‘Babel,’ ‘Dreamgirls’ top Globes
(CNN) — “Babel” and “Dreamgirls” cemented their positions as Oscar front-runners by winning best drama and best comedy or musical, respectively, at the Golden Globes Monday night.
Two of the “Dreamgirls” stars, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, also saw some dreams come true with awards for supporting actor and actress.
“This goes far beyond everything I could have ever imagined,” an emotional Hudson said in accepting her award, the first of the evening. “You do not know how much this does for my confidence. … It makes me feel like I’m part of a community.”
Hudson dedicated her award to Florence Ballard, one of the singers from the Supremes — the musical group on which “Dreamgirls” is loosely based.
Murphy was as calm as Hudson was effusive.
“Wow. I’ll be damned,” said Murphy, who plays a slick soul singer in the film. He thanked a number of executives and artists, concluding with “This is a nice moment.”
Forest Whitaker won best actor in a drama for his performance as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.”
Sacha Baron Cohen won best actor for a comedy or musical for “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.”
Baron Cohen started out talking about seeing an “ugly part of America,” then sealed the joke by referring to the private parts of “my co-star, Ken Davitian.”
After several more elegantly off-color jokes at Davitian’s — and his own — expense, Baron Cohen concluded, “Thank you to everybody in America who has not sued me so far.”
Helen Mirren was a double winner for playing two British queens named Elizabeth: best actress in a drama as Elizabeth II in “The Queen” and best actress in a miniseries or movie for “Elizabeth I.”
“The Queen” also won best screenplay. Its screenwriter, Peter Morgan, began a politically themed speech — appropriate to the writer of the pointed “Queen,” “The Last King of Scotland” and the play “Frost/Nixon” — but had to wrap up quickly.
“What do we have to do to get our leaders to listen to us?” he asked, launching into what appeared was going to be an extended talk. But after a few sentences he received a motion to cut things short, which he did with a quick thanks.
Martin Scorsese, who helmed “The Departed,” won the Globe for best director.
“I’m going to try to talk faster than I normally do,” Scorsese said. The director, true to his film-lover roots, paid as much tribute to other films — including the Hong Kong basis of “The Departed,” “Infernal Affairs” — as he did his colleagues.
The Globes also give out awards for television programs. In a pair of shockers, “Ugly Betty” won best TV comedy or musical, and its star, America Ferrera, won best actress in a comedy or musical.
“I’m so sorry, I’m such a mess. I’m still getting over the shock of our first award,” said Ferrera tearfully.
The actress, who plays the curvy, quirky Betty character in the series, noted the support she’s received from fans who recognize that “beauty … lies deeper than what we see.”
“Grey’s Anatomy” won best TV drama.
Meryl Streep won best actress in a musical or comedy for her performance in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
“I think I’ve worked with everybody in the room,” Streep joked. She then paid tribute to her fellow actress nominees. “It’s been such a fun year to watch movies because of you gals,” she said.
She also put in a plug for smaller, independent films, such as “Sherrybaby” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which don’t get the exposure of “Prada.” Streep asked audiences to demand them from theater managers.
“Letters from Iwo Jima” won best foreign-language film. The Clint Eastwood film, which is in Japanese and shows the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective, has topped a number of critics’ best-of lists.
‘House’s’ Laurie: ‘I am speechless’
HBO’s “Elizabeth I” proved dominant among TV movies, winning best miniseries or movie, best actress in a miniseries or movie (Helen Mirren) and best supporting actor (Jeremy Irons).
“House’s” Hugh Laurie won for best actor in a drama and “The Closer’s” Kyra Sedgwick won best actress in a drama.
“I am speechless. I am literally without a speech,” said Laurie, joking about the freebies offered stars — which never includes “a speech by Dolce & Gabbana.” Laurie then offered tributes to “the heads of the five families” — meaning network executives — as well as his old comic partner, Stephen Fry, and a number of “House” colleagues.
Alec Baldwin won best actor in a TV musical or comedy for “30 Rock.”
“Cars” won the Globes’ first award for best animated film.
The Globes, awarded by the 85 or so members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are seen as a bellwether for the Academy Awards.
Seven of the last 10 Academy Award-winning best pictures have also won Globe best film honors, and two other Globe winners — last year’s “Brokeback Mountain” and 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan” — are widely seen to have been upset at the Oscars.
Nominations for the Academy Awards will be announced January 23, eight days after the Globes, and the Oscars are slated for February 25.
The Golden Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
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