'Sideways' Spin for Golden Globes
Jan. 13, 2005 — -- Even on a drunken road trip, it'd be hard to imagine that a small-budget buddy comedy would ever be drenched in Hollywood's highest honors, and yet "Sideways" is poised to be an awards show powerhouse.
Hollywood's annual season of self-congratulation kicks into high gear on Sunday as the red carpet rolls out for the 62nd Golden Globe Awards. Momentum for "Sideways" continued to build this week, as the Alexander Payne movie picked up four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Even cast members say they're surprised by all the acclaim.
"All of us are just blown away that this is happening because no one was thinking about that while we were shooting. This was just, like, a smaller film," said Virginia Madsen, who plays a waitress romanced by Paul Giamatti.
As a junior high school teacher in the aftermath of an ego-crushing divorce, Giamatti takes his soon-to-be-married college buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a weeklong drive up to California's wine country.
The $12 million film, based on a Rex Pickett novel, earned a leading seven Golden Globe nominations, one more than "The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's $100 million film about billionaire Howard Hughes.
"It almost seemed like it was just for us when we were making it," said Madsen. "We were just on this pink cloud, just all of us making this little, little movie and, uh, here we are like, 'Wow!' "
There will be several newcomers at this year's Golden Globes. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" leads all TV shows with five nominations, and if you thought the women of Wisteria Lane got competitive on their show, three of the stars -- Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman -- are nominees for best actress in the TV musical or comedy category.
But that's not the only way the stars of "Desperate Housewives" will be competing. Their show will air Sunday at its regularly scheduled time while the awards will be presented on NBC, in a telecast that begins at 8 p.m.
To top it off, the stars of "Desperate Housewives" will also be presenters on the NBC telecast, making it very likely that these ladies will be on the evenings' two most watched TV shows -- at the exact same time.
The Globes will once again feature a parade of stars, including Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Usher, Prince, Naomi Watts and Renée Zellweger, who will share in the hosting and presenting duties.
Each year, the 94-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association honors the best in TV and film. Unlike the Oscars, in this ceremony, there are separate awards in the categories of drama and comedy/musical.
The Golden Globes have been criticized over the years, mostly because their body of voters is so small. In comparison, more than 4,500 film industry professionals cast Oscar ballots. Still, even as the number of awards shows has exploded, the Golden Globes continue to score high TV ratings, last year second only to the Oscars ceremony.
At this year's show, you'll get to watch legendary cut-up Robin Williams, a six-time Globe winner, as he accepts the Cecil B. DeMille Award, 26 years after the HFPA first honored him for "Mork and Mindy."
You'll also see Clint Eastwood's darling daughter Kathryn, 16, assist with the presentation of awards as Miss Golden Globe 2005, raising the expectation that she'll be up on the podium if her dad, himself a former DeMille winner, wins for "Million Dollar Baby," which is nominated in five categories, including best director.
Here's how some of the most watched categories shape up:
Best Picture, Drama
The Nominees: "The Aviator," "Closer," "Finding Neverland," "Hotel Rwanda," "Kinsey," "Million Dollar Baby"
Conventional Wisdom: Last year, everyone knew "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" would win. This year, it's too close to call. "Finding Neverland" and "Hotel Rwanda" have international appeal, and that might sway the foreign press, but that hasn't exactly been a factor in past years. "Million Dollar Baby" might be the best bet.
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
The Nominees: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Incredibles," "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera," "Ray," "Sideways"
Conventional Wisdom: "Sideways" has the momentum. But "Eternal Sunshine" or "Ray," both highly acclaimed, could surprise. "The Incredibles," perhaps the most entertaining film of 2005, makes a good case for the Globes to add a category for animation, although they hand out too many awards as it is.
Best Actress, Drama
The Nominees: Scarlett Johansson, "A Love Song for Bobby Long"; Nicole Kidman, "Birth"; Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake"; Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"; Uma Thurman, "Kill Bill: Vol. 2"
Conventional Wisdom: They always say actresses win awards when they take ugly parts. Swank bulked up with forearms that Jason Giambi would admire. She might be slugging it out with Staunton, a heavyweight in British theater. Kidman, a three-time winner, has now been nominated seven times, including four years in a row. Does she even have room on her mantelpiece for another Golden Globe?
Best Actor, Drama
The Nominees: Javier Bardem, "The Sea Inside"; Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"; Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland"; Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Aviator"; Liam Neeson, "Kinsey"
Conventional Wisdom: Depp, nominated last year in the comedy/musical category, might score this year for his performance as "Peter Pan" playwright J.M. Barrie. Interestingly, all five actors are nominated for portraying real-life figures.
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
The Nominees: Annette Bening, "Being Julia"; Ashley Judd, "De-Lovely"; Emmy Rossum, "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera"; Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; Renée Zellweger, "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"
Conventional Wisdom: Among these performances, only Rossum's was in a film up for a best picture award, but the 18-year-old might not match up against Annette Bening. Zellweger's second edition of "Bridget Jones" and Judd's "De-Lovely" nosedived at the box office, which doesn't help their case.
Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
The Nominees: Jim Carrey, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; Jamie Foxx, "Ray"; Paul Giamatti, "Sideways"; Kevin Kline, "De-Lovely"; Kevin Spacey, "Beyond the Sea"
