Female-Fronted Projects Prevail at Golden Globes
by EG
The Golden Globe Awards have been paying attention to the recent uprising in Hollywood. The awards show handed out its trophies on Sunday night, and a good number of them went to projects that prominently featured women's work and stories. The exception was the Best Director category, in which no woman was even nominated, but the oversight was called out by Natalie Portman during the presentation of the award.
In an evening during which sober-minded consciousness-raising replaced the traditional loosey-goosey wackiness that has usually characterized the Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — whether by design or mere coincidence — on Sunday celebrated what in a bygone era what might have been called “women’s pictures.”
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the tale of a mother seeking justice for the rape and murder of her daughter, was named best drama, while Lady Bird, the account of a young girl’s senior year in high school as she looks to break out of her surroundings, won the top comedy film honor. The HFPA also endorsed such femme-centric TV programs as Big Little Lies, The Handmaid’s Tale and newcomer The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Fox Searchlight’s Three Billboards dominated the film awards, capturing four trophies, including ones for drama actress Frances McDormand, supporting actor Sam Rockwell and writer-director Martin McDonagh, who took home the screenplay award. “I keep my politics private, but it was really great to be in this room tonight," McDormand said in her acceptance, referencing the general spirit that had overtaken the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, from which the show was broadcast by NBC.
It had begun with host Seth Meyers, acknowledging Hollywood’s heightened concern about gender inequality and sexual harassment as well as the surrounding #MeToo movement, from his very first opening line: “Good evening, ladies and remaining gentlemen.” He went on to joke, “For the male nominees, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out.”
It carried on through Oprah Winfrey’s barn-burner of a speech as she accepted the HFPA’s Cecil B. DeMille Award, in which she said, “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But” — and as she raised her voice, the room erupting in an emotional, standing ovation — “their time is up!”
Barbra Streisand, appearing onstage as the final presenter to announce the best drama winner, echoed that sentiment, saying, “Folks, time’s up! We need more women directors and more women nominated for best director,” and she went on to add, “I’m proud to stand in a room for people who speak out against gender inequality, sexual harassment and the pettiness that has poisoned our politics.”
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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