BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Kate Winslet, always the bridesmaid, was thrown a lavish party to rival any wedding Sunday night at the Golden Globes, winning for her roles in both "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road."
"You'll have to forgive me. I have a habit of not winning things," said Winslet, referring to the fact that she's never won a Globe or an Oscar. The quip came during her first acceptance speech which might have been the most emotional of the night -- if she hadn't have topped it during the second one.
The only folks inside the Beverly Hilton that might have been more choked up were those associated with "Slumdog Millionaire," the feel-good sleeper that took home four awards, immediately thrusting it into the lead in the all-important Oscar race.
"Slumdog" was the main dish in an international buffet with awards going people from India, Israel, Australia, Ireland and England. If that wasn't enough, the best comedy was "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," the Woody Allen film shot in Spain.
Television also was ecognized, but it always plays second fiddle at the Globes, and this year it was barely in the bandshell. Part of the problem was that it was primarily a repeat of Emmy night with "John Adams," "Mad Men" and "30 Rock" taking top honors. But the bigger problem is that Hollywood, and most likely viewers, wanted stars. Big stars. They got them. Behind-the-scenes heroes like editors and cinematographers may be worthy of honors, but they're not exactly whom you want to gawk at.
You want Mickey Rourke, continuing his comeback story with a win for "The Wrestler" and a rags-to-riches acceptance speech that acknowledged he was almost finished until this movie came along. You want Bruce Springsteen, who won for penning "The Wrestler's" title song. You want a posthumous tribute to Heath Ledger, who, as widely expected, was honored for "The Dark Knight." ("He will be eternally missed, but he will not be forgotten," said "Knight" director Christopher Nolan, who accepted on Ledger's behalf.)
You want pretty boy Colin Farrell who won for "In Bruges," upstaging his less-than-glam co-star Brendon Gleeson. You want Steven Spielberg, the most successful, most known director in town, who spoke eloquently about the power of film in accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award. You want endless shots of a beaming Drew Barrymore, enough to convince you that she was winning the DeMille award.
They got gorgeous starlets and dreamboat leading men as presenters, milling around with each other before commercial breaks, drinking in the job of being celebrities, giving us good ol' Hollywood magic again at a time when the economy is sinking, and an actors' strike is looming. If we ever needed them to live it up, it's now.
