MADness—the Blog

The Hurt Locker won six BAFTA Awards last night in London.  The acting honors, no surprise (and with no argument), went to two Brits.  Here is a rundown of the major prizes:

Best Film — The Hurt Locker
Best Director — Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Outstanding British Film — Fish Tank, Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer — Duncan Jones (Director), Moon
Best Leading Actor — Colin Firth, A Single Man
Best Leading Actress — Carey Mulligan, An Education
Best Supporting Actor — Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress — Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Original Screenplay — The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal
Best Adapted Screenplay — Up in the Air, Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
Best Animated Film — Up, Pete Docter
Best Film Not in English Language — A Prophet, Pascal Caucheteux, Marco Cherqui, Alix Raynaud, Jacques Audiard

Avatar won two awards, for production design and visual effects.

Notable line of the night was from Colin Firth:

Firth drew laughs by thanking “the fridge guy” in his acceptance speech, that being the refrigerator repairman who knocked on his door just as he was about to shoot an e-mail to director Tom Ford declining the role of a bereaved gay professor.

“All I know is, don’t ever press ‘send’ until you have had your fridge repaired,” Firth said.

 A recap of awards handed out earlier in the season is here.

The Golden Globes were tonight.  The big winner was Avatar, picking up Best Film (Drama) and Best Director honors for James Cameron.  Perhaps a surprise, since the film had not won top honors with any of the big critics’ groups this season.  But the Hollywood Foreign Press typically has a soft spot for what’s popular at the box office more than what’s popular with critics, and the Avatar phenomenon is something no one has seen before.  Through this weekend, Avatar has taken in $1.6 billion worldwide, The Hurt Locker $16 million.  Not really a surprise after all.

I was pleased to see Jeff Bridges win for Crazy Heart, a film I haven’t yet seen (but will soon).  He’s been one of the great actors over the past four decades.  He’s been nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes before, though he hasn’t won till tonight.  If this is his year, and even if there’s some “career achievement” voting involved, who will complain?

Martin Scorsese, center, with his bodyguards.

The highlight of the show, from my perspective, was Martin Scorsese accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his ”outstanding contribution to the entertainment field.”  He is our greatest living director, a national treasure.  I hope that in the weeks and months ahead I get to say half as much as he said in his three-and-a-half minute acceptance speech.  (He is hereby the first recipient of the Key to the MAD About Movies website.  Anytime he wants, he’s welcome to drop by, have a drink, and let us in on whatever’s on his mind.)

The round-up of tonight’s awards are below, and in case you’re having trouble (like me) keeping up with all the honors handed out this season, other recent awards are listed also.

The Oscar noms are due in a couple of weeks, and the awards will be presented the first Sunday of March.  Everyone in the running is obliged to say, “Awards don’t really matter,” or “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” but don’t you believe them.  The race is on.

Golden Globes
Best Film (Drama):  Avatar
Best Film (Musical/Comedy):  The Hangover
Best Actor (Drama):  Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actor (Musical/Comedy):  Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Best Actress (Drama):  Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Actress (Musical/Comedy):  Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  James Cameron, Avatar
Best Screenplay:  Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Foreign Language Film:  The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany/Austria)
Best Animated Film:  Up

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Film:  The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:  Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Best Actress:  Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay:  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Best Foreign Language Film:  Summer Hours (L’heure d’été) (France)
Best Animated Film:  Up

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (Critics’ Choice Awards)
Best Film:  The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:  Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress:  Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia; Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay (Original):  Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Best Screenplay (Adapted):  Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Foreign Language Film:  Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos) (Spain)
Best Animated Feature:  Up
[Best Kiss:  Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock]

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Best Film:  The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:  Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Best Actress:  Carey Mulligan, An Education
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay (Original):  Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay (Adapted):  Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Foreign Language Film:  The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany/Austria)
Best Animated Feature:  Up

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Best Film:  The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:  Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress:  Yolande Moreau, Séraphine
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay:  Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Foreign Language Film:  Summer Hours (L’heure d’été) (France)
Best Animation:  Fantastic Mr. Fox

National Board of Review Awards
Best Film:  Up in the Air
Best Actors:  Morgan Freeman, Invictus; George Clooney, Up in the Air
Best Actress:  Carey Mulligan, An Education
Best Supporting Actor:  Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Best Supporting Actress:  Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Best Director:  Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Best Screenplay (Original):  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Best Screenplay (Adapted):  Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Foreign Language Film:  A Prophet (Un prophète) (France)
Best Animated Feature:  Up

National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Film:  The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:  Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Best Actress:  Yolande Moreau, Séraphine
Best Supporting Actors:  Paul Schneider, Bright Star; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay:  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Best Foreign Language Film:  Summer Hours (L’heure d’été) (France)

New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Film:  Up in the Air
Best Actor:  George Clooney, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up in the Air
Best Actress:  Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor:  Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:  Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Director:  Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Screenplay:  Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Tony Roche, In the Loop
Best Foreign Film:  Summer Hours (L’heure d’été) (France)
Best Animated Film:  Fantastic Mr. Fox

The award season continues.  Here’s some of what’s still ahead:

January
21:  BAFTA Nominations
23:  Screen Actor Guild Awards
24:  Producers Guild Awards
30:  Directors Guild Awards

February
02:  Academy Award Nominations
20:  Writers Guild Awards
21:  BAFTA Awards

March
05:  Independent Spirit Awards
07:  Academy Awards