By Mark A. Perigard
January 17, 2011
Boston was feeling the love of the Hollywood Foreign Press last night.
“The Social Network,’’ the story of the founding of Facebook at Harvard University, won best motion picture, drama, best director, best screenplay and best score at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Christian Bale and Melissa Leo nabbed best supporting wins for the drama “The Fighter,’’ based on the life of Lowell boxer Micky Ward.
Harvard grad Natalie Portman won for best actress in a drama for her role as a tortured dancer in “Black Swan.’’
With the booze flowing freely, the first official awards show of the season turned out to be an uncomfortable event for the stars — never have so many faces been frozen outside a dermatologist’s office — and an unmissable spectacle for those at home.
NBC censors worked overtime. Paul Giamatti, Robert De Niro and host Ricky Gervais were among those whose outbursts translated to cold silence at home.
Gervais delighted in provoking the crowd of film and TV celebs.
In his opening, he mocked Charlie Sheen’s encounter with a prostitute, referred to two unnamed Scientologists as closeted — “probably’’ — and pantomimed a sexual act between 84-year-old Hugh Hefner and his 24-year-old fiancee.
Cambridge native Matt Damon presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to De Niro, who expressed gratitude to the foreign press for choosing him before “Little Fockers’’ had been released.
He referred to all his films as his children, “except children are more expensive and you can’t remake them in 3-D to push up the grosses.’’
Fox’s “Glee’’ claimed best TV series in the comedy or musical category. Executive producer Ian Brennan singled out public school teachers: “You don’t get paid like it, but you’re doing the most important work in America.’’
Co-stars Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer won in the supporting categories, and Colfer dedicated his prize to bullied kids.
It was a big night for HBO. The 1920s period series “Boardwalk Empire’’ won for best TV drama, star Steve Buscemi won for best actor and Claire Danes and Al Pacino won for their respective biopics “Temple Grandin’’ and “You Don’t Know Jack.’’
Closing the show, Gervais said, “Thank you to God for making me an atheist.’’
Robert Downey Jr. summed up the night best: “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?’’
