BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Coming of age tale “Boyhood” won the coveted Golden Globe for best drama Sunday, while the quirky period caper “The Grand Budapest Hotel” was the surprise winner for best comedy or musical, in a big upset to awards season front-runner “Birdman.”
FX’s “Fargo” picked up the award for best miniseries or TV movie, edging the likes of HBO’s “True Detective.” Its star, Billy Bob Thornton, also won the award for best actor in the miniseries category.
“These days you get into a lot of trouble for anything you say,” he noted. “So I’m just going to say thank you.”
The first major awards for the Hollywood film industry this year were scattered widely among many films, potentially setting up a complex race towards the industry’s top honors, the Oscars on Feb. 22.
“Boyhood” took three Globes, including the night’s top honor, a reward for the unprecedented cinematic venture of making a film over 12 years with the same actors. The man behind the low-budget experiment, Richard Linklater, won best director and Patricia Arquette won best supporting actress.
“Birdman,” a satire of show business that led all nominees with seven nods, picked up best screenplay and best actor in a comedy or musical for Michael Keaton, embodying a comeback in film and real life.
“Alejandro, there is not a person in this room who won’t show up for your next gig,” said Keaton of “Birdman” director Alejandro Inarritu.
But “The Grand Budapest Hotel” from director Wes Anderson was the big surprise of the night as best comedy or musical, although it only took home that one award.
Civil rights drama “Selma” won one award, for best song, while “The Imitation Game” walked away empty-handed.
The outcome of the 72nd Globes will not influence the Academy Awards slate, since voting for next week’s nominees announcement is closed. But it can give crucial momentum to the Oscar race.
Other top actor awards went to performers who portrayed the pain of illness.
Julianne Moore won best actress in a drama as an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient in “Still Alice,” while Eddie Redmayne took best actor in a drama for his portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.”
The Golden Globes are usually known for more lighthearted celebrity hijinks, but Sunday’s telecast of the 72nd ceremony took on a more somber tone, as many of the winners reflected on serious news events, from Ferguson to Charlie Hebdo.
“To our brothers, sisters, friends and family in France, our hearts are with you tonight,” said presenter Jared Leto, who gave the award to Arquette.
Politics played heavily into acceptance speeches, from support for the Hispanic and transgender communities to calls to protect freedom of expression and solidarity after the deadly attack in Paris.
Amy Adams beat out favorite Emily Blunt (“Into the Woods”) by taking home the award for best actress in a musical/comedy for playing artist Margaret Keane in Tim Burton’s “Big Eyes.” Adams was recognized in the same category last year for “American Hustle,” and she had predicted on the red carpet that she wouldn’t be winning again. “To say I’m underprepared for this moment is a huge understatement,” Adams said. “Huge! I didn’t even apply lip gloss.”
“Transparent” won the award for best TV comedy at the 72nd Golden Globes on Sunday night.
Creator Jill Soloway dedicated the award to the transgender community. It also marked the first-ever award for Amazon.
Matt Bomer won best supporting actor for his portrayal in HBO’s adaptation of “The Normal Heart,” and he acknowledged the victims of HIV/AIDS. “To the generation we lost and the people we continue to lose to this disease, I just want to say we love you, we remember you,” Bomer said. He also thanked director Ryan Murphy, playwright Larry Kramer and his publicist husband Simon Halls, who stuck with him even when he weighed 130 pounds for the role.
