The big winner was James Cameron’s “Avatar”, which came away with awards for best dramatic picture and best director. As usual, the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards — decided by the fewer than 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — spread the love around, with no one television series or film dominating. “The Hangover” won best motion picture comedy or musical, while Sandra Bullock, receiving a boost heading into Oscar nominations, won for her acting in the sports drama “The Blind Side.” “Glee,” about a lovable group of teenage losers, won best TV comedy.
Several high-profile Oscar pictures were shut out or virtually ignored, including “Up in the Air”, which led the nominations with six heading into the night. It won only for screenwriting. Another awards darling, “The Hurt Locker,” walked away empty handed, as did the musical “Nine”.
Meryl Streep, competing against herself in the category of best comedy or musical, won for playing an indomitable Julia Child in “Julie & Julia”. Accepting the award, Streep, whose other nomination was for “It’s Complicated”, first joked that she wanted to change her name to T-Bone, referencing T-Bone Burnett, who had just won for best original song for “Crazy Heart”.
But then she struck a humble tone, saying she has “played so many extraordinary women that I’m getting mistaken for one.” She said she was conflicted about putting on her “happy movie self” in the face of darker events unfolding in the world.
Jeff Bridges took the award for best actor in a drama for his role as a washed-up country singer in “Crazy Heart,” while Robert Downey Jr won best actor in a comedy for “Sherlock Holmes”.
The ceremony kicked off with Mo’Nique collecting the trophy for best supporting actress in a drama for her monster of a mother in the tough urban drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”
A scattered, breathless Drew Barrymore won best actress in a television movie for “Grey Gardens,” while Juliana Margulies won best actress in a television drama for “The Good Wife.”
Best animated feature film went to Pixar’s “Up”, which also won for its score.