Best & Worst of the Globes

[Jolie Rouge]

Some funny moments, some outrageous ones, and some that just plain made us squirm ...

By Kat Giantis --- MSN Entertainment

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=147714

The Golden Globes have been called Hollywood's biggest party, with lots of stars drinking plenty of alcohol while praying for their names to be called. Unfortunately, the crowd at this year's ceremony proved as lifeless as their Botox-filled frown lines: To our great disappointment, no one got stuck in the bathroom or paraded down the red carpet in a pink tutu (come back, Lara Flynn Boyle, we miss you!).

And yet, despite the snooze factor, the Globes managed to make some of the most exciting choices in recent memory, proving their increasingly important place in Tinseltown by rewarding deserving projects and actors. If the Academy once again follows the Globes' lead, expect Peter Jackson, Renee Zellweger, Bill Murray, and Charlize Theron to be clutching little bald gold men next month.

Like every ceremony where Hollywood kisses its own butt, there were some funny moments, some outrageous moments, and a few moments that just plain made us squirm (we mean you, Danny DeVito). Without further ado, here are some of the highs and lows from the 61st annual Golden Globe Awards ...

Welcome to the A-List & Now Scram: "I'm from a farm in South Africa -- this is insane," gasped Charlize Theron as she collected her Best Actress prize for "Monster." The one-time, arm-candy actress, who underwent a stunning physical transformation to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos, reveled in her newfound respectability, thanking everyone ever associated with the film and refusing to be played off stage when she'd used up her allotted time.

Somewhere, Andre 3000 Is Weeping: The Golden Globes criminally co-opted OutKast's catchy but ubiquitous ditty "Hey Ya!" for its opening montage. A sample sorry lyric: "She's sexy in her nightie/Here comes Bruce Almighty." Just ... no.

Gwen Stefani, Peroxide Hog: Apparently, the No Doubt frontwoman has cornered the market on bleach, leaving several celebs to opt for darker 'dos. Chocolate locks were seen on former fair-haired stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Most Surprising Political Statement: When Tim Robbins accepted his Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award for "Mystic River" without so much as a peep, we figured the evening would be devoid of political statements. But that was before the wonderfully self-deprecating Meryl Streep won for her multiple roles in "Angels in America." After candidly revealing, "I just realized you can see completely through my dress" (a far better confession than her "I smell like a camel" admisson from last year), the thespian made a not-so-subtle dig at President Bush's State of the Union address: "I just want to say that I don't think the two biggest problems in America are that too many people want to commit their lives to one another till death do us part, and steroids in sports."

Dirtiest Introduction of a Nominated Film: Robin Williams, who called "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" the story of "Two Australians surrounded by English seamen. This is the sea as I know it: cruel, unforgiving, wet -- much like Paris Hilton."

Most Endearing Grump: "Lost in Translation" winner Bill Murray, who poked fun at the rash of actors rushing to thank their agents by announcing, "You can all relax, I fired my agents a couple of months ago." Ever the rebel, he refused to kowtow to the powers-that-be, claiming that he would thank the studio people responsible for the film's success, "except there are so many people trying to take credit for this I wouldn't know where to begin."

Most Honest Assessment of Physical Shortcomings: Petite, portly, and hirsute Peter Jackson accepted his hard-earned Best Director win for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" by telling the crowd, "I never realized that seven years on this movie would end up turning me into a Hobbit."

Most Likely to Get Drunk with Chad Lowe: Two-time nominee Scarlett Johansson, who not only went home empty-handed, but was left out of both Bill Murray's and Sofia Coppola's acceptance speeches, though Sofia did remember to give the young actress props when "Lost in Translation" won for Best Movie Comedy.

We Forgive You, Part 1: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association showed its good taste by handing out awards to "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," "Lost in Translation," "Angels in America," and "The Office," a move that may once and for all remove the taint its carried since infamously awarding Pia Zadora a prize for her fine work in "Butterfly."

Best Dick Clark Diss: "I don't know who you are," quipped Sean Hayes to the ageless icon.

Most in Need of Double-Sided Sticky Tape: Nicole Kidman, who proudly announced on the red carpet that she had nixed the standard safety measure to keep her revealing sequined Yves St. Laurent dress in place, then was forced to make an onstage adjustment to protect her remaining shreds of modesty.

Grace Under Pressure: The aforementioned Kidman, who somehow ended up in the uncomfortable position of announcing the Best Actors in a Motion Picture Drama. The category that not only included her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, but her "Cold Mountain" co-star Jude Law, whom she so adamantly denied dating that she successfully sued a newspaper that claimed otherwise.

[Jolie Rouge]

It Just Sounds Dirty Coming from Jack: "He wants to know if I'm nice and relaxed," said Charlize Theron, revealing what presenter Jack Nicholson asked her as he handed over her "Monster" prize. She quickly proved she wasn't relaxed at all by screeching in excitement, startling the uber-mellow, sunglassed-star.

Best Use of a Bad Haircut: Jim Carrey arrived on stage sans hair (it's for his role in "Lemony Snicket"), joking, "How striking I am as a bald man? I am bald, and you are not. I knew there was something I forgot." He opened the envelope and revealed this year's Best Motion Picture Comedy: the not-nominated "Elf." That Carrey, such a kidder. "Lost in Translation" took the prize.

Billy Crudup, Eat Your Heart Out: If looking good is the best revenge, Mary-Louise Parker has it all over her ex Crudup, who broke up with her when she was seven months pregnant. The actress not only took home a Golden Globe for her performance in "Angels in America," but she won a $1,000 from "The West Wing's" Janel Moloney, who bet her that she wouldn't have the nerve to thank her newborn son for "my boobs looking so good in this dress." Said a triumphant Parker, "Get out your checkbook."

Don't Threaten Us, Al: Al Pacino accepted his "Angels in America" award with a rambling, mumbling speech, which he punctuated by shouting, "I'm just getting started!"

Sexiest Skin Trend: While there was plenty of perilously plunging cleavage on display at the aptly named Golden Globes, the newest way to show it off is from the side, as exemplified by flapperific Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, Jennifer Aniston and Eva Mendes, among others.

We Forgive You, Part 2: Sofia Coppola, who for years was a running joke due to her much-ridiculed performance in father Francis Ford's "Godfather III" (low point: her plaintive Valley Girl deathbed cry of "Dad?"), has emerged as a directing force to be reckoned with, as her self-penned "Lost in Translation" earned Best Comedy, Best Actor (for Bill Murray), and Best Screenplay prizes.

Worst Math Skills: "Getting to play a woman to love at 57 is like reaching for the stars with a step ladder. I know I got lucky," said 58-year-old Diane Keaton, who took the Best Comedy Actress win for "Something's Gotta Give." In her prepared speech, she marveled at her onscreen romance with Jack Nicholson -- "two people whose combined age is 125!" Nicholson, who playfully put his head in his hands during her remarks, is actually 66, making their combined age 124.

Combined IQ of 125: Joan and Melissa Rivers, whose red carpet tag-teaming continues to be the car wreck we just can't tear our eyes away from.

The First Annual Bono Expletive Award: Keaton, who was so excited over her win that she uttered a four-letter word that rhymes with spit, which NBC was quick to bleep.


Best Performance by a Golden Globe Winner: Renee Zellweger, who feigned shock as her name was announced for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for "Cold Mountain," but took the time to dig into her purse and pull out her acceptance speech.

Stiffest Upper Lip: The newly single Jennifer Lopez, who decided to brave the red carpet days after breaking off her engagement to Ben Affleck. Unfortunately, the meticulously maintained diva made two missteps with her look: She matched her lipstick to her dress -- her orange dress -- and covered her fine features with heavy bangs.

