The Show Mustn't Go On
Source: JASON ANDERSON, Film Critic for Eye Weekly and The Globe & Mail
Posted: 01/08/08 3:42PM
The months and weeks leading up to the year's first big awards show are always full of dramatic developments, surprising plot twists and more than a little rumour-mongering. But nothing could've prepared the industry for the chaos wrought by the writers' strike on the Golden Globes.
The fact that Writers Guild of America members would not be providing witty remarks for presenters was bad enough news, but it got even worse when stars refused to attend if it meant crossing picket lines. After all, their union, the Screen Actors Guild, is pondering its own options once the current deal with the studios ends in June.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that organizes the Golden Globes, struggled to save the Jan. 13 show, fearing that a postponement would put it too close to the Academy Awards on Feb. 24. (What impact the strike will have on the Oscars is a whole other matter.) They decided that the winners would be announced in a televised press conference at the Beverly Hilton, a scenario that means no fancy dinner, no red carpet and no stars.
It's a very weird turn for a show that principally serves as an evening of shameless self-promotion. Indeed, the Golden Globes is widely perceived as having far less legitimacy than the Oscars due to the slimmer body of voters, but it's unfortunate how the strike-related chaos has overshadowed an unusually diverse set of competitors in the slate of film- and TV-related categories.
Seeing as it occurs only a month before the Oscars, the Golden Globes will once again be closely studied for what the results forecast about Hollywood's biggest night. What's more, these voters' decisions - like last year's win by 'Borat's' Sacha Baron Cohen for best actor in a musical or comedy - often turn out to be more provocative than those of the Academy. So while there may not be a show, there will be surprises.
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