Golden Globes, Who Won, Who Cares

After looking at the list of winners of the Golden Globe Awards this year, I can only think it’s a good thing it wasn’t the big tadoo it usually is, as all I can think right now is, “Who cares?”

As an entertainment reviewer, I see one or two movies a week at the theatre, yet the only movie I saw that is mentioned in any of these awards is Ratatouille, an animated film. It won for … Best Animated Feature Film, but with the only competition being Bee Movie and The Simpsons Movie, the movie about a rat that cooks won easily. I didn’t see any Foreign Language Films this year, but the one that won was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This film also picked up a Best Director honor. I’m not sure how that works, how a movie could be considered for the Foreign Language category and the regular categories?

I didn’t see No Country for Old Men, but heard it was good, as evidenced by the fact that it won two awards, Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem and Best Screenplay. Also surprisingly winning two awards, Sweeney Todd, Best Picture – Musical/Comedy and Best Actor – Musical/Comedy for Johnny Depp. I wanted to see Atonement, but it never came here until weeks after it was originally released. Why they wouldn’t want everyone to have every chance to see a movie is beyond me. It won awards for Best Picture – Drama and Best Original Score. Also winning awards were Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actor – Drama for There Will Be Blood, Julie Christie, Best Actress – Drama for Away From Her, Marion Cortilland, Best Actress – Musical/Comedy for La Vie En Rose, Cate Blanchett, Best Supporting Actress for I’m Not There, and Best Original Song, Guarantee of the film Into the Wild.

How many people out there saw these movies? Sure there were other ones out there that were nominated that we actually saw, but they didn’t win.

And what about the awards for the best in television? All the major awards save for one went to something on cable TV. Best Television Drama went to Mad Men on AMC, and its star Jon Hamm won for Best Actor in a Television Drama. Glenn Close won Best Actress in a Television Drama for Damages, but I had to search three different websites to find out it airs on FX, but not currently. Best Television Musical/Comedy went to Extras airing on HBO, and Best Actor in a Television Musical/Comedy went to David Duchovny of Californication, aired on Showtime, also not currently airing. Our one and only network award is for Best Actress in a Television Music/Comedy, and it went to Tina Fey of 30 Rock. I know that’s on NBC.

There were also a handful of awards handed out to miniseries and made-for-TV movies. Quite frankly, I didn’t even know they were still making miniseries. Something called Longford won Best Miniseries – Television, Best Actor in a Miniseries or made-for-TV Movie, and Best Supporting Actress – Television. Best Actress went to Queen Latifah for Life Support, and Jeremy Piven won for Entourage as Best Actor.

It’s almost as if those deciding the winners figured no one was going to watch the Golden Globe Awards coverage anyway, so they may as well give the awards to who they want, not by who actually won. It’s also interesting comparing the People’s Choice Awards to these. It doesn’t seem they have many of the same recipients. So these awards suddenly don’t seem to mean much at all.