Most Inappropriate Remark Followed by Appropriate Clip: During his uncomfortable roasting of longtime pal and Cecile B. DeMille Award winner Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito commented that Michael's friends didn't know whether he'd become "an actor or a gynecologist -- luckily, he became both." That unfunny bit was followed by the famous landslide clip from "Romancing the Stone," in which Douglas crash lands between Kathleen Turner's thighs. D'oh!

Best Use of Green Velvet: Erstwhile hobbit Elijah Wood looked jaunty in a bell-bottomed green velvet suit.

Worst Use of Green Velvet: David Cross had a serious case of arrested fashion development in a massive green velvet pea coat accessorized with a diamond brooch.

Least Likely to Play the Hollywood Game: Ricky Gervais, who had no idea what to do when "The Office" was named Best TV Comedy. With a little prompting, he managed to utter his thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press. Gervais, who also won a Best Actor in a TV Comedy prize, explained, "I'm not from these parts. I'm from a little place called England ... We used to run the world before you."

Desperately in Need of a "Queer Eye" Makeover: The ponytailed Al Pacino and the unkempt Peter Jackson, both of whom need a few hours of quality time with Carson and Kyan.

Most Subtle American Express Plug: Not only were the company's traveler's checks mentioned in a clip played during Michael Douglas' career retrospective, but he went out of his way to thank former Amex spokesman (and his "Streets of San Francisco" co-star) Karl Malden, telling him, "I will be eternally grateful to [him] for showing me what a work ethic is about."

Least Expected Thank You: Journey's Steve Perry, whose "Don't Stop Believing" was used during a crucial rollerskating scene in "Monster," received kudos from Charlize Theron.

We'll Have What She's Having: Kim Cattrall, who was seen enthusiastically clapping for both her "Sex and the City" co-star Sarah Jessica Parker and her co-nominee (and winner) Mary-Louise Parker. Since the crowd seemed so sedated, Cattrall's expressiveness was a welcome relief.

Worst Reaction Shots: During director Siddiq Barmak's impassioned acceptance speech for Foreign Language Film winner "Osama," the cameras kept cutting to the most bored-looking members of the audience, including a gape-mouthed Nicole Kidman.

Best Rewriting of History: Sharon Stone, who, in her dedication to Michael Douglas, recalled how she'd only appeared in a few films before he made her famous by casting her in "Basic Instinct." The actress seems to be forgetting her long list of pre-fame credits, including such gems as "Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold," "Cold Steel," "King Solomon's Mines," "Irreconcilable Differences," and "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol."

Best Save: Anthony LaPaglia, a surprise winner for best actor in a TV drama for "Without a Trace," popped back on stage after concluding his gracious thank you's to express his gratitude to the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Most Missed On-Screen Display: Where were the reaction shots showing the losers putting on their best "We're so happy our fellow nominee won" face? We also pined for immediate onscreen IDs of the winners: Some of the journeys to the stage took so long (Frances Conroy must be exhausted) that by the time some folks made it to the microphone, we'd forgotten why they were there in the first place.

[Jolie Rouge]

'Rings' Nabs 11 Oscar Noms
Jan 27, 9:30 AM EST

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=147815

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the final chapter in Peter Jackson's majestic fantasy trilogy, led the Academy Awards race Tuesday with 11 nominations, including best picture and director.

The Napoleonic era naval adventure "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" was right behind with 10 nominations, among them best picture and director.


Bill Murray, Diane Keaton, Sean Penn and Charlize Theron — all Golden Globe winners Sunday — were among the leading acting nominees. The most notable snub came for the Civil War saga "Cold Mountain," which failed to get nominations for best picture, director Anthony Minghella, or lead actress Nicole Kidman.

Other best-picture nominees for the 76th annual Oscars included "Lost in Translation," about two lonely Americans in Tokyo; the brooding murder thriller "Mystic River"; and the horse-racing drama "Seabiscuit."

Along with best picture and director, the nominations for "Return of the King" included original score and song, visual effects, film editing and adapted screenplay for the script based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic.

