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Awards Season Is Here

The Awards Season kicked off Sunday night with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Golden Globe Awards, and culminates Sunday, February 22 in the 81st Academy Awards Ceremony. It’s time to celebrate the silver screen’s crème de la crème of 2008.

After last year’s writer’s strike (remember that hullaballoo?) led to a muted, scaled down awards show, this year’s 66th edition of the Golden Globes celebrated the best films of 2008 in grand style (aside from Brad Pitt / Angelina Jolie snubbing American Idol host Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet–yawn–and Steven Speilberg’s endless comments after receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award–yawn some more).

Kick start the Oscar buzz ladies and gents, because this year’s Globes may be the biggest predictor of what will happen on Oscars night. We’ll be watching the Oscars and talking about them live right here on Spectrum, so be sure to tune in!

If you missed the HFPA’s choices last night, here are a few highlights:

Kate Winslet beat out some big name Actresses when she took one of two honors for best actress in a leading role for Revolutionary Road (I’m going to have to add that to my list of movies to watch). Winslet was up against Meryl Streep for her role in Doubt, Angelina Jolie in Changeling, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married and Kristin Scott Thomas in I’ve Loved You So Long. Winslet also won best supporting role for The Reader. We’re already dubbing this year 2000Kate. Sorry. That was a horrendous pun. I should remove it.

Micky Rourke took best actor in a leading role for The Wrestler. Is it a prediction of things to come? Will the Academy instead chose Sean Penn for Milk, Brad Pitt for Revolutionary Road, or Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road?

The biggest non-surprise was Heath Ledger’s posthumous Golden Globe award for his supporting role in The Dark Knight. His portrayal of the Joker will likely earn him an Oscar as well.

WALL-E took the award for best animated film. By a mile. Kung Fu Panda was fun, but it was not the enduring work of art that was WALL-E. If WALL-E doesn’t win an Oscar, some secret conclave of evildoers will have maliciously intervened!

Danny Boyle received the prize for best film of 2008 with Slumdog Millionaire, an outstanding film in a competitive field. It topped Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The win at the Golden Globes has people making Oscar predictions, but I’m not so sure. Can a film with no American actors, let alone A-list celebrities take Hollywood this year? We will see.

Another noteworthy was Bruce Springsteen’s award for his original song, “The Wrestler” from the movie by the same name. Springsteen’s timeless song beautifully captures the soul of Mickey Rourke’s performance in the movie. Springsteen quipped in accepting the award that this will be the only time he will ever compete with Clint Eastwood (Eastwood composed the song “Gran Torino”). Springsteen also bettered Peter Gabriel, Beyoncé Knowles and Miley Cyrus. Wha…? Miley Cyrus?

You can see more of the nominations and winners from the 2008 Golden Globe Awards at the HFPA web site.

I leave you with Springsteen’s lyrics and music and a reminder to come back again for the Oscars!

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