Winslet's Double Win
In a weird roundabout way the Golden Globes seem to have a bit more integrity this morning due to last night's double-awarding of Kate Winslet -- a Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in The Reader and a Best Actress trophy for her work in Revolutionary Road. But in another way the HFPA looks like the same old shop of whores.
We all believe that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association -- the ultimate organization for obsequious celebrity suck-upping -- "cooks" their nominations so as to ensure as many big names as possible showing up for the GG telecast. By this I believe that the ratings-mindful membership knows exactly who to nominate -- no homelies, no dull indie-realmers (or as few as possible), and mostly big-name glamour types.
I don't think the HFPA "cooks" the winners, but if I'd been tabulating this year's votes I might well have gone to HFPA president Jorge Camara and said, "Jorge -- why does Kate Winslet have to win two awards? Isn't this a bit much? How does anyone figure her role in The Reader was supporting, for one thing? And what about the wonderful Viola Davis in Doubt? Or Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona? Those were fierce blazing performances. It just seems excessive to give two awards to Winslet...no?"
But the fact that she got two tells us nobody went to Camara and said,"C'mon, man...let's fix this." It tells us that the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. Nobody cooked anything. Anyone trying to fix the results would have thought like the rest of us -- that Kate didn't have to win twice and that Davis and Cruz really deserved their moment in the sun.
But it also tells us that the HFPA are huge bend-overs in that they totally bought the "Kate is finally due after all those years of being nominated and not winning an Oscar" argument. They wanted to be the good guys who turned things around -- they knew it would be a big emotional moment. They clearly wanted to be the first to show her some awards love in a way that would result in headlines and goose the Academy members who haven't yet voted to follow suit.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 12, 2009 at 8:07 AM
comment #1
PCP_Patriots
says ...
Well, I'd hope they didn't do it for the "it is her time" and "she's paid the dues".
It is possible though since the double win definately gives more buzz and follow up press for the Globes (which the press usually starts fading within 24 hours) ... this could stretch the press out another 10 days, I'd think.
Posted by PCP_Patriots
at January 12, 2009 8:38 AM
comment #2
cinefan
says ...
If it were any other actress, I would agree 100% with what you're saying. I'm a huge Kate Winslet fan and I was so happy last night that she finally received some awards love after being neglected so many times for her wonderful work. Ditto also for Laura Linney, who finally won her first golden globe last night as well.
Posted by cinefan
at January 12, 2009 8:42 AM
comment #3
Movie Watcher
says ...
There were lots of stars there last night. My question is if you're not nominated for any of the awards, why would you go? Do they feel they have to, or do they get a call from a manager, who tells them the exposure would be good? I know how that sounds, but why would you sit through all that? Hey, I'm sure the after-parties are good, and they probably couldn't go to them if they didn't go to the show, so maybe that's the reason.
Posted by Movie Watcher
at January 12, 2009 8:57 AM
comment #4
Sabina E
says ...
I was so proud of Ms Winslet for winning twice in a row, and I was thrilled Laura Linney finally got the recognition she deserves after so many years of great work.
I am WAY THRILLED BEYOND WORDS for Slumdog and Danny Boyle's win... AR Rahman is the first Indian to ever win a Globe!!!
It is a truly great moment for India
Posted by Sabina E
at January 12, 2009 9:00 AM
comment #5
Josh Massey
says ...
Slag the Globes all you want - and they deserve it most of the time - but the winners from last night will almost assuredly be more respectable than what the Academy trots out.
Posted by Josh Massey
at January 12, 2009 9:29 AM
comment #6
MindlessObamaton
says ...
KW is a great actress and hot to boot with a bright future ahead of her and I don't have a problem, if she wins an Oscar foir RR, though I still haven't watched that screener yet. My problem is with people getting nom'd in categories that they don't belong in. I figured someone would've made a stink after JC won a Sup Oscar for what was a lead role in ABM, but no one did, so watch Kate pick at least one Oscar up that night coming.
Posted by MindlessObamaton
at January 12, 2009 9:30 AM
comment #7
rr3333
says ...
She's a good actress and all, but I was hoping she'd just shutup after her continuous rambling for what seemed like 20 minutes.
At least the actress who looks like Amy Winehouse was genuinely terrified and scared and overwhelmed.
Winslet's a big phony baloney, if you ask me.
Posted by rr3333
at January 12, 2009 9:50 AM
comment #8
actionman
says ...
I was very happy. She was great in both of the films she won for.
What's a bit lame is that Leo delivered two excellent performances this year and he won't be recognized for either of 'em. He'll get his due down the road.
Posted by actionman
at January 12, 2009 10:13 AM
comment #9
/3rtfu11
says ...
He double win was the best thing about the show last night for me. I'm so happy for her. She's not overrated just over looked.
Posted by /3rtfu11
at January 12, 2009 10:29 AM
comment #10
/3rtfu11
says ...
Oh shit -- sorry Her double win^^
Posted by /3rtfu11
at January 12, 2009 10:32 AM
comment #11
K. Bowen
says ...
A bigger question ... how foreign (and specifically how English/British) is the HFPA?