"Return of the King" led last weekend's Golden Globes with four wins, including best dramatic picture and director, and its broad critical and fan support give the film the inside track at the Oscars.

Besides Jackson and "Master and Commander" director Peter Weir, the directing nominees included Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation," only the third woman ever nominated for best director. The previous nominees were Lina Wertmuller for 1976's "Seven Beauties" and Jane Campion for 1993's "The Piano." Both lost.

Coppola, the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, also earned an original-screenplay nomination for "Lost in Translation."

The other directing nominees: Clint Eastwood for "Mystic River" and a surprise choice, Fernando Meirelles for the Brazilian film "City of God."

"Cold Mountain" did get seven nominations — among them, best actor for Jude Law as a Confederate deserter making his way home to his sweetheart and best actress for Renee Zellweger for her role as a no-nonsense Confederate woman.

Along with Law, the actor nominees were Johnny Depp as a wily buccaneer in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"; Ben Kingsley as an Iranian immigrant fighting for possession of a home in "House of Sand and Fog"; Murray as a has-been actor shooting a commercial in Japan in "Lost in Translation"; and Penn as an ex-hoodlum out for revenge over his daughter's death in "Mystic River."

Nominees for lead actress included a surprise pick, Keisha Castle-Hughes as a New Zealand girl who bucks tradition to become leader of her Maori tribe in "Whale Rider."

The other best actress nominees: Keaton as a down-on-love playwright unexpectedly romanced by two men in "Something's Gotta Give"; Theron as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster"; Samantha Morton as an Irish immigrant mother in "In America"; and Naomi Watts as a grieving wife and mother seeking vengeance in "21 Grams."

Contenders for supporting actor were Alec Baldwin as a sleazy casino owner in "The Cooler"; Benicio Del Toro as an ex-con whose effort to go straight ends in tragedy in "21 Grams"; Djimon Hounsou as a standoffish artist dying of AIDS in "In America"; Tim Robbins as a man tormented by childhood abuse in "Mystic River"; and Ken Watanabe as a samurai battling Western influences among his countrymen in "The Last Samurai."

Besides Zellweger, supporting actress nominees were Shohreh Aghdashloo as a compassionate Iranian immigrant in "House of Sand and Fog"; Patricia Clarkson as an acerbic mother coping with breast cancer in "Pieces of April"; Marcia Gay Harden as a suspicious wife in "Mystic River"; and Holly Hunter as a single mom trying to rein in her defiant daughter in "thirteen."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated all six Golden Globe acting winners for Oscars. Penn and Theron won the Globes for dramatic lead roles, Murray and Keaton won for comedy leads and Robbins and Zellweger took the supporting-actor prizes.

The blockbuster "Finding Nemo" was nominated for animated feature film, along with "Brother Bear" and the French film "The Triplets of Belleville."

Foreign-language nominees were the Canadian film "The Barbarian Invasion," Sweden's "Evil," Japan's "The Twilight Samurai," the Netherlands' "Twin Sisters" and the Czech Republic's "Zelary."

Joining "The Return of the King" in the adapted screenplay category were "American Splendor," "City of God," "Mystic River" and "Seabiscuit."

Original screenplay nominees: "The Barbarian Invasions," "Dirty Pretty Things," "Finding Nemo," "In America" and "Lost in Translation."

Nominees in most categories are chosen by specific branches of the 5,700-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, such as actors, directors and writers.

All academy members are allowed to vote for best-picture nominees. The full academy also is eligible to vote in all categories for the awards themselves.

ABC will broadcast the Oscars on Feb. 29 live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Billy Crystal returns as host after a four-year absence, his eighth time as Oscar master of ceremonies.

Director Blake Edwards, whose films include "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Victor/Victoria," "Days of Wine and Roses" and "The Pink Panther" movies, will receive an honorary Oscar for career achievement.

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On the Net:

See the complete list of nominees

www.oscars.org