BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - It was a refreshing night of upsets, fresh faces and lots of Helen Mirren at the Golden Globes, which were broadcast on NBC Monday.
"Babel" won as best dramatic film, Sacha Baron Cohen won as best actor in a comedy for his unconventional "Borat," and "Ugly Betty," a dramedy that was originally relegated by ABC to a Friday-evening death slot, won both best television comedy and best actress in a comedy for star America Ferrera.
In the tradition of the Golden Globes, Cohen gave a salty speech when he won as best actor in a comedy for "Borat."
He referred to the arduous nature of shooting with his co-star, Ken Davitian. In a speech that one just frankly can't put into a family newspaper, to this writer's eternal regret, Cohen referred to having to stare at a certain part of Davitian's anatomy - the actor's "golden globes," as it were.
As he pondered that sight, Cohen said, he thought "I better win a bloody award for this."
"Dreamgirls" was another big winner, picking up the best musical or comedy film award. Chicago native Jennifer Hudson was exultant in picking up her supporting actress award.
Did she have words for Simon Cowell, who famously disparaged her talents when she was on "American Idol"?
"You like my award, Simon?" she cackled to the journalists backstage at the Globes ceremony.
Say what you will about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, their choices in the television arena were impeccable: Alec Baldwin won for "30 Rock," Hugh Laurie won for "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" won as best drama. Kyra Sedgwick was over the moon when she won as best dramatic television actress in the savvy TNT series "The Closer."
"You know, I think you get better as an actor as you get older. I definitely believe that," Sedgwick said backstage. "But everything else is pretty much luck and being at the right place at the right time."
Another big winner was Mirren who won for the film "The Queen," and for HBO's historical epic "Elizabeth." They are the first of the no doubt many statues she's no doubt due to collect this awards season. Meryl Streep also won for her role as the quietly terrifying title character in "The Devil Wears Prada."
Clint Eastwood spoke for a few minutes to the assembled journalists backstage, speaking eloquently and seriously about his win for best foreign language film for "Letters from Iwo Jima."
When he was done, the public relations man from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association asked him to pose for the cameras with the Globe he won for directing the film. Then a smidge of Dirty Harry came out.
"I'm not going to pose. What am I, Paris Hilton?" he growled.
In an upset, "Ugly Betty" was one of the big winners of the night. The unconventional freshman drama, which was as much of an underdog on the fall TV schedule as Betty is at the slick offices of Mode magazine, won as best TV comedy. When it did, the entire cast of the show crowded onto the Globes stage and were visibly vibrating with excitement as creator Silvio Horta thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press.
Ferrera wasn't ugly at all as she fought back tears after her surprise win for best actress in a comedy.
"I'm so sorry I'm such a mess right now," she said in her acceptance speech, thanking Betty herself for bringing "such a beautiful message. I hear from young girls on a daily basis that it makes them feel worthy and lovable and that they have more to offer the world than they thought."
