Oprah’s barnstormer tops Golden Globes most notable moments
What president? A year after politics — and the newly elected occupant of the White House — dominated the conversation and tone of the Golden Globes, there was barely a mention of such things at Sunday’s ceremony. This year, it was all gender politics, and of course the #MeToo movement that has engulfed Hollywood and spread into the culture at large with astonishing speed. From the sea of glittering black gowns worn in solidarity on the usually multi-colored red carpet, to sly references to unequal pay and recognition for women, to Frances McDormand’s salute to “a tectonic shift” in the Hollywood power structure, it was a night for reckoning — crowned by Oprah Winfrey’s barnraiser of a speech proclaiming “Their time is UP!”
Some key moments: SERIOUS CARPET TALK
Usually, red carpet interviews focus on the provenance of designer gowns and jewelry. This year, there was talk of working conditions for farmers and janitors, and demands for equal pay across society. Several actresses, including Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams and Emma Watson, brought social activists with them , to focus on real-life solutions to gritty problems far from Hollywood. “We feel emboldened in this particular moment,” Streep said, “to stand together in a thick black line dividing then from now.” LAURA DERN’S NORTH STAR
It was a night of unusually powerful speeches, whether long or short, that touched eloquently on the #MeToo moment. One came from Laura Dern, who won supporting actress for “Big Little Lies,” a TV series that, aptly, depicts not only sexual abuse, but a group of women who only fully discover their power when they unite. Using her character to describe a past culture in which people were afraid to speak out, Dern urged Hollywood to support and employ survivors brave enough to come forward. And she went further: “May we teach our children,” she said, “that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new North Star.” A SLY NOD TO A GLARING OMISSION
One of the most glaring snubs in this year’s movie nominations came in the best director category, where Greta Gerwig was passed over for her muchloved “Lady Bird.” Natalie Portman, presenting the director prize, was not about to let that go unnoticed. “And here are the all MALE nominees,” she quipped, to knowing laughter. (Guillermo del Toro won for “The Shape of Water.”) Barbra Streisand also took a jab at the Globes, noting that she’d been the only woman to have won best director — in 1984. “That was 34 years ago, folks. Time’s up!” she said. A ‘TECTONIC’ SHIFT
A big winner was “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” in which Frances McDormand plays a mother taunting police to solve the rape and murder of her daughter. Winning for best actress , McDormand noted to the crowd that “I keep my politics private. But it was really great to be in this room and to be part of a tectonic shift in our industry power structure.” And she added: “Trust me: The women in this room tonight are not here for the food. We’re here for the work.”