Oscar hopefuls turn out in force at Hollywood Awards

If the Golden Globes are a great place to try out your Oscar acceptance speech, then the Hollywood Film Festival's Hollywood Awards are at least a great place to try out your Golden Globe speech.

Monday night's 2 1/2-hour gala at the Beverly Hilton hosted by "Entertainment Tonight's" perky Mary Hart, who claimed she has been doing this for "127 years," was a virtual nonstop parade of winners hoping to carve out an early spot this awards season.

The list included two-time Oscar winners Robert DeNiro and Hilary Swank as respective Hollywood Actor and Actress of the year, along with Julianne Moore, Christoph Waltz, Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Zachary Quinto, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Schneider and directors Kathryn Bigelow, Nora Ephron, Pete Docter and Lee Daniels along with a host of "below the line" recipients including "A Serious Man" cinematographer Roger Deakins, "Nine" costume designer Colleen Atwood, "Avatar" production designer Rick Carter, "Up In The Air" editor Dana Glauberman, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" composer Alexandre Desplat and "Transformers" visual effects wizard Scott Farrar.

Relativity Media founder Ryan Kavanaugh waxed so rhapsodically about his "Hollywood Producer" trophy (presented by Universal boss Ron Meyer) you would think he just got the Thalberg Award instead.

Many of the movies for which these "winners" are being honored haven't even opened yet but, hey, this is Hollywood, isn't it? Founders Carlos de Abreu and Janice Pennington