Great Speech, Annette!

Amid so many crude remarks and rambling acceptance speeches at last night’s Golden Globes awards program, Annette Bening added a touch of class. During her remarks upon receiving recognition as Best Actress in a Comedy for The Kids Are All Right, Annette was poised, articulate and amusing. Congratulations, Annette, for your professionalism as well as for your well-deserved award.

Most of the awards were predictable this year, especially in the movie categories, but I was surprised about Paul Giamatti winning Best Actor in a Comedy for Barney’s Version. He won over Johnny Depp, who must have split the vote with ….. Johnny Depp. Depp was nominated in this category for both Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist. (Was the latter a comedy? Hmm.)

This year’s Golden Globes appeared like a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Oscars. Best film? The Social Network. Best actor in a drama? Colin Firth in The King’s Speech. Best actress in a drama? Natalie Portman in The Black Swan. Best supporting actor? Christian Bale in The Fighter. Best supporting actress? Melissa Leo in The Fighter. We’ll probably hear most of these same names called out during the Academy Awards presentation in February.

And speaking of dress rehearsal, my fashion awards for the evening go to Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta Jones, who both looked stunning in their gorgeous green gowns.

Big Night for Kate and Slumdog

I always watch the televised Golden Globes Awards show from beginning to end – and last night was no exception. As usual, the evening included some surprises. Kate Winslet’s win in two categories was not expected, especially considering the strong competition for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Kate seemed surprised also – and her acceptance speeches reflected that. She even said, “I’m sorry!” when arriving on stage for her second award. Surprised or not, I’m sure Kate’s brilliant work in Revolutionary Road and The Reader deserve recognition.

And talking about surprises, who thought Slumdog Millionaire would take away four Golden Globes and win Best Picture over Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon? But I’m very happy it did. Slumdog is a unique film with all the best dramatic elements movies can offer, including romance, adventure, suspense, and triumph of an underdog.

The posthumous award given to Heath Ledger for his amazing portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight was a sure thing as soon as the nominations came out – as was the WALL-E win for Best Animated Film. If you’re a gambler, don’t bet against Ledger or WALL-E in the upcoming Oscar race.

Colin Farrell, who won for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (In Bruges), delivered the most thoughtful and articulate acceptance speech while Sally Hawkins gave the worst speech I’ve ever heard in accepting her award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Happy-Go-Lucky).

Glamour definitely filled the air last night at the Golden Globes. Most of the stars looked great, and my favorite, Johnny Depp (be still my heart), actually showed up to present one of the awards.

Next up? The 2009 Academy Awards! As a confirmed movie addict, I can hardly wait.