Music-Themed Movies Take the Honors at 77th Golden Globes
By DONNA BALANCIA
Ricky Gervais got things off to a fast-cracking start at The 77th Golden Globes Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton. Taking aim at a range of topics, Gervais joked he had nothing to lose because it was expected to be his last year hosting.
It was all in good fun at the Golden Globes, annually presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is known for throwing a rip-roaring event.
“You will be pleased to know this is the last time I’m hosting these awards,” Gervais said. “I don’t care any more. I’m joking… I never did.”
No topic was off-limits with Gervais cracking jokes about Felicity Huffman making license plates to Dame Judy Dench lounging like a cat. And by the time Renée Zellweger accepted her Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, towards the end of the show, he was clearly done.
But the major stars on hand didn’t blink as they were out in full force in Beverly Hills for the highly anticipated event, including Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro and a host of many others.
Ellen DeGeneres was among the first awardees of the night.
Kate McKinnon gave a speech of thanks to Ellen DeGeneres praising her bravery for coming out and enabling her and others to believe that LGBTQ people could also be on TV.
“I feel honored to be the first person after Carol Burnett to win this,” DeGeneres said in accepting the Carol Burnett Award. “Thank you. The best thing about this award is I knew I was going to win. There’s nothing worse than sitting there waiting an and wondering if you’re going to win.”
DeGeneres summed up her career in a series of jokes and said with the talk show she was truly “able to be myself.
“All I wanted to do is make someone feel good and make them laugh,” DeGeneres said. “The real power of television is not that people watch my show but that people watch my show and do the same thing in their own lives. That is the power of television and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. Thank you so much everybody.”
Quentin Tarantino won Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” thanked Robert Bolt via John Milius and said he owed the Globe to his cast who brought the characters off the page.
“I had a fantastic cast whether it was Leo in the trailer or Brad’s acid trip or Margot’s goodness …” Tarantino said. “I want to thank you so much and my wife who’s watching from Tel Aviv with my very first child.”
“I have to thank Quentin Tarantino, the man the myth the legend for this experience one I will never forget… I also have to thank my partner in crime LDC,” he said referring to Leonardo DiCaprio. He said he would have brought his mother but “Any woman I stand next to they say I’m dating.”
Winner Laura Dern at 77th Golden Globes:
Laura Dern won Best Actress for her role in “A Marriage Story” and was thankful she “got to give voice and pay tribute to the divorce lawyer … Long, long overdue.”
77th Golden Globes Red Carpet: Sacha Baron Cohen
Gervais said while “The Irishman” director Martin Scorsese made the news for comments about movies today being like theme park rides, he said Scorsese wasn’t “big enough to get on the rides.” He said: “The Irishman was amazing,” he said. “Long, but amazing.”
Gervais said “The Irishman wasn’t the only long movie in contention. He said that “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is so long, that “Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere and by the end, his date was too old for him.”
Elton John and Bernie Taupin took the stage and won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “I’m Gonna Love Me Again.”
“This is really sweet because it’s not just a song we wrote for a movie, it’s a song we wrote for a movie that deals with our relationship,” said Taupin, Elton John’s longtime writing partner. “It’s a relationship that doesn’t happen very much in this town, It’s a 52-year-old marriage.”
Elton John said the movie represents “one of the most emotional moments of my life. It’s the first time I’ve ever won an award with him. We never won a GRAMMY, we never won anything together. Thank you very much.”
Ramy Yousef was the first award of the night for Best Actor in a Comedy or TV series, for the show “Ramy,” on Hulu. “This means a lot,” he said.
Best Actor in Limited Series or Movie Made for Television went to Russell Crowe for “The Loudest Voice.” “Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-change based,” he said via a message, calling for reforms.
Tom Hanks got emotional in accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
“I can’t tell you how much your love means to me,” Hanks said to his family in accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
“You’re a dope if you don’t steal from everybody you’ve ever worked with,” he said and mentioned the “one-name” movie stars: Meryl, Denzel, Antonio, Meg, Julia and Sally Field. I have also been made better by watching the examples of some of the greatest actors who ever walked the stage…Showing up on time is one of the greatest liberating things you can do for yourself.”
