Cowboys, crooners grab awards

LOS ANGELES – The thwarted romance of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ seduced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awarded the movie four trophies on Monday at the 63rd annual Golden Globe Awards, including best motion picture drama and best director.

But while ‘Brokeback’ was the undisputed leader, it didn’t dominate the proceedings. On the musical side of the ledger, the Johnny Cash saga ‘Walk The Line’ was nearly as buoyant, picking up three awards, including best motion picture – musical or comedy.As for the television contests, ABC cleaned up with drama and comedy series wins for ‘Lost’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’, respectively, in addition to acting nods for ‘Commander in Chief’ star Geena Davis and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s’ Sandra Oh.Accepting the directing award from last year’s winner, Clint Eastwood, Ang Lee recognised that the moment had a symbolic value.As an actor and director, Eastwood may have once embodied the macho aspect of Westerns; now, Hollywood was honouring a Western revolving around two gay cowboys.Taiwan native Lee – who took home the same award for his martial arts epic ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ said: “This has been an amazing year for American cinema.I just want to give my first thanks to my fellow filmmakers for strengthening my faith in movies, in the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking.”Felicity Huffman was named best dramatic actress for embodying a man in the process of becoming a woman in ‘Transamerica’ and Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor for playing Truman Capote in ‘Capote’.Cheered on by her ‘Desperate Housewives’ castmates, Huffman thanked ‘Transamerica’s’ writer-director, Duncan Tucker, for creating the character of Bree, a transgendered person connecting with her past.”Duncan Tucker wrote a film about coming home to your family and your community and ultimately to yourself,” she said.’Walk The Line’, though it offers as many dramatic moments as tuneful ones in telling the tale of Cash and June Carter, took the prize for best motion picture – musical or comedy.Jamie Foxx, honoured last year as best actor in a musical for ‘Ray’, passed the musical baton to Reese Witherspoon for her turn as Carter.”My husband just hit me so hard I almost fell over,” Witherspoon said as she took the stage after getting an enthusiastic send-off from spouse Ryan Phillippe.About two hours later, ‘Walk’s’ Joaquin Phoenix was called to the stage by John Travolta to accept the trophy for best actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for his portrayal of Cash.”Who ever thought I’d win in the comedy or musical category?” asked Phoenix, who turned in a brooding, hard-driving performance.Earlier, George Clooney kicked off the awards parade when Natalie Portman opened the envelope to reveal that he was chosen best supporting actor in a motion picture for his role as a CIA operative in ‘Syriana’.Clooney also was an executive producer on the political thriller that takes a critical look at the oil industry.Another political thriller, ‘The Constant Gardener’, earned best supporting actress honours for Rachel Weisz, who plays an activist who meets a violent end in Africa.John Williams, who picked up the best motion picture score award for ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, thanked musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman as well as the film’s director, Rob Marshall.Hany Abu-Assad’s ‘Paradise Now’, which revolves around two Palestinians recruited to become suicide bombers, was named best foreign film.Anthony Hopkins was honoured with the HFPA’s Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.- Nampa-ReutersOn the musical side of the ledger, the Johnny Cash saga ‘Walk The Line’ was nearly as buoyant, picking up three awards, including best motion picture – musical or comedy.As for the television contests, ABC cleaned up with drama and comedy series wins for ‘Lost’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’, respectively, in addition to acting nods for ‘Commander in Chief’ star Geena Davis and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s’ Sandra Oh.Accepting the directing award from last year’s winner, Clint Eastwood, Ang Lee recognised that the moment had a symbolic value.As an actor and director, Eastwood may have once embodied the macho aspect of Westerns; now, Hollywood was honouring a Western revolving around two gay cowboys.Taiwan native Lee – who took home the same award for his martial arts epic ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ said: “This has been an amazing year for American cinema.I just want to give my first thanks to my fellow filmmakers for strengthening my faith in movies, in the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking.”Felicity Huffman was named best dramatic actress for embodying a man in the process of becoming a woman in ‘Transamerica’ and Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor for playing Truman Capote in ‘Capote’.Cheered on by her ‘Desperate Housewives’ castmates, Huffman thanked ‘Transamerica’s’ writer-director, Duncan Tucker, for creating the character of Bree, a transgendered person connecting with her past.”Duncan Tucker wrote a film about coming home to your family and your community and ultimately to yourself,” she said.’Walk The Line’, though it offers as many dramatic moments as tuneful ones in telling the tale of Cash and June Carter, took the prize for best motion picture – musical or comedy.Jamie Foxx, honoured last year as best actor in a musical for ‘Ray’, passed the musical baton to Reese Witherspoon for her turn as Carter.”My husband just hit me so hard I almost fell over,” Witherspoon said as she took the stage after getting an enthusiastic send-off from spouse Ryan Phillippe.About two hours later, ‘Walk’s’ Joaquin Phoenix was called to the stage by John Travolta to accept the trophy for best actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for his portrayal of Cash.”Who ever thought I’d win in the comedy or musical category?” asked Phoenix, who turned in a brooding, hard-driving performance.Earlier, George Clooney kicked off the awards parade when Natalie Portman opened the envelope to reveal that he was chosen best supporting actor in a motion picture for his role as a CIA operative in ‘Syriana’.Clooney also was an executive producer on the political thriller that takes a critical look at the oil industry.Another political thriller, ‘The Constant Gardener’, earned best supporting actress honours for Rachel Weisz, who plays an activist who meets a violent end in Africa.John Williams, who picked up the best motion picture score award for ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, thanked musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman as well as the film’s director, Rob Marshall.Hany Abu-Assad’s ‘Paradise Now’, which revolves around two Palestinians recruited to become suicide bombers, was named best foreign film.Anthony Hopkins was honoured with the HFPA’s Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.- Nampa-Reuters