Mind and Moulin Head Up Globes
January 21, 2002

Ron Howard’s drama A Beautiful Mind was the main winner at last night’s Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, taking home a total of four awards for its cast and director including Best Film – Drama and Best Actor – Drama for Russell Crowe. Crowe’s co-star Jennifer Connelly picked up the Best Supporting Actress award.

Often a taciturn winner, Crowe pulled out the stops last night with an acceptance speech that verged on the gushing, for him; ‘A Beautiful Mind is just a movie, a piece of entertainment,' he told the assembled stars, 'but hopefully it helps us open our hearts, give us a little more understanding, a little more compassion and the belief that in our lives something extroadinary can happen. Cheers!’.

It was a close-run contest last night with Mind being closely followed by Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge which scored three awards, including Best Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for Nicole Kidman. Kidman was a popular winner last night and in accepting her award, she acknowledged the personal problems she’d faced this year, thanking those who had stood by her: ‘I have some great friends who have taught me, shared their knowledge and their wisdom and stuck by me.’ Leaving Kidman to enjoy success alone, former husband Tom Cruise and his current squeeze Penelope Cruz were both absent last night.

Despite being nominated four times, Gosford Park won only one award, but at least it was a good one with Robert Altman picking up Best Director.

The other main acting awards went to Sissy Spacek, who won Best Actress – Drama for her role in Todd Field's harrowing family drama In The Bedroom and Gene Hackman who picked up Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for The Royal Tenebaums.

Although nominated for 10 awards, the Brits went home with only two from last night’s ceremony. Jim Broadbent, who picked up Best Supporting Actor for his role in Iris, thanked his cast members in his acceptance speech, singling out Dame Judi Dench who he said made things so easy for him. Britain’s other winner was Sting whose song for the Meg Ryan romantic comedy Kate & Leopold won Best Original Song.

Kate Winslet, who had been picked for Best Supporting Actress, predicted her failure when she arrived at last night’s awards, telling British journalists how nervous she was; ‘This is the third time I’ve been nominated, but I’m probably not going to win it again!’

Although security was extremely tight at last night’s awards, the glitz and glamour were in stark contrast to earlier dress-down ceremonies – stars were told to go all out in the dress stakes and they happily obliged.

Source: Empire Online