Hollywood So Shiny
This post will almost be not about cancer at all, just like the Golden Globes awards show almost wasn't.
I was so happy this week when I stumbled out of an I-just-went-through-chemo-oh-my-god stupor to actually turn on the television one night and find The Critics Choice Awards. Strangely, considering my obsession, it wasn't until last year that I discovered you can learn a lot about awards season if you watch all the awards shows and not just the Golden Globes and Oscars. Watch them all, and you can totally win the ballot game. It was during the Critics Choice that I saw a commercial for the Golden Globes and realized they would be on THAT SUNDAY. In my world, that was a close one.
So there I sat Sunday night, happily nested in front of my beautiful t.v., facing three full hours of beautiful people and the art form they love. Oh the happiness.
It pretty much delivered, too, though I am very non-critical of these things as a general rule anyway. It would be hard to disappoint me, I'm just sayin. I took notes, and here's a list of what made me the happiest during those happy three hours.
Anne Hathaway - Hands down, my favorite person to look at this time. I saw Angelina Jolie's shoulder-padded dress first and said ew and oh darn, I knew those would come back. But then I saw Ms. Hathaway, and I was mesmerized. I thought she looked beautiful and happy - it's very hard to win best-dressed lists at these things with your hair down and she DID it - and then she said that she felt that way during the red carpet session (toning it down to, "I feel....very nice....in this dress") and I loved her for appreciating the dress she was in, the moment she was in, the life she was living.
GLEE - This show lost a lot of people I know and love because it pushes appropriateness boundaries too often. But "the characters periodically burst into song and dance about the stage", and this I love. So I enjoyed all its wins last night. Especially Kurt. When he accepted his award, all I could think was that sometimes we could all learn a lot from Hollywood about how to love. This industry is full of people whose personalities and lifestyles range from artsy to unique to controversial. Despite the accolades we give the industry as a whole, its members are sometimes people who know exactly what it means to be outside instead of in. They like to express this in their films. And when those films get noticed, they feel they've done something - maybe even changed the world like they always wished they could. This inspires me, someone who kind of wishes that too.
The Social Network - This movie wins the award for Best Example of How Awards Season Will Convince Me to Watch Something if Word-of-Mouth Didn't. I'm renting it from Netflix this WEEK.
The Snark - Oh my, Ricky Gervais is mouthy. I actually enjoyed the way he came right out of the gate with meanness since I felt he was too toned down last year to be all that funny. But I really loved when someone finally called him out. Robert Downey, Jr., and I quote: "Aside from the fact that it's been hugely mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones, I'd say the vibe of the show has been pretty good so far, wouldn't you?"
Brad and Angelina - I can't help it. They're beautiful together. It cut to commercial one time and the camera held on them as Angelina fixed his bow tie, their faces so close together. It was sweet. And then it panned on them a couple other times, and she leaned against his shoulder. Lately I totally believe her that she belongs first to her children and to him and second to Hollywood. She also always seems appropriately grateful for the fortune that is her salary and her job. And I appreciate that.
Michael Douglas - This is the reason I didn't think about cancer for only almost three hours. Michael Douglas was the last presenter, and the audience was of course highly supportive and grateful to see him there and healthy. After the applause, he said, "There's gotta be a better way to get a standing ovation." And Michael and I deeply related.
Note - the pic is from the Oscars two years ago. I couldn't find a shiny Golden Globes pic from this year that I could use without stealing it. ;)