'Rings' Rules at Golden Globes

Jan. 26, 2004 -- Hobbits ruled the Golden Globes on Sunday as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won four trophies including best dramatic film.

Lost in Translation, a story of two lonely Americans whofind friendship in a Tokyo hotel, collected three awards, includingbest comedy film, best comedy actor for Bill Murray and bestscreenplay for Sofia Coppola, who wrote, produced and directed thefilm.

Rings master Peter Jackson was recognized as best director,and the film won two musical awards.

"I never realized that seven years on this movie would end upturning me into a Hobbit," Jackson said, referring to theshortish, big-footed magical characters in the J.R.R. Tolkienstories. "To all of the actors, our magical cast, you just gave somuch to the movies and equally importantly you made it so much funto work on." Theron’s Killer Role Hailed

Among TV nominees, HBO's six-hour adaptation of playwright TonyKushner's Angels in America won five trophies, including bestminiseries or TV movie.

But movies gathered most of the attention as Sean Penn collectedbest movie drama actor for playing an emotionally ravaged fatherseeking revenge for his daughter's murder in Mystic River, andCharlize Theron won the drama actress honor for Monster, thestory of a prostitute serial killer.

Theron thanked writer-director Patty Jenkins for believing shecould play the role: "There's only so much you can do, but ifsomebody doesn't give you a chance there is nothing you can do."

Murray thanked Coppola and went on to dryly mock Hollywood awardspeeches, declaring he had fired all his agents and representativesand had no one else to thank.

He also poked fun at the idea that comedy performers areovershadowed by dramatic stars. "Too often we forget our brotherson the other side of the aisle — the dramatic actors," he said.

"I'd just like to say: Where would our war, our miseries and ourpsychological traumas come from?"

Keaton: ‘I Know I Got Lucky’

Coppola, collecting the best screenplay trophy, thanked herfather — The Godfather director and co-writer Francis FordCoppola, calling him "a great screenwriting teacher."

Diane Keaton as an older woman in love in Something's GottaGive collected a Golden Globe for lead comedy performances."Getting to play a woman to love at 57 is like reaching for thestars with a stepladder. I know I got lucky," said Keaton.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association event is regarded bymany in Hollywood as one of the year's biggest parties, but it'salso a way to generate frontrunner buzz for the Oscars.

The Globes are distributed by a relatively small group, about 90journalists who cover entertainment for foreign-based mediaoutlets.

Tim Robbins and Renee Zellweger collected supporting movieperformer honors.

Robbins' supporting role as a grown child-abuse survivorsuspected of murder in Mystic River earned him the first trophyof the evening. "Wow! We just sat down. The good thing about thiscoming early is that I get to drink now," Robbins joked.

Later in his acceptance speech he shouted to director ClintEastwood: "Clint, you are the man! I have never felt so trustedand in such good hands as when we were on the set for that movie."

Eastwood accepted the drama actor award on behalf of Penn, whodid not attend, and described his Mystic River star as an actorwho has been too often taken for granted.

Zellweger received the supporting movie actress award forplaying a tough-as-bark backwoods woman in Cold Mountain. Shepreviously won two lead comedy actress Golden Globes for NurseBetty in 2001 and last year for Chicago. Angels Delivers for HBO

Besides winning best TV movie or miniseries, Angels inAmerica won four performing awards. Co-star Meryl Streep and AlPacino were picked best TV movie lead performers and supporting TVhonors went to Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker.

Streep, who was previously onstage to present the award toRobbins, accepted her trophy with a blushing remark: "I justrealized you can see completely though my dress."

Among the nominees Wright beat out for supporting TV actor: his Angels in America co-stars Ben Shenkman and Patrick Wilson. "Ishare this with you," he told them from the stage. "But I'll keepit at my house."

Anthony LaPaglia won best drama series actor for the CBS crimeshow Without a Trace, while Frances Conroy claimed the dramaactress award for the HBO funeral-home show Six Feet Under.

Sarah Jessica Parker won best comedy series actress for Sexand the City, which is in its last season on HBO, and Fox'sreal-time thriller 24 won best drama series.

BBC America's The Office, which stars co-creator RickyGervais as an annoying boss at a British paper merchant, defeated Arrested Development, Monk, Sex and the City and Will & Grace for best comedy show. The critically lauded The Office is being developed into an American version.

"I'm not from these parts," said Gervais, who later won bestTV comedy actor. "I'm from a little place called England … Weused to run the world before you."

The honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award went to Michael Douglas,whose actor father, Kirk Douglas, received the honor in 1968. "Myfather couldn't make it here tonight, but if Kirk was here I wouldacknowledge him for his stamina, for his endurance and for hisgreat sense of material," Douglas said.

Douglas, 59, also thanked another acting veteran, his co-star onthe 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco, for teachinghim about the business. "I will be eternally grateful to KarlMalden for showing me what a work ethic is about," Douglas said,while Malden smiled from the audience.

The Globes event came just two days before Tuesday morning'sannouncement of the Oscar nominations. The Oscar ceremony is setfor Feb. 29, about three weeks earlier than previous years.