Meryl Streep becomes most nominated actor in Golden Globe history

LOS ANGELES?AT LAST, THERE?S REAL suspense and competition in the awards race this season.

Unlike awards seasons in recent years, where the contest was virtually over, save for the formality of opening the envelopes (for example, Daniel Day-Lewis as Best Actor for ?There Will Be Blood? last year was a no-brainer), this kudos period will offer some cliffhanger moments, as demonstrated by the Golden Globe Award nominations list announced last Thursday morning in Beverly Hills.

We shouldn?t be surprised?it took us almost all day to fill out our nominations ballot last weekend. Monday morning, we agonized over our final choices before we finally sealed the envelope and walked to Ernst & Young?s high-rise office to personally hand our ballot (just one benefit of living in downtown LA, where we just moved to).

The so-called awards contenders came very late this season so when they were screened to us, in one dizzying day after another, it was quite a cinematic feast. We do watch films year-round so we lament this tradition that most of the best films are released late in the year because of the awards consideration factor. We wish these fine films are spread throughout the year for the enjoyment of the moviegoers who are often left with a staple of crappy films (save for a gem or two) for most of the year.

Big dilemma
Anyway, the crush of terrific films and performances late in the season gave us a big dilemma (but what a pleasant, though agonizing one) last weekend as we penciled in our initial list of five choices in each category from an eligibility reminder list that is as thick as a Bible. This was where screeners came in handy?we watched several films again at home as we reconsidered some of our choices.

That?s why it was actually exciting for us the moment Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Banks, Terrence Howard and Rainn Wilson stepped on the podium to announce the nominees. Both Brooke and Elizabeth wore bright-colored dresses, just the perfect hues to wake up the bleary-eyed TV and print journalists who staggered into the International Ballroom. The four stars were introduced by our press association president, Jorge Camara.

The slate of worthy choices was very much evident in the Best Film-Drama category. We?ve written about two nominated films??Frost/Nixon? and ?The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.?

In the case of nominee ?Slumdog Millionaire,? last Wednesday, when we met Dante Nico Garcia and Judy Ann Santos, director and actress, respectively, of ?Ploning? (the Philippines? entry to the Academy?s foreign language film category), we told them that ?Slumdog?s? absorbing story of a boy who joins a version of ?Who Wants to be a Millionaire?? in India could have been set in the Philippines or any other developing country.

Fascinating tale
You must not miss this winning film by Danny Boyle (?Trainspotting?) who weaves a fascinating tale involving a street kid who wins millions of rupees in the TV quiz show but is arrested by the police on suspicion of cheating, just on the premise that someone from the slums couldn?t possibly know all the quiz answers.

Completing the list of Best Film-Drama nominees are two movies which both feature Kate Winslet, ?The Reader? and ?Revolutionary Road.? Among those left out as a result of the stiff competition: ?The Dark Knight,? ?Doubt,? ?The Wrestler? and ?Milk??all outstanding films.

Meryl Streep, with her double Best Actress nominations in both the drama and comedy/musical categories for ?Doubt? and ?Mamma Mia!,? respectively, has set another record. She became the most nominated actor in the history of the Golden Globe Awards with a staggering record of 23 nominations. Still, in the drama category, she faces tough competition from Angelina Jolie (?Changeling?), Anne Hathaway (?Rachel Getting Married?), Kristin Scott Thomas (?I?ve Loved You So Long?) and Kate Winslet (?Revolutionary Road?).

The crowded field unfortunately edged out Cate Blanchett (?Benjamin??) and Melissa Leo (the absorbing indie film, ?Frozen River?).

Male contest
In the male equivalent of this category, it will be quite a contest. In a year of many terrific performances from the men, these guys made it to the magic five: Frank Langella (?Frost/Nixon?) and Mickey Rourke (?The Wrestler?), who both scored their first nominations in this field; Sean Penn (?Milk?), Brad Pitt (?Benjamin??) and Leonardo DiCaprio (?Revolutionary Road?).

Shut out: Clint Eastwood, whose performance in ?Gran Torino? is said to be his swan song as an actor, but we wouldn?t bet on this considering how spry and agile the venerable 78-year-old is; and Richard Jenkins, as a college professor who finds illegal aliens living in his apartment in ?The Visitor.?

It would be tantalizing to imagine if Meryl does go onstage twice on the Golden Globe Awards? night come Jan. 11 but in the comedy/musical best actress category, these women may spoil her chances of yet another record night: Sally Hawkins (?Happy-Go-Lucky?), Frances McDormand (?Burn After Reading?), Emma Thompson (?Last Chance Harvey?) and Rebecca Hall (?Vicky Cristina Barcelona?).

Predicted as possible nominees but didn?t hear their names called out in the early morning ceremonies: Sarah Jessica Parker (?Sex and the City?) and Rachel Weisz (?The Brothers Bloom?).

Surprise nominee
There was an audible gasp of surprise in the ballroom when James Franco?s name was mentioned as one of the nominees in the Best Comedy/Musical Actor category (for his portrayal of a stoner in ?Pineapple Express?). But the LA Times reported that although James, who is currently taking film courses in both New York University and Columbia University, said ?I was a little surprised,? he made a succinct comment, ?In some ways, the Golden Globes are better than the Oscars in that they have a comedy category. Over the past 70 years, a lot of comedic performances have been passed over by the Oscars.?

Rounding out this field are Javier Bardem (?Vicky Cristina Barcelona?), Dustin Hoffman (?Last Chance Harvey?), and Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, both from ?In Bruges.? Not making the cut are Ben Stiller (?Tropic Thunder?), Robert De Niro (?What Just Happened?) and Gerard Butler (?RocknRolla?).

?In Bruges,? shown in February this year (considered a century ago by Hollywood folks who think potential award winners should be released late in the year, during the awards season), proves that a good film doesn?t have to be shown in the fall so it will be remembered come nominations time. The well-reviewed movie, which we saw in Sundance last January, cracked the list of Best Film-Comedy/Musical category nominees. Also in contention are Woody Allen?s ?Vicky Cristina Barcelona,? the Coen brothers? ?Burn After Reading,? Phyllida Lloyd?s ?Mamma Mia!? and Mike Leigh?s ?Happy-Go-Lucky.?

In his reaction comment, Colin drove home our point: ?I?m really proud to be part of this story?and just so pleasantly surprised that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association carried it with them from last winter to now. It will be nice for ?In Bruges? to get this second inning, for some people maybe to find it for the first time.?

Longest list
The category with the longest list of deserving candidates was in the Best Supporting Actor race. The much-deserved nomination of the late Heath Ledger for his stunning, highly original take of the Joker in ?The Dark Knight? (released last summer) also proves our point that an outstanding performance will be remembered, no matter how early in the year it was shown.

The statement of Heath?s dad, Kim Ledger, provided a somber note to our sleep-deprived morning: ?This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud that our boy?s work is being recognized in this way.?

Also in the running aside from Heath, who earned a Best Actor-Drama nod for ?Brokeback Mountain? in 2006, are thespians who have been previous Golden Globe nominees, winners or both: Philip Seymour Hoffman (?Doubt?), Ralph Fiennes (?The Duchess?), and Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise, both from ?Tropic Thunder.?

If only more actors could be cited in this category. The following were also worthy contenders: Eddie Marsan, a driving instructor from hell, bad teeth and all, in ?Happy-Go??; Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco, all from ?Milk?; Michael Shannon (?Revolutionary Road?), Tom Wilkinson (?RocknRolla?); and Dev Patel in the title role (?Slumdog Millionaire?).

Another wide race
The Best Supporting Actress is another wide open race with Viola Davis and Amy Adams, both from ?Doubt,? Penelope Cruz (?Vicky Cristina??), Kate Winslet (?The Reader?) and Marissa Tomei (?The Wrestler?).

A word about Viola?s performance: In ?Doubt,? she proves that indeed it?s not about the size; it?s all about the performance. Viola has a screen time estimated to be only 11 minutes but boy, how she makes use of those scant minutes in an intense scene with Meryl Streep, no less. In our interviews with Viola, Meryl and director John Patrick Shanley, we learned that a week after these actresses went through that emotional wringer of a scene, he asked for a reshoot.

?Well, I went straight to Viola and I said, ?You don?t have to do that again if you don?t want to,? La Streep revealed to us. ?I thought she was marvelous on the first take of the first day we shot it. I thought it was an unconscionable sort of torture to put her through so many takes. As an actor, I felt for her? We shot in the winter and the shadows drove (cinematographer Roger) Deakins nuts and I guess they felt that they had to redo it. I said, ?Nobody?s going to be looking at the shadow on the building.? Nobody cares about that?this scene is Viola?s. You can?t take your eyes from her. I thought it was cruel and unusual punishment to put her through it again but she did it and nailed it every time. She?s like a miracle.?

That scene, and John?s direction of others involving Meryl, Philip and Amy, made some award prognosticators see a best director nod coming his way but it was not to be. John, along with Christopher Nolan (?The Dark??), Gus Van Sant (?Milk?), Darren Aronofsky (?The Wrestler?), among others, got squeezed out in a very tight race.

Best directors
The ones who got in are the directors of the Best Film-Drama nominees: Danny Boyle (?Slumdog??), Ron Howard (?Frost??), David Fincher (?Benjamin?), Stephen Daldry (?The Reader?) and Sam Mendes (?Revolutionary??).

We?ll comment on the nominees in the other categories in a coming column.

In the meantime, we are optimistic that there wouldn?t be suspense about the possibility that the Golden Globe Awards show will be canceled again. Last January, the Writers Guild of America strike forced the cancellation of the show, which is considered Hollywood?s biggest and most glamorous party of the year.

This time, there?s talk that the Screen Actors Guild might go on a strike. But the LA Times reported that the Guild won?t begin counting votes on whether to strike or not until Jan. 23. As we?ve mentioned, the Globes will be handed out on Jan. 11. By the 23rd, the finger-biting on one of the most exciting awards races ever would be over.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com and read his blog, ?The Nepales Report,? on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.