With a red carpet dyed black by actresses dressed in a color-coordinated statement against sexual harassment and gender inequality, the Golden Globes confronted the post-Harvey Weinstein era with a ceremony at turns protest rally and party, atonement and celebration.
“Good evening ladies and remaining gentlemen,” opened host Seth Meyers at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
SOME OF THE WINNERS
A partial list of Golden Globe Award winners:
MOTION PICTURE
Actor, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: James Franco, “The Disaster Artist.”
Supporting Actor, Motion Picture: Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
Original Score – Motion Picture: Alexandre Desplat, “The Shape of Water.”
Original Song – Motion Picture: “This is Me,” from “The Greatest Showman,” music by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, lyrics by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul.
TELEVISION
Series, Drama: “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Actor, Drama: Sterling K. Brown, “This is Us.”
Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Actress, TV Series, Musical or Comedy: Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie: Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies.”
Supporting Actor, Series/Limited Series/TV Movie: Alexander Skarsgard, “Big Little Lies.”
Meyers, in his first time hosting the Globes, dove straight into material about the sex scandals that have roiled the industry and the “elephant not in the room,” Harvey Weinstein. In punchlines on Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Hollywood’s deeper gender biases, Meyers scored laughs and maybe a sense of release.
“For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud,” said Meyers.
The first award of the night, perhaps fittingly, went to one of Hollywood’s most powerful women: Nicole Kidman, for her performance in HBO’s “The Big Little Lies,” a series she and Reese Witherspoon also produced. She chalked the win up to “the power of women.”
“Let’s keep the conversation alive,” Kidman said. Later, Kidman’s co-star on the show, Laura Dern, took home the best supporting actress TV award.
Other early awards continued the theme of female empowerment. Rachel Brosnahan, star of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” won best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy.
Elisabeth Moss, accepting an award for her performance in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” movingly dedicated her award to Margaret Atwood, whose book the show is based on, and the women who came before her and after her. “The Handmaid’s Tale” later added the award for best TV series, drama.
“We no longer live in the blank white spaces at the edge of print,” said Moss, referencing Atwood’s prose. “We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the stories in print and we are writing the stories ourselves.”
Best actor in a comedy or musical went to James Franco for his performance as the infamous “The Room” filmmaker Tommy Wiseau. Franco dragged his co-star and brother, Dave, to the stage and called up Wiseau. When the Wiseau, wearing his trademark sunglasses, got to the stage, he moved for the microphone before Franco turned him back. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said Franco as the audience chuckled.
Many female stars arrived with activist guests – Michelle Williams with “Me Too” founder Tarana Burke, Meryl Streep and domestic workers advocate Ai-jen Poo, Laura Dern and farmworker advocate Monica Ramirez – as part of the larger effort to keep the Globes spotlight trained on the sexual harassment and assault scandals.
Oprah Winfrey accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes by saying she hopes as the first black women to accept the honor, she hopes it has an impact on young girls watching Sunday’s ceremony.
Winfrey also addressed the sexual misconduct scandal roiling Hollywood and beyond, telling those watching “speaking your truth is the most powerful tool you all have.”
Sunday night’s black-clad protest was promoted by the recently formed Time’s Up: an initiative of hundreds of women in the entertainment industry who have banded together to advocate for gender parity in executive ranks and legal defense aid for sexual harassment victims.
“It’s not a fashion statement. It’s a solidarity statement,” said “The Crown” actress Claire Foy.
Just about everyone, woman and man, celebrity and red-carpet reporters, was dressed in black Sunday, many of them wearing a Time’s Up pin.
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