‘Power of the Dog,’ ‘West Side Story’ take top Golden Globes at off-screen ceremony

The 78th Venice Film Festival. Screening of the film “The Power of the Dog” in competition. Red Carpet Arrivals, Venice, Italy, Sept. 2, 2021. Director Jane Campion, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and actor Kirsten Dunst pose. Image: Reuters/Yara Nardi

LOS ANGELES — Dark Western “The Power of the Dog” and a remake of “West Side Story” won the biggest awards on Sunday at a diminished Golden Globes ceremony held privately without the usual glitzy lineup of Hollywood’s top television and movie stars.

Actors, directors and film studios have largely ignored the Golden Globes this year after criticism in 2021 that its organizers, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), operated with questionable ethics policies and no Black members. Longtime broadcaster NBC opted not to air this year’s awards.

The HFPA, which has expanded and diversified its membership and overhauled its practices, announced its picks at a Beverly Hills ceremony held behind closed doors. Recipients of HFPA philanthropic grants sat in the audience and presented awards. Winners were announced via social media and on the Golden Globes website.

Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story,” a tale of young love set among rival street gangs, was named best musical or comedy and earned three trophies overall, including best actress for Rachel Zegler. “The Power of the Dog” also won three awards including best director for Jane Campion.

Other acting honors went to Will Smith for playing the determined father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard” and Nicole Kidman for her role as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos.” Andrew Garfield won a best actor trophy for his role as playwright Jonathan Larson in musical “Tick, Tick… Boom!”

For television, cutthroat corporate family saga “Succession” received the best drama award and “Hacks,” about a fading female comedian, was crowned best comedy.

Netflix, which released “Power of the Dog,” led all studios with four film awards. HBO and HBO Max took the most television honors, with six.

The Globes normally draws millions of TV viewers to a celebrity-filled red carpet and champagne-fueled dinner that makes for a glamorous yet informal contrast to the Academy Awards, the industry’s highest film honors.

In the past, winning a Golden Globe also provided a boost to movies making a run for the Oscars. This year, the significance is less clear, with only a few celebrities acknowledging their Golden Globe nominations.

Awards watchers will follow closely other upcoming accolades from groups including the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild of America. The Oscars are scheduled to be handed out on March 27.

Critics had objected to the HFPA not having any Black members and raised questions over whether close relationships with Hollywood studios influenced the choice of nominees and winners. In May, Tom Cruise returned the three Golden Globe statuettes he had won.

The HFPA responded by adding 21 new members, six of whom are Black, banning gifts and favors, and implementing diversity and sexual harassment training. The group now has 105 members and plans to expand this year.

“We are on a journey of change and we’re not going to rest,” HFPA president Helen Hoehne said in a statement on Sunday.

At the ceremony, the HFPA played a video of actress Jamie Lee Curtis praising the group for its support of charities that back creators, education, film preservation and other causes.

“I am proud to be associated with them in this venture,” Curtis said. JB

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