'Chicago' blows away competition at the Golden Globe nominations
By Marc Lavine
US actress Meryl Streep is shown in a scene from the film 'The Hours' which received seven Golden Globes nominations, including best drama and best actress for Streep, at the nominees announcement of the 60th annual awards, in Beverly Hills, CA, 19 December 2002. AFP PHOTO/CLIVE COOTE/PARAMOUNT PICTURES
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "Chicago," a musical about sex, jazz and murder, blew away the field at the Golden Globe Award nominations Thursday, winning eight nods as Hollywood launched its frenzied race towards the Oscars.
The lavish show set in the Windy City was tapped for best musical and won dual nods for best actress in a musical or comedy for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger, as well as a best actor nod for veteran star Richard Gere.
In second place was the drama "The Hours," chronicling the life and work of British writer Virginia Woolf with seven nods, including best drama and best actress plaudit for star Nicole Kidman, who won two nominations last year.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which announced its picks for the 2003 edition of Hollywood's second most prestigious awards at a pre-dawn ceremony here, tapped "Adaptation," the tale of a neurotic Los Angeles screenwriter, for six nominations, putting it in third place in the line-up.
The Golden Globe awards, which will be presented in Beverly Hills on January 19, are seen as a potential bellwether films which could dominate the Academy Award nominations which will be unveiled on February 11.
Welsh-born actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is shown in a scene from the film 'Chicago' which received a leading eight Golden Globes nominations, including best musical or comedy and best actress for stars Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger, at the announcement of the 60th annual awards, in Beverly Hills, CA, 19 December 2002. AFP PHOTO
Martin Scorcese's long-delayed epic "Gangs of New York" and "About Schmidt," the bitter-sweet story of a retired insurance agent reassessing his life, picked up five nods each, including best drama and best actor nods for Daniel Day-Lewis for "Gangs" and for "Schmidt" star Jack Nicholson.
"The gangsters of "Chicago" really came out swinging against the 'Gangs of New York', which didn't do quite as well as expected," said awards expert Tom O'Neil.
"The Golden Globes look sure to turn into a true gang war, even though the two films don't compete in the same categories," he added.
The nominations mark the first major event in Tinseltown's crowded and highly competitive annual awards season which culminate in the Oscars ceremony which will take place in Hollywood on March 23 next year.
"Far from Heaven," the racially-charged story of a 1950s US couple's troubled marriage was next in the rankings with four Golden Globe nominations, including best actress in a drama for Julianne Moore.
Veteran superstar Meryl Streep rose to the top again in this year's Golden Globes line up, garnering two nominations -- one for best actress in a drama for "The Hours" and another for best supporting actress in "Adaptation."
Also notable were best dramatic actor nominations for British star Michael Caine for his role in the film version of Graham Greene's Vietnam-set novel "The Quiet American," and another for "Titanic" superstar Leonardo DiCaprio for his comeback role in "Catch Me if You Can."
The second installment of the celluloid version of JRR Tolkien's hobbit adventures, "Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers," picked up two nominations, including best drama and best director for New Zealander Peter Jackson.
Other notable nominees this year were Salma Hayek, with a best actress in a drama nod for her role as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in "Frida," and Nicholas Cage, who picked up a best actor in a drama nod for his starring role in "Adaptation."
Zeta-Jones and Zellweger were vying for best actress in a musical against Maggie Gyllenhaal for her role in "Secretary," Nia Vadarlos for her surprise summer blockbuster "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" -- which also won a best comedy nod -- and Goldie Hawn for "The Banger Sisters."
British heart-throb Hugh Grant won a best dramatic actor honour for "About A Boy," pitting himself against fellow nominees Cage, Kieran Culkin for "Igby Goes Down" and Adam Sandler for "Punch-Drunk Love."