[Spoilers] Golden Globes Do The 'Hustle,' Think 'Bad' Is Good
BEVERLY HILLS (CNS) — Director David O. Russell's 1970s-era caper "American Hustle" collected three Golden Globe Awards Sunday, including best comedy/musical motion picture.
In television, Bryan Cranston won for his role as teacher-turned-meth-dealer in "Breaking Bad" and the show also won best TV drama for its final season.
True-life dramas, with the emphasis on emotional drama, were also big winners -- "12 Years a Slave" (the story of a freed black man who is turned into a slave) won best movie drama, Matthew McConaughey was named best actor in a drama for his role as an AIDS patient who smuggles drugs from Mexico to Texas in "Dallas Buyers Club." Michael Douglas won best actor in a TV movie or miniseries for playing Liberace in "Behind the Candelabra."
"12 Years a Slave" was snubbed for acting and directing honors, but it still earned the top prize of the night, leaving director Steve McQueen somewhat speechless on stage at the Beverly Hilton as he accepted the statuette.
McQueen fumbled for the names of people to thank, and members of the film's cast shouted them out for recognition. But McQueen, who remembered to thank his wife for discovering the book on which the film is based, also managed to praise one of his big-name producers.
"Brad Pitt, without you this movie would have never gotten made," he said. "Thank you, sir, wherever you are."
Cate Blanchett won the Globe for best actress in a drama portraying a fallen Manhattan socialite in director Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."
In addition to its prize for best motion picture comedy/musical, "American Hustle" won Globes for best actress for Amy Adams and best supporting actress for Jennifer Lawrence.
Leonardo DiCaprio was named best actor in a comedy/musical for "The Wolf of Wall Street," with even DiCaprio questioning how the film could be considered a comedy or musical.
But DiCaprio, who won a Globe in 2005 for best dramatic actor for another Martin Scorsese film, "The Aviator," spent much of his acceptance speech heaping praise on the director, which whom he has frequently collaborated.
He thanked Scorsese "for allowing me to stalk you into making this movie."
"You put the very fabric of our culture up on screen," he said, hailing the director's career and adding that he will "be regarded as one of the great artists of our time."
The three-hour 71st annual Golden Globe Awards, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, set up an anticipated Oscar showdown between "12 Years a Slave" and "American Hustle." Oscar nominations will be announced Thursday morning.
Complete List Of Golden Globe Nominees/Winners
"One of the wonderful benefits of the motion picture business is that we get to make films about people," said "American Hustle" producer Charles Roven. "My producing partners and I ... we had the privilege of telling this particular story about the art of survival, about resilience and about reinvention."
Accepting her award for best actress in a comedy/musical, Adams gave credit to writer/director David O. Russell.
"David, you write such amazing roles for women," she said. "Thank you so much for letting the world know a princess can punch and wear a low-cut (dress)."
Jennifer Lawrence's win for supporting actress in the film marked her second Globe in two years stemming from a Russell film. She won best comedy/musical actress last year for "Silver Linings Playbook."
Blanchett took home her second Globe for best dramatic actress, having won in 1999 for "Elizabeth." She hailed writer/director Woody Allen, who was also honored in absentia with the HFPA's Cecil B. DeMille Award, for crafting the powerful story. She said he "writes these things and directs these things with such regularity we take it for granted."
McConaughey's win was his first Golden Globe, a prize he called "unexpected, but graciously accepted." He also expressed thanks that other performers had passed on the role -- for which he dropped about 40 pounds -- "or it wouldn't have come to me."
Jared Leto won the Globe for best supporting actor for his work as a transgendered woman opposite McConaughey in "Dallas Buyers Club."
"This is incredible," he said. "I didn't make a film for almost six years. I was pursuing other dreams and I just have to say it's more than an honor to come back and have this love and support. I never expected it. I never even dreamed of it."
The Italian film "The Great Beauty" won the Globe for best foreign-language film, while "Frozen" was named best animated film.
Alfonso Cuaron was named best director for helming the outer-space drama "Gravity."
"This is for the hundreds of people that made this film possible," he said, jokingly thanking his cast and crew for being able to follow directions despite his thick accent. He particularly thanked star Sandra Bullock for not quitting the movie after thinking Cuaron had told her he was giving her "herpes" when he was really giving her an "earpiece."
Spike Jonze won the Globe for best screenplay for his offbeat film, "Her."
Composer Alex Ebert won for best score for "All is Lost," while U2 won for best original song for "Ordinary Love" from the film "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."
"Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan said the best thing about winning the award for best drama was that it gave him and the show's crew a chance to thank all of its fans.
"Thank you for helping us get to here," he said while accepting the prize at the Beverly Hilton.
For Cranston, the Globe was his first, despite being nominated the past three years.
"This is such a wonderful honor and such a lovely way to say goodbye to the show that meant so much to me," he said.
He also joked: "I was always so grateful the show resonated with American audiences, but now ... everyone around the world will be able to share in `Breaking Bad's' mirth and merriment."
Robin Wright was named best actress in a drama series for her work opposite Kevin Spacey in Netflix's "House of Cards." She thanked series creator/producer David Fincher "for convincing me to do this."
In a surprise twist to the ceremony, the freshman Fox comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" bested heavily favored shows such as "Modern Family" and "The Big Bang Theory" to win best television comedy. Its star, Andy Samberg, was named best comedy actor.
Amy Poehler, who co-hosted the Golden Globes ceremony with pal Tina Fey, was named best actress in a comedy series for "Parks & Recreation." It was her first career Golden Globe.
"I never win, so I can't believe I won," she said. "Thank you so much for including me, Hollywood Foreign Press."
She praised her colleagues on the show as "the best cast in comedy and drama as far as I'm concerned."
Poehler and Fey won kudos again for their hosting work and sharp remarks. About "Gravity" Fey joked, "It's the story of how George Clooney would rather float away in space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age."
The ceremony was peppered with bizarre moments and off-the-cuff remarks -- likely fueled by the free-flowing alcohol -- that kept network censors on their toes.
Jacqueline Bisset gave the ceremony one of its strangest moments while collecting the award for best supporting actress in a series, miniseries or TV movie for "Dancing on the Edge." Bisset, 69, appeared disoriented after making a lengthy walk to the stage. She let out a series of profanities when she began talking, at least one of which made it onto broadcast television.
After gathering herself and delivering some disjointed remarks, she wrapped up her comments saying, "I love my friends, I love my family and you're so kind."
HBO's "Behind the Candelabra" continued to collect awards, earning the Globe for best made-for television movie or miniseries, and a best actor award for Emmy-winner Michael Douglas for his portrayal of Liberace.
Elisabeth Moss won the award for best actress in a TV movie or miniseries for "Top of the Lake."
Jon Voight was named best supporting actor for his work in "Ray Donovan."
"I'm truly humbled to be among my talented peers," Voight said.
"Working with the cast of `Ray Donovan' is an endless joy and I'm very grateful for that."
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)