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Stars get serious: Top moments from the 2015 Golden Globes

[additional-authors]
January 12, 2015

The typically boozy, loosey-goosey ambience of the Golden Globe awards, whose viewers are usually more concerned with red carpet arrivals than seriousness of ceremony, took on a more earnest tone last night in the aftermath of the Paris, France terror attacks that have gripped the western world.

Throughout the night, a more self-conscious crowd frequently shifted attention to world events, perhaps out of Hollywood guilt at getting decked-out in the middle of a disastrous week.

Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler delivered an opening monologue that had the scrim of humor but served more to point a finger at deeper issues plaguing the industry. Riffing on studio executives’ private emails that were exposed during the recent Sony hack, Fey and Poehler welcomed the audience by calling them “a bunch of despicable, spoiled, minimally talented brats” – the same insult a producer lobbed via email at Angelina Jolie.


Bucking the censorship threat posed by the hack, Fey and Poehler demonstrated that Hollywood would not be cowed by inviting a woman dressed up as a North Korean dictator to appear on stage with them. But that didn’t mean they had high praise for the free speech at stake in Sony’s “The Interview,” noting that the attack forced the rest of the industry “to pretend we wanted to see it.”

But it was Bill Cosby who came in for the harshest raking when the women publicly called him out for the sex abuse allegations dozens of women have alleged against him. Writer and actress Lena Dunham seemed to be the only one clapping when that joke elicited boos from the racially diverse audience.

The consummate Hollywood feminists, Fey and Poehler included thinly veiled references to the plague of sexism and ageism in Hollywood, poking fun at the desirability of Hollywood's leading men by openly objectifying them (“Who would you rather, Colin Firth or Colin Farrell?”), and noting the ever-present dearth of roles for aging actresses. “Boyhood proves that there are still great roles for women over 40, as long as you get hired when you’re still under 40,” Fey said, since “Boyhood” took 12 years to complete.

The best loved joke of the evening focused on bachelor-turned-betrothed George Clooney, and his new wife, Amal (Alamuddin) Clooney, a superstar professional in her own right, whose real-world credentials obviously elicit the envy and admiration of even the biggest Hollywood stars.

“Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three person UN commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza strip,” the women announced with barely concealed awe.

“So tonight,” they added, “her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”


The dispensing of awards was diverse and surprising, without one film sweeping the lot. “Boyhood” garnered the most awards, winning best motion picture drama, supporting actress for Patricia Arquette and a directing honor for Richard Linklater. The other Oscar frontrunner “Birdman” took home best screenplay and performance by an actor in a musical or comedy for Michael Keaton.

“Selma,” the Oprah-produced, Ava DuVernay-directed civil rights picture regarded as one of the year’s best, won a nod for best song, which was well worth it, since hip-hop artist Common delivered one of the more touching speeches of the night, with a poetic homage to both historical and recent events.

“I realized I am the hopeful black woman who was denied her right to vote,” he said. “I am the caring white supporter killed on the frontlines of freedom; I am the unarmed black kid who maybe needed a hand but instead was given a bullet; I am the two fallen police officers murdered in the line of duty. Selma has awakened my humanity.”

On the TV side, Maggie Gyllenhaal won best performance by an actress for her astonishing turn as Jewish businesswoman and peacemaker Nessa Stein in “The Honorable Woman.”


Top honors also went to Jill Soloway, creator of “Transparent,” who took home big wins for best television series comedy or musical and best performance by an actor for series star, Jeffrey Tambor. “Transparent” is loosely based on Soloway’s own experience growing up the daughter of a transgender father, whom she referred to on stage as her “mapa.”

“[This is] dedicated to you, my trans-parent, my mapa,” Soloway said. “I just want to thank you for coming out, because in doing so you made a break for freedom, you told your truth, you taught me to tell my truth and make this show, and maybe we’re gonna be able to teach the world something about authenticity and truth and love.”

Love was certainly on Clooney’s mind when he was presented with the Cecille B. DeMille lifetime achievement award and gushed about his new bride and the “alchemy” that brought them together. Then he turned his attention to Paris, capping the narrative of last week’s terror with an optimistic uplift:

“Today was an extraordinary day,” Clooney said, referring to the Paris peace march that saw some 1.5 million French citizens and a number of world leaders take to the streets in solidarity. “Millions of people marched not just in Paris but around the world; there were Christians, Jews, Muslims; there were leaders of countries from all over the world — who didn't march in protest but marched in support of the idea that we will not walk in fear. So, Je Suis Charlie.”

It wasn’t a happy ending, but it was a Hollywood one.

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