January 19, 2000
The globes that are golden - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - This Sunday, the 23rd, Hollywood, both film and television, will descend on Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton Hotel to honour themselves with the Hollywood Foreign Press’ Golden Globe Awards. This year it will be their 57th annual gathering, but the one that stands up in memory for me was the bun toss two years ago. It was the year Nicholson was named best actor for As Good As It Gets, two fellas from Beantown, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won a scriptwriting Globe for their screener Good Will Hunting, and of course a flick about a boat named Titanic won the big award of the night. It was chock full of memorable moments. One of them was the moment terrific moment in show business where Ving Rhames, winning for his brilliant portrayal of Don King, won the award, only to break down at the mic and hand it over to a surprised Jack Lemmon. It was supremely moving, exemplifying the generosity of actor between actor.
The audience was up and cheering, some weeping. I remember Dave Duchovny turning to his newly minted wife, Tea Leoni and saying like a little boy, “Can he do that?” and the wife turns to stifle him, “I don’t know!”
Another moment, probably one Christine Lahti will want forget, was when the one Miss Lahti who won for her lead turn in TV’s Chicago Hope, was in the bathroom when her name was called. Robin Williams seated up front, rushed to the stage and to kill time, started talking in a Spanish accent. Soon enough, she came rushing out, not knowing what the hell was going on. It is Hollywood you know, where its fashionable to be fashionably late.
Another prim moment was when Goldie Hawn wandered out to hand the Cecil B. DeMille award for Lifetime Achievement to the ultra-talented Shirley MacLaine. Her speech was quite thought-provoking and I wonder if this year’s recipient will be as eloquent, and I think she will. Receiving this years award, should she show up, is Barbra Streisand. After he blockbuster New Year’s eve concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, she’s still a hit and I hope she’ll make it to the Hilton.
This year’s nominees will look to equal that show two years ago. At least we won’t be subjected to a Camryn Manheim speech, as The Practice’s legal eagle was dropped off the nominee list.
What could the nominees do? Will Madonna do something silly when she accepts an Golden Globe for writing the Austin Powers song? What will the little boy from The Sixth Sense (Haley Joel Osment) say something profoundly memorable? Will Jim Carrey do something supremely stupid when he wins for portraying Andy Kaufman? Maybe something Kaufmanesque? I hope Nancy Marchand wins for the TV show, The Sopranos, and at the same time be there for, I’m sure a standing ovation.
The Golden Globes are on this Sunday, January 23, 2000 on NBC.
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