Golden Globe nominations

Amidst a bustling and fervent atmosphere, the clamor of the awards season always stood out as the most captivating, effortlessly seizing the prime spot on headlines and fiercely competing for attention.

This year's awards season was undoubtedly a grand spectacle. Two works in particular, "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech", had risen in popularity, steadily advancing and leaving the rest behind. "The King's Speech" led the charge, receiving acclaim as it triumphed in Venice and Toronto, winning over critics. Following closely, "The Social Network" surged ahead—fresh, unique, sharp, youthful, spirited, and astute. This creation garnered enthusiastic praise from nearly all North American critics, surpassing its predecessor. It now claimed the leading position in the ongoing awards season.

The course of events that would unfold next was indeed highly anticipated.

While all media outlets focused their attention on the blossoming romance between Leonardo and Blake, Natalie Portman's negative news triggered a fresh wave of discussions in North America.

Renowned ballet dancer Sarah Lane publicly voiced her condemnation of Natalie.

During the previous Toronto Film Festival, Natalie had mentioned in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she had indeed used a body double during the filming of "Black Swan". However, she asserted that she had performed approximately 85% of the dance scenes herself, and she elaborated on how she captured the beauty of dance and the rigorous effort she put into executing the dance moves in the film.

This news had stirred up quite a controversy at the time, sparking numerous discussions.

Now, Sarah came forward to declare that Natalie's claims were outrageously hypocritical. She, Sarah, was one of the professional dancers featured in "Black Swan", and only about 5% of the dance sequences in the film were actually performed by Natalie. The rest had been digitally manipulated during post-production, with Natalie's face superimposed onto Sarah's body.

Sarah's frustration was immeasurable, seeing her contributions completely erased.

Originally, "Black Swan" had been a leading contender for the Best Actress award this awards season. The buzz for Natalie's performance had carried over from Venice, and if she could secure the Oscar, she would become the first actress of the Gen Y to win the coveted statuette. This aspect had kept the media engrossed, as it highlighted the rise of Gen Y and indicated the continuity of Hollywood's legacy through their ascendancy to power.

However, the emergence of this negative news had caused an immediate sensation. Everyone was engrossed in lively discussions, casting a shadow over Natalie's awards season prospects.

Faced with such a situation, Benjamin Millepied, the ballet director for the production, swiftly stepped forward to defend Natalie. He dismissed these allegations as baseless smears, asserting that Sarah and her colleagues were only responsible for technical aspects, in no way diminishing Natalie's exceptional performance. He emphasized how this was truly believable and a wondrous thing. Furthermore, he staunchly maintained that Natalie had indeed performed around 85% of the dance scenes, insisting that audiences' discerning eyes would not be deceived.

However, after the conclusion of the Toronto Film Festival, Entertainment Weekly disclosed that Benjamin and Natalie were romantically involved. With this negative news now emerging, the credibility of Benjamin's statements became questionable.

Adding to the complexity, industry rumors continued to circulate, suggesting that Natalie had deliberately concealed her relationship with Benjamin in Toronto. She had even fabricated a romantic involvement with another emerging actor to divert attention. This move seemed to further validate Sarah's claims, compelling people to wonder whether Sarah's words were indeed the truth.

The wildfire of gossip had begun to burn fiercely. The previous Toronto scandal had only garnered marginal attention. It was only after investigations that people realized the reason for its lackluster impact—because the subjects of the gossip had shattered the distorted mirror, confirming that all the rumors were nothing but a farce, a figment of the journalists' imagination.

Things were becoming increasingly intriguing.

However, the news had yet to be substantiated. Currently, only a tabloid called Weekly World News had boldly published the story. Yet, everyone knew that supermarket tabloids were not to be trusted. They had previously proclaimed "scientific evidence" for stories about aliens, Loch Ness monsters, and similar topics.

Compared to magazines like TMZ, supermarket tabloids were renowned for their absurd and bizarre stories, most of which lacked verification. The more bizarre and fantastical the tale, the more it attracted attention. These newspapers often lacked credibility and were placed for free in supermarkets, used by housewives to wrap things or line their shopping baskets, glanced at in moments of boredom.

Reporters and paparazzi were finding themselves overwhelmed. They had yet to gather sufficient evidence to confirm the allegations. Members of the "Black Swan" production and the distributor, Fox Searchlight, all came forward to support Natalie, dismissing Sarah's claims as a mere publicity stunt. They considered her accusations absurd and laughable.

These endorsements propelled the drama to new heights, leaving people eagerly anticipating the further development of the story.

Nevertheless, as of now, Natalie had not yet come forward to directly address the situation. The trajectory of events remained uncertain, rendering the state of the awards season even more intricate.

At this juncture, the Golden Globe Award nominations were announced.

Hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globe Awards were hailed as the most engaging, captivating, and entertaining awards ceremony in Hollywood, encompassing both television and film categories. While it might lack the prestige of the Emmy Awards for television and the Oscars for film, the Golden Globe Awards consistently maintained high levels of attention. It was even more lively than the Grammy Awards and the Emmys.

The reason was simple. Although the Golden Globe Awards were considered one of the four major indicators of the Oscars, the close relationship between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Academy's judges allowed them to accurately predict the trends of the Oscars. However, ultimately, the Golden Globe Awards didn't aim for artistic purity or profound professionalism; entertainment was always its top priority.

Every year, the Golden Globe Awards marked the grandest moment in Hollywood's fame and glamour. The guest list rivaled even the Oscars in its extravagance. Lead actors from commercial blockbusters, main and supporting cast members of popular TV series, and headline-making figures in the popcorn world collectively attended. In terms of sheer attention, the Golden Globe Awards easily rivaled the Oscars.

In Hollywood, where entertainment reigns supreme, the Golden Globe Awards were an essential and unmissable event.

Now in its sixty-eighth year, the Golden Globe Awards had captured the public's gaze. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association unveiled the nominations list with its characteristic emphasis on entertainment.

"The Social Network", "The King's Speech", "Black Swan", "The Fighter", and "Inception" were among the five contenders for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

Apart from the highly anticipated "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech" effortlessly securing nominations, "Black Swan" remained unaffected by negative news and smoothly clinched a spot, undoubtedly a shot in the arm for Fox Searchlight. "Inception", which had wowed countless audiences and achieved remarkable box office success in the summer season, made its appearance among the top five nominees, garnering applause.

In the category of Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the nominations for "The Kids Are All Right", "Red", "Burlesque", "Alice in Wonderland", and "Due Date" carried a touch of playfulness.

Among them, "The Kids Are All Right" had been a strong frontrunner throughout the awards season and maintained a high chance of earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It could be considered a leader, but among the remaining four nominees, both "Alice in Wonderland" and "Red" were crowd-pleasers rather than critically acclaimed. The other two works didn't impress either audience or critics. However, they received Golden Globe nominations due to their powerful lead casts.

This is the nature of the Golden Globe Awards—independent films struggle to gain traction, while commercially appealing works can simply ride on the notoriety of their lead actors.

Some criticized this approach, but no one could deny the undeniable attention it brought to the Golden Globe Awards.

Outside of the Best Picture category, the actor categories undoubtedly stole the limelight, with the focus continuously shifting.

For instance, in the Best Actor – Musical or Comedy category this year, Johnny Depp earned two nominations for "Alice in Wonderland" and "Due Date". Many speculated whether Johnny was set to replicate the unprecedented feat of his "Pirates of the Caribbean" days and secure an Oscar nomination again.

Similarly, the dual female leads of "The Kids Are All Right", Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, entered the fray for the Best Actress – Musical or Comedy category. This added to the acclaim the film had already received, hinting that an Oscar bid might not be far-fetched.

However, the most significant topic within the actor categories was undoubtedly the rise of Gen Y actors! This year marked a strong emergence for this generation of actors.

Natalie Portman overcame the troubles of negative news and, alongside Michelle Williams, garnered nominations for Best Actress in a Drama. Not to be overlooked, the young Jennifer Lawrence, propelled by "Winter's Bone", had progressed from Sundance to the end-of-year awards season, shining brightly.

Anne Hathaway and Emma Stone, two young talents, also secured nominations for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy, joining forces with the aforementioned three actors of the same generation to dominate the Best Actress nominations.

On the male side, Jack Gyllenhaal received a nomination in the Best Actor – Musical or Comedy category for "Love & Other Drugs". After "Brokeback Mountain", he returned to the spotlight after a five-year hiatus.

The Best Actor – Drama category highlighted the dominance of Gen Y, as four out of five nominees were young actors. Alongside them was Colin Firth, nominated for "The King's Speech". This was undoubtedly an unprecedented feat!

These four young actors were Jesse Eisenberg from "The Social Network", Ryan Gosling from "Blue Valentine", James Franco from "127 Hours", and... Renly Hall from "Buried".