Slumdog - English
Winslet -English
Hawkins - English
Boyle - English
Farell - Irish
Ledger - Australian
Rourke might as well be an honorary French citizen. More importantly, his category had no foreigners.
Woody Allen is the only other "American" to beat out foreign competition. And he lives in England The film is in Spain. And he's loved in France.
LAST YEAR,
Atonement - English
Day-Lewis - Irish
Christie - Welsh
Cotillard - French
Blanchett - Australian
Bardem - Spanish
Schnabel - French
Depp won, but beat out an all-American field. Sweeney Todd won, but beat out an all-American field.
(I mean Atonement beat out No Country for Old Men, for Heaven's sake).
The last time Americans beat out foreigners was at the 2007 ceremony for 2006 movies.
Posted by K. Bowen
at January 12, 2009 10:44 AM
comment #12
buckzollo
says ...
Come on, Harvey Weinstein's fix is in. The best supporting actress to The Reader and the fantastic KW seems like payola. She is wonderful, but both Rev Road and The Reader seem to have underperformed, (although she was and is always brilliant.) Viola Davis who is beyond amazing was my choice, but understandably was not HFP fave.
Interestingly, with her double win and Heath's posthumous honoring, there are 'less' actual winners.
Posted by buckzollo
at January 12, 2009 11:07 AM
comment #13
the400blows
says ...
Totally agree with your post, Josh Massey.
Who cares if most of the winners were British. I think that's more of a reflection that the American arts community needs more funding to support the artists than we lack talent. Isn't that why the English make a lot more better films than we do....because they get more funding from their govt.?
Posted by the400blows
at January 12, 2009 11:21 AM
comment #14
JHR
says ...
Josh Massey is dead on.
It is too easy to trash the Globes, but this year they deserve credit for honoring Tom Cruise and RD, Jr, with nominations, and for honoring In Bruges with the win for Colin Farrell, plus nice recognition for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, capped off with the most deserved award for Mickey Rourke. I fully expect Rourke to be in the running at the Oscars, but the rest of the above will not be similarly honored, so I am grateful that the HFPA gave those films and actors some recognition well deserved.
Any more praise for MILK, and Benjamin Button, and Frost/Nixon, and I think I will throw up. These films did not even crack my Top 10 this year...yes, Sean Penn blah blah blah, but the movie itself?
And hooray for Kate Winslet - both well deserved wins, even though I don't understand the games played with the acting category assignments, either.
Posted by JHR
at January 12, 2009 11:34 AM
comment #15
CitizenKanedforChewingGum
says ...
I guess the mention of Tropic Thunder doesn't make you want to throw up then, JHR?
Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum
at January 12, 2009 12:09 PM
comment #16
JHR
says ...
Loved Tropic Thunder...nope, no vomit there.
Posted by JHR
at January 12, 2009 1:05 PM
comment #17
Krillian
says ...
Regardless of what you thought of the movie The Reader, Kate Winslet was brilliant in it. Watching the Globes I started to wonder why Ralph Fiennes doesnt get more love. he was the best thing in The Duchess, for starters.
Posted by Krillian
at January 12, 2009 6:42 PM
comment #18
Rod32303
says ...
If the Academy" trots" out wins for Cruz or Davis, Ledger or Brolin (or Franco for that matter), Hathaway or Penn, and if they give it up for The Dark Knight or WALL-E, then I think their reputation will still rule over the swag fest that is the HFP.
And Milk is still one of the best five films of this year, in my humble opinion. Easy to hate on it since Van Sant decided to tell it STRAIGHT (pun intended) but there was beauty and heart in his film (and in Aronofsky's brilliant film) that, for me, even with all it's pizazz, was missing in Slumdog.
Posted by Rod32303
at January 12, 2009 8:08 PM
comment #19
YRG
says ...
I'm happy for Kate, she deserves it and has eclipsed Leo in acting ability since Titanic. She almost had an Angelina Jolie moment when she declared her love for him on national TV.
Posted by YRG
at January 12, 2009 10:12 PM
comment #20
Andrea
says ...
Why the hell does there ALWAYS have to be some stupid conspiracy theory?
Perhaps, the majority of the HFPA, thought like I did. I thought Winslet, having not seen Scott Thomas, was the best in BOTH her categories.
Just because the sheepish film critics all fell over Davis and Cruz and Hathaway does NOT mean everyone else has to. Just ask Amy Ryan and Virginia Madsen.
Davis had 1 good scene and Cruz was fun and playful but none of them can compare to Winslet in The Reader which is arguably a lead but I've seen worse offenses of category fraud and no one said BOO about it.
Rev Road is not as strong as The Reader but I dont exactly think Streep or Hathaway are that deserving either so I really dont have a problem with Winslet winning that one either.
But her performance in The Reader in my opinion is the best work she's ever done. SHe deserves to win for that role regardless of which category its in. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a bunch of cranky film critics who couldnt wait to put movies like Synecdoche, NY on their Best Films list influence that opinion.
Posted by Andrea
at January 14, 2009 12:52 AM
comment #21
janee
says ...
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at May 19, 2011 7:19 AM