Don’t ever let it be said that actors don’t like winning awards. They like them so much that they will get up at an ungodly hour to announce them to the media, as was witnessed yesterday at dawn when the Golden Globes were announced.
Making what had to be a 4 a.m. wake-up call, actors Mark Wahlberg, Steve Carell and Kate Beckinsale were on hand to read the nominations and while all three appeared tired and mumbled their lines but still managed to make their identities known to members of the press, especially the foreign press, that dubious group that does little more than make and break careers in tinseltown, on TV or in films. No one really knows how or why they are such an effective launching pad. They just are.
This time around, “Desperate Housewives” dominated for the second straight year, with five nominations, including nods for all of the stars, even the lithe Eva Longoria, who was shut out last year. It was also nominated for Best Musical/Comedy series. This is good news for the series, which took some hits this year as some of the critics wondered why the show had gotten off track.
Unlike the Emmys, the Globes vote more like “the people,” which is probably why they are better career-launchers than the Emmys. They like new blood and rarely award the same person over and over again. (“Everybody Loves Raymond” anyone?) This year, new shows like “My Name is Earl,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Prison Break” and “Commander in Chief” all got nominations, as well as “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Weeds.”
“Desperate Housewives” will go up against some stiff competition, with “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “My Name is Earl,” “Weeds” and “Chris,” produced by Chris Rock.
As usual, though, the stellar HBO won the most nominations, with 17 overall. ABC was next, as it has “Lost,” Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Commander in Chief.” While these new shows earned multiple nods, most were surprised that some of the old standbys were ignored, like “CSI,” still the highest rated drama on TV.
The female drama nominees will be especially tight and feature some astonishing names, like Patricia Arquette, for “Medium,” Glenn Close for “The Shield,” Geena Davis for “Commander in Chief,” Kyra Sedgwick for “The Closer” and Polly Walker for “Rome.” All these women have power roles on their shows, and three are the stars of their shows. This represents some sort of shift for women in charge. Usually, the women nominees are supporting players to males. It bodes well for women that these shows are doing so well both with audiences and critics.
Geena Davis’ “Commander in Chief” wasn’t doing all that well in the beginning, but has enjoyed a jump in the ratings, as well as a nomination for Best Series, and Best Supporting Actor (Donald Sutherland).
Finally, the nod everyone was wishing for actually happened: Jeremy Piven was nominated for his supporting role in “Entourage,” for playing the agent everybody loves to hate.
The Golden Globes will air at 8 p.m. on January 16 on ABC.
Meanwhile, NBC’s “The Apprentice” has delved into the world of charity and, if you can stand watching it, gives some much-needed air time to various charities like Austism Speaks. Having each of the rather shallow apprentice wannabes deal with a serious and important topic gives the public a chance to see how hard it is for charities to raise awareness and money for their cause. Donald Trump has even made it possible for viewers to donate to the charities online (deadline December 16 at midnight). Visit the website http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/trump/04/promos/charity.html for more information.
63rd Golden Globe Awards Nominations
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
for the year ended December 31, 2005
1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Focus Features/River Road Entertainment; Focus Features
b. THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Potboiler Prods./Scion Films; Focus Features
c. GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Section Eight/2929 Entertainment/Participant Productions; Warner Independent Pictures
d. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
New Line Cinema; New Line Cinema
e. MATCH POINT Jada Productions; DreamWorks Pictures
2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. MARIA BELLO A HISTORY OF
VIOLENCE
b. FELICITY HUFFMAN
TRANSAMERICA
c. GWYNETH PALTROW
PROOF
d. CHARLIZE THERON
NORTH COUNTRY
e. ZIYI ZHANG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. RUSSELL CROWE
CINDERELLA MAN
b. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
CAPOTE
c. TERRENCE HOWARD
HUSTLE & FLOW
d. HEATH LEDGER
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
e. DAVID STRATHAIRN
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Heyman Hoskins Prods.; The Weinstein Company
b. PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Working Title Prods.; Focus
Features/StudioCanal
c. THE PRODUCERS
Brooksfilms; Universal Pictures/Columbia
Pictures
d. THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
American Empirical/Peter Newman – Internal; Samuel Goldwyn Films/Sony Pictures Releasing International
e. WALK THE LINE
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox
5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. JUDI DENCH
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
b. KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
c. LAURA LINNEY
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
d. SARAH JESSICA PARKER
THE FAMILY STONE
e. REESE WITHERSPOON
WALK THE LINE
6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE -MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. PIERCE BROSNAN
THE MATADOR
b. JEFF DANIELS
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
c. JOHNNY DEPP
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
d. NATHAN LANE
THE PRODUCERS
e. CILLIAN MURPHY
BREAKFAST ON PLUTO
f. JOAQUIN PHOENIX
WALK THE LINE
7. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. KUNG FU HUSTLE (CHINA)
b. MASTER OF THE CRIMSON ARMOR aka THE PROMISE (CHINA)
Beijing 21st CenturySheng Kai/China Film Group/Capgen Investment Group/Moonstone Prods.; The Weinstein Company
c. JOYEUX NOEL (MERRY CHRISTMAS) (FRANCE) Nord Quest Prods. Senator Film Prods./The Bureau Artemis Prods/Media Pro Pictures/TF1 Films/Les Productions de la Gueville; Sony Pictures Classics
d. PARADISE NOW (PALESTINE)
Augustus Film/Lama Films/Razor Films/Lumen Films/Arte France Cinema/Hazazah Film; Warner Independent Pictures
e. TSOTSI (SOUTH AFRICA)
UK/South African Prods.; Miramax Films
8. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. SCARLETT JOHANSSON
MATCH POINT
b. SHIRLEY MacLAINE
IN HER SHOES
c. FRANCES McDORMAND
NORTH COUNTRY
d. RACHEL WEISZ
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. GEORGE CLOONEY
SYRIANA
b. MATT DILLON
CRASH
c. WILL FERRELL
THE PRODUCERS
d. PAUL GIAMATTI
CINDERELLA MAN
e. BOB HOSKINS
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
10. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. WOODY ALLEN
MATCH POINT
b. GEORGE CLOONEY
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
c. PETER JACKSON
KING KONG
d. ANG LEE BROKEBACK
MOUNTAIN
e. FERNANDO MEIRELLES
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
f. STEVEN SPIELBERG
MUNICH
11. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. WOODY ALLEN
MATCH POINT
b. GEORGE CLOONEY & GRANT HESLOV GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
c. PAUL HAGGIS & BOBBY MORESCO CRASH
d. TONY KUSHNER & ERIC ROTH
MUNICH
e. LARRY McMURTRY & DIANA OSSANA BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
14. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. COMMANDER IN CHIEF (ABC)
Touchstone Television
b. GREY’S ANATOMY (ABC)
Touchstone Television
c. LOST (ABC)
Touchstone Television
d. PRISON BREAK (FOX)
Original Film and Adelstein/Parouse Prods.
e. ROME (HBO)
HBO Entertainment i.a.w. BBC
15. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. PATRICIA ARQUETTE
MEDIUM
b. GLENN CLOSE
THE SHIELD
c. GEENA DAVIS
COMMANDER IN CHIEF
d. KYRA SEDGWICK
THE CLOSER
e. POLLY WALKER
ROME
16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. PATRICK DEMPSEY
GREY’S ANATOMY
b. MATTHEW FOX
LOST
c. HUGH LAURIE
HOUSE
d. WENTWORTH MILLER
PRISON BREAK
e. KIEFER SUTHERLAND
24
17. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO) HBO Entertainment
b. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) Touchstone Television
c. ENTOURAGE (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Prods. i.a.w. HBO Entertainment
d. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (UPN) Chris Rock Enterprises, Inc. and 3 Arts Entertainment i.a.w Paramount Network Television
e. MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
Acme Prods. i.a.w. 20th Century Fox Television
f. WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Lions Gate Television i.a.w. Tilted Prods.
18. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. MARCIA CROSS
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
b. TERI HATCHER
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
c. FELICITY HUFFMAN
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
d. EVA LONGORIA
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
e. MARY-LOUISE PARKER
WEEDS
19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
a. ZACH BRAFF
SCRUBS
b. STEVE CARELL
THE OFFICE
c. LARRY DAVID
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
d. JASON LEE
MY NAME IS EARL
e. CHARLIE SHEEN
TWO AND A HALF MEN
20. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. EMPIRE FALLS (HBO)
Mark Platt Prod., Aspetuck & Stone Vialleg Picturs Prod. i.a.w. HBO Films
b. INTO THE WEST (TNT)
DreamWorks Television
c. LACKAWANNA BLUES (HBO)
Bellah Films, Good Shepard Prods. i.a.w. HBO Films
d. SLEEPER CELL (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Anne Kindberg Prod.
e. VIVA BLACKPOOL (BBC AMERICA) BBC/BBC America
f. WARM SPRINGS (HBO)
Mark Gordon Prod. i.a.w. HBO Films
21. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. HALLE BERRY
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
b. KELLY MacDONALD
THE GIRL IN THE CAFé
c. S. EPATHA MERKERSON
LACKAWANNA BLUES
d. CYNTHIA NIXON
WARM SPRINGS
e. MIRA SORVINO
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. KENNETH BRANAGH
WARM SPRINGS
b. ED HARRIS
EMPIRE FALLS
c. JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS
ELVIS
d. BILL NIGHY
THE GIRL IN THE CAFé
e. DONALD SUTHERLAND
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. CANDICE BERGEN
BOSTON LEGAL
b. CAMRYN MANHEIM
ELVIS
c. SANDRA OH
GREY’S ANATOMY
d. ELIZABETH PERKINS
WEEDS
e. JOANNE WOODWARD
EMPIRE FALLS
24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. NAVEEN ANDREWS
LOST
b. PAUL NEWMAN
EMPIRE FALLS
c. JEREMY PIVEN
ENTOURAGE
d. RANDY QUAID
ELVIS
e. DONALD SUTHERLAND
COMMANDER IN CHIEF