This image released by CBS shows co-director Greta Gerwig, left, and actor Margot Robbie accepting the award for best cinematic and box office achievement for the film “Barbie” during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)
The historical epic “Oppenheimer” jumped out to an early lead in the Golden Globes in the movie categories with wins for director Christopher Nolan, actor Cillian Murphy, and film composer Ludwig Göransson wins for best director, best actor, and best film score.
“I knew the first time I was on a Christopher Nolan set it was different,” Murphy said of the six films he’s made with the British director. “The level of rigor, the level of focus. The complete lack of seating options for any actors.”
The crowd laughed at that last line, but the Irish actor quickly shifted into a sweetly sincere thank you to his colleagues on “Oppenheimer,” shouting out to costars in the room including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Gary Oldman, and Robert Downey Jr., who earlier won male best supporting actor in a drama for his work on “Oppenheimer.”
“One of the most beautiful and vulnerable things about being an actor is that you can’t do it on your own, really,” Murphy said. “All of my familiar nominees, even if you’re Irish or not, you’re all legends, I salute you.”
Nolan, who won for the first in six nominations, noted he’d only ever been on the Golden Globes stage when he accepted a posthumous award for Heath Ledger, whom he’d cast to play the Joker.
“I thought it would be simpler accepting for myself, but as a director, I realize I can only accept on behalf of all the people (on the film),” he said.
In the comedy or musical movie category, Emma Stone won her second Golden Globe for best female actor for “Poor Things.”
“Playing Bella was unbelievable,” Stone said. “I think this is a rom-com. Bella falls in love with life itself. That really made me look at life differently. That all of it counts, and all of it is important. That really stayed with me.”
The Golden Globes also unveiled a new category for cinematic and box office achievement, essentially the box office champions of the year, with “Barbie” the inaugural winner of that prize.
“Thank you. We would like to dedicate this to every single person on the planet who dressed up and went to the greatest place on earth, the movie theater,” said Margot Robbie, who played Barbie in the film.
“Thank you to Noah Baumbach for showing us his inner Barbie Girl,” director Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the film with her life partner Baumbach, added.
“Thank to Ryan Gosling for going full beach,” Robbie said.
“This is a movie about Barbie, but it’s also a movie about humans,” she continued. “We made it for you and we made it with love, and thank you for loving it back.”
Originally published at Peter Larsen