the GLOBEY'S

Hope everyone enjoyed the Golden Globes on Sunday....

Here are my brief observations about the night.

The pre-show red carpet was a mess.  Nancy O'Dell would lump random combinations of people together who couldn't hear her questions because the crowd was screaming... and she KEPT asking people how they felt about Heath Ledger and if they thought he was going to win.  Maybe a crazy noisy awards show red carpet isn't the best platform to reflect on the tragedy of his untimely death.  

I love how (a badly groomed) Sting called her out a couple of times on her incorrect announcement that he was nominated for an award that evening.

The Golden Globes are always a lot of fun because you add the element of booze.  When the show started there was often the sound of a noisy crowd when someone was trying to talk.  It cracked me up how J-Lo, the first presenter, "shushed"  the crowd....  "Shh... Mama talking."

I also realized that Don Cheadle's resume will now include both "Hotel Rwanda" AND "Hotel for Dogs."  I can't wait for the DVD "Don Cheadle HOTEL Collection."

Eva Mendez looked a little like she just came from a performance as a napkin in Broadway's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! 

Ricky Gervais was (as always) brilliant

Best intro of the night that cracked me up... "Here are the stars of "Jonas Brothers. -  A 3-D Experience" ... The Jonas Brothers!"

Drew Barrimore and Jessica Lange acted a little like drunkin' lovers throughout the night.

 I am very nervously excited for their upcoming HBO film about "Grey Gardens."  "Grey Gardens" is a very favorite subject of mine.  Much more on this in a future post.

I was very happy for the wonderful Tiny Fey who told all her internet haters to "Suck It."

Also very happy for the amazing film "Slumdog Millionaire" and Kate Winslet - who won 2 awards!

La-hOVED Sally Hawkin's speech after winning best actress in a Musical/Comedy for "Happy Go Lucky."  

This is a wonderful film and a beautiful performance by her that hopefully will get more attention with current Oscar Buzz.  Here's the trailer.

And now... we await Oscar nominations which come out on January 22nd.  The Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC on February 22nd at 8pm ET.

Besides "HAPPY GO LUCKY,"  here have been my favorite movies that have gotten some heavy duty Oscar Buzz.

- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - A-MAZING... very inspiring movie and a wonderful love story

- MILK - a WONDERFUL very poignant film about a true american hero.  WONDERFUL performances all around. 

- WALL-E - an animated masterpiece

- DOUBT - loved Viola Davis

- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - beautiful film - a great unconventional love story - amazing performance by Brad Pitt

- THE DARK KNIGHT - Heath Ledger steals the show... also loved Maggie Gyllenhaal

Here are the ones I have yet to see, but am very excited for...

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

FROST/NIXON

THE READER

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

THE WRESTLER

Stay tuned for much much more Oscar talk!

Just what the DOC ordered!

As a society we have an obsession with wanting to know what goes on in other people's lives. It can be trash.... (practically any Celebrity Show...  "Living Lohan" or "Denise Richards - It's Complicated")  or it can be treasure (the wonderful movies "Mad Hot Ballroom," and "Spellbound," and the fascinating yet tragic "Grey Gardens")  *side note- I am also in LOVE with the recent musical based on "Grey Gardens."

Anywhoo...  As I wrote in last weeks entry, I went to see a new documentary  "Young@Heart" this past week.

I was absolutely blown away.  

The movie follows a chorus of senior citizens who make up the "Young@Heart" chorus.  What makes them unique is that they don't perform old standards or showtunes.  They perform hits of The Clash, Radiohead, Coldplay, and other rock and roll giants.  The songs they sing are songs we all know. However, performed by a group whose average age is 80, the songs take on a whole new meaning.

 Here's the preview.

I don't want to give too much away because I feel it's best to go into this (and many films) with a clean slate.

I will say I found this film profoundly touching.  There were many times where I was moved to tears.  I got the same feeling as when I saw the amazing film "Once" last year.   Both of these movies show the power of music and how it is good for the soul.  Some of the members of the chorus are struggling to hang on to life... and the one thing that gets them through is their love of singing.    

I do a lot of vocal directing and coaching so I really identified with the choir's director Bob Cillman.  I appreciated that he never looked down on the performers or felt they were doing rock and roll strictly as a gimmick.  He chose songs that maybe they didn't like right away, but were ones that they would eventually connect to.  The whole chorus and director truly became a family bonded by making music.

If you get a chance, please see this film.  I would definitely say it is one of my favorites so far this year (along with "The Visitor.")  Even if you have nothing in common with the subject,  I feel a really good documentary will have at least one element that you can relate to your own life. 

I REALLY could relate to their love of music, and this movie made me think a lot about my grandparents who have been through a lot this year.  No matter what they've been through, they are fighters and are a wonderful inspiration on the power of faith.  I gave them a call on my way home from the theater.  My grandpa had surgery on his knee a few weeks ago and has been doing therapy at home.  Never wanting to burden his family with what he or my grandma are really going through, they are always tell us they're doing great.  Just last week he was walking around with a cane, but when I called them he was just getting inside from mowing the grass!    He said "It may take us twice as long to do things, but that just means the job is twice as good."

Here's to grandparents who are truly young at heart.