THE POPCORN REEL AWARDS SEASON
2009 - THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 66TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
For "Frost/Nixon", A "Curious Case" Of "Doubt"
By
Omar P.L. Moore/The
Popcorn Reel
December 11, 2008
Updated report
Frank Langella as disgraced U.S. president
Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon"; Viola Davis as Mrs. Muller in "Doubt", and Cate
Blanchett as Daisy in a publicity poster for "The Curious Case Of Benjamin
Button". Each film was nominated for five Golden Globe nominations this
morning by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. (Photos courtesy of:
Universal Pictures, Miramax Pictures, Paramount Pictures respectively)
This morning the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
(HFPA) selected its film
and television nominees for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards and on the film
side, the trio of "Frost/Nixon", "Doubt" and "The Curious Case Of Benjamin
Button" led the way, each garnering five nominations, including best motion
picture drama. Each of the three are works previously adapted from the
stage or from a short story.
"Frost/Nixon", about the two days of live television interviews of disgraced
American president Richard Nixon by British journalist
David Frost
in 1977, also won nominations for best performance by an actor in a motion
picture drama (Frank Langella), best director (Ron Howard), best motion picture
score (Hans Zimmer and best screenplay (Peter Morgan). Mr. Morgan had
adapted the screenplay from his own Tony Award-winning play, which played in
London and New York in 2007 and featured both Mr. Langella and Michael Sheen,
who played Mr. Frost but was not recognized for his performance on the big
screen by the HFPA in this morning's film nominations.
"Doubt", which stars
Meryl Streep as a New York
Catholic school sister in 1964 questioning the conduct of the school's foremost
religious figure toward a student of the school, is also based upon an
award-winning play, and saw nominations for all four of its main cast members,
with Ms. Streep in a lead role. (She was also nominated for her lead role
in the comedy/musical category for "Mamma Mia!")
Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Viola Davis and Amy Adams
received nods in the supporting categories for John Patrick Shanley's film, which
also won Mr. Shanley a
Pulitzer Prize for Best Play several years ago. Mr. Shanley received a
best screenplay nomination today for the film adaptation of his play.
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button", based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short
story about a man born with a rare condition that makes him age in reverse from
very old to very young, saw additional nominations for Brad Pitt in the motion
picture drama, with David Fincher garnering a nod for best director, Eric Roth
receiving a nomination for best screenplay and Alexandre Desplat getting a
thumbs up sign from the HFPA for his music score.
In addition to Ms. Streep's dual nominations, good things also came in twos for
Kate Winslet, nominated for her lead role as a woman disaffected in her marriage
to the character played by Leonardo DiCaprio
in 1950's suburban America and in the supporting category as a older woman
carrying on a torrid affair in 1950's Germany with a younger man in "The
Reader". In a statement released today, Ms. Winslet spoke of her
fortunes, saying that "[p]laying April Wheeler and Hanna Schmitz, two strong and
complex characters was a true gift. To be recognized by the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association for both performances is a genuine honor and I am
incredibly grateful. I am forever thankful to my husband Sam Mendes, Leo
and fellow cast members and for Justin's beautiful script. I am equally
proud to share this day with Stephen Daldry and David Hare."
On the best motion picture drama side, "The Reader", "Revolutionary Road" and
"Slumdog Millionaire"
rounded out the nominees.
On the best picture comedy/musical side,
"Burn After Reading",
"Happy Go-Lucky",
"In Bruges", "Mamma Mia!"
and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" rounded out the nominees.
The Golden Globes is the only major and internationally recognized awards
ceremony that provides awards for best motion pictures in two categories, the
comedy/musical and drama categories.
Other notable nominees: Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (actress,
motion picture drama), Sally Hawkins in "Happy-Go-Lucky" (actress, motion
picture comedy/musical), Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (actor, motion picture
drama), Kristin Scott Thomas in "I've Loved You So Long" (actress, motion
picture drama),
Angelina Jolie in
"Changeling" (actress,
motion picture drama),
Marisa Tomei in "The
Wrestler" (actress, supporting) and
Sean Penn
in
"Milk" (actor, motion
picture drama).
Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman were also nominated for their lead roles in
"Last Chance Harvey" in the motion picture musical/comedy category and in
statements released today they reacted to the nominations. "Dustin and I
had the best time making this film. It seems insane to get an award
nomination on top of that, but I'm thrilled," said Ms. Thompson, who has won
Golden Globe awards in the past. Mr. Hoffman was a little less bashful in
his effusive-sounding comments, saying that "[i]t is so exciting to be
nominated, but working with Emma was reward enough. Don't get me wrong, I
still want to win!" In a statement released by The Weinstein Company,
Javier Bardem, the supporting actor winner of the 2007 Golden Globe for
"No Country For Old Men",
said of his nomination today for his lead role (comedy/musical) in Woody Allen's
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona": "I am happy to receive such support from the HFPA
and truly thankful to Mr. Allen for allowing me the amazing experience of
working with him and such an outstanding cast."
Typically the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a consortium of members from
the international press that are based in the United States, specifically Los
Angeles, selects nominees from an eclectic range of films, often with a broader,
more independent flavor or inclination than other awards bodies. The HFPA
today recognized the late
Heath Ledger for his
performance as The Joker in
"The Dark Knight" and also
took note of the more outrageous and eccentric performances, nominating Tom
Cruise and Robert Downey, Jr. for their supporting roles in the comedy satire
"Tropic Thunder".
The 66th Annual Golden Globes, which takes place in Los Angeles, will be
televised live to over 150 countries on Sunday January 11, 2009. In the
U.S., NBC television will televise the ceremony live on the East Coast at 8pm
Eastern time, with the broadcast not broadcast live on the West Coast of the
U.S., where it will be tape-delayed. According to someone speaking at the
HFPA, there are no plans to broadcast the Globes ceremony live on the Internet.
A complete list of film and television nominees for the 66th Annual Golden Globe
Awards can be found
here.
Related: The Popcorn Reel Awards Season 2009
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