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So, once again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) managed to entice a whole bunch of pretty famous folk into one venue with the promise of rewarding their (or their loved ones') efforts with little statuettes. What was notable, this year, was the number of times a winner commented on how the statuette itself was an unique work of art in their hands.
As far as winners go, there were few surprises, and everyone (barring Steven Spielberg) got something for their efforts. Kim Basinger's win as Best Supporting Actress brought upon a wonderful performance by her, Ving Rhames' win brought upon a wonderful performance by Jack Lemmon, and Christine Lahti's win allowed Robin Williams a couple of moments to shine. Burt Reynolds' speech was part scolding, part embarrassment (bet you he doesn't win another one). Madonna's bizarre little joke about Kevin Kline obviously did not go down well with him (witness his royally pissed expression), while Alfre Woodard's acceptance speech was probably the best I've heard so far. Angelina Jolie thanked everyone but Jonny Lee Miller, Gwyneth was spied with Ben, Minnie was noticeably left out of Matt's "thank you" speech (although Ben graciously included her in his, albeit after a slight pause), and Helen not only reminded us that Hank is her "best friend in the world", but that Paul means a lot to her as well. And what was James doing with Linda again? And who paired the "note the height difference" odd-couple Alan Rickman and Jada Smith? And why was she so eager to adopt Will's name? And isn't it creepy how much Clementine resembles her mother Cybill?
Why did "Titanic" win the Best Picture award? The overblown epic-wannabe reminds one of the awful "Forrest Gump", and James Cameron's directorial nod only serves as fuel to further drive his delusions of grandeur. "Amistad" was completely locked out, whilst "As Good As It Gets" evidently won the HFPA's hearts. Finally, Anthony Edwards won for his role in "ER" (note that he kissed practically everyone at the table), and finally, too, the over-rated and self-hyping "NYPD Blue" did not win anything. Neither did "Seinfeld". It was very unfortunate that Michael Nyman's score for "Gattaca" wasn't rewarded, although Jerry Goldsmith's work on "Titanic" was probably the only award the film won that it deserved.
I predict that there will be major differences between this year's Golden Globe and Oscar results. It would be nice if the Academy would remember "Oscar and Lucinda" for one thing. And forget about "Titanic" (I wish). Maybe I'd just be really satisfied if "Ma Vie En Rose" repeats its win for Best Foreign Film.