The annual Golden Globes award ceremony is equally embraced and criticized. This year’s event was a standout for me due to the prominence and recognition of strong, fearless women. From hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, to winners Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway and the celebrated Jodie Foster, the evening signified a shift in attitude towards women in Hollywood. Maybe not all of Hollywood (let’s see what the Oscars dish up), but certainly the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have rewarded those women who were gutsy and unconventional in 2012.
- The Hosts
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler set the tone for the evening doing what they do best, making people laugh. They are two talented, smart, strong women who clearly have great respect for each other. And that’s a powerful formula. Unlike many of the previous hosts, they knew their job was to host an event that celebrated other people. The evening wasn’t about them and yet they stole the show anyway in their typically unconventional style.
- The Cecil B DeMille award for Lifetime Achievement
The media focused on Jodie Foster’s acceptance speech in the hours that followed. Twitter was buzzing with strong views for and against her coming out speech that wasn’t (as she actually ‘came out’ publicly in 2007 at a Women In Media dinner). Regardless of your view, it’s difficult to deny the talent, power and fearlessness of this woman. The key part of her speech for me was her plea for privacy and her clear message about the circus that surrounds most celebrities today. Foster has always been unconventional in Hollywood by letting her strong body of work speak for itself.
- Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway brought many to tears with her portrayal of Fantine in Les Misérables. She played the part stripped back and literally starving. In a number of interviews about her character pre Golden Globes she discussed the measures she took to lose a dramatic amount of weight and then perform in that state. Strong, powerful and fearless. - Best Actress
The standout acceptance speech was made by Jessica Chastain of Zero Dark Thirty. After she thanked those who needed mentioning, she fixed her gaze on director Kathryn Bigelow, the only female director who received a nomination. Jessica played a CIA agent with a fixation for finding Osama Bin Laden, a meaty and powerful character that breaks the Hollywood gender rules.“I can’t help but compare my character of Maya to you, two powerful, fearless women who allow their expert work to stand before them,” she said.
You said film making for you is not about breaking gender roles but when you make a film that allows your character to disobey the conventions of Hollywood you’ve done more for women in cinema than you take credit for.”
Do you agree that the evening signified a shift towards strong, fearless women in Hollywood? What was your standout moment?