing,” he said. “I wish I was him.”
Lange, after receiving four Golden Globes for movies that included “A Streetcar Named Desire,” won best supporting actress in a TV series for her role in FX's new “American Horror Story.”
“I find it ... rarer ever year to find a piece of work that is beautifully written and gives you something to do,” she said. “It certainly was this.”
Dern was named best actress in a TV comedy for her role in HBO's “Enlightened,” playing environmental activist Amy Jellicoe. Dern's mother, actress Diane Ladd who plays her mother in the series, looked on proudly from the audience.
ABC's “Modern Family” carried the flag for commercial broadcast networks, following up its Emmy for best television comedy by winning the Golden Globe. Creator Steve Levitan and actress Sofia Vergara accepted the award with a comic riff in which she spoke in Spanish and Levitan “translated.”
“Mildred Pierce” didn't win best TV miniseries or movie, but Winslet won for her acting. She played a strong-willed divorcee in Depression-era California in this remake of the Joan Crawford classic.
“I want to thank HBO for being absent when we needed it to be absent and being present when we needed a little more shooting time,” Winslet.
PBS' “Downton Abbey” won best for best TV miniseries or movie, beating out three nominees from HBO.
“How fabulous this is,” said producer Julian Fellowes. “The whole `Downton Abbey' adventure has been an extraordinary one, like spotting a promising child and waking up to find they won the Olympics.”
Idris Elba, who plays the detective John Luther in BBC America's “Luther,” won the Globe for best actor in a TV movie or miniseries. He looked at the camera and saluted his daughter, who he said was hosting a Golden Globe party.
Peter Dinklage, one of the few American actors in the mostly British “Game of Thrones” on HBO, won the award for best TV supporting actor. In his speech, he admitted to being “a little nervous” because he and his wife hired a baby sitter for the first time for their daughter.
Ricky Gervais, who has ruffled feathers at past shows with sharp wisecracks aimed at Hollywood's elite and the Globes show itself, returned as host for the third year.
Golden Globes winners
Winners of the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards, announced Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif.:
<b>MOTION PICTURES</b>
— Picture, Drama: “The Descendants.”
— Picture, Musical or Comedy: “The Artist.”
— Actor, Drama: George Clooney, “The Descendants.”
— Actress, Drama: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady.”
— Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo.”
— Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist.”
— Actress, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn.”
— Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”
— Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”
— Foreign Language: “A Separation.”
— Animated Film: “The Adventures of Tintin.”
— Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris.”
— Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist.”
— Original Song: “Masterpiece” (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), “W.E.”
<b>TELEVISION</b>
— Series, Drama: “Homeland,” Showtime.
— Series, Musical or Comedy: “Modern Family,” ABC.
— Actor, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, “Boss.”
— Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, “Homeland.”
— Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Dern, “Enlightened.”
— Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes.”
— Miniseries or Movie: “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.
— Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce.”
— Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Idris Elba, “Luther.”
— Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story.”
— Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones.”
<b>PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED</b>
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman.
—Associated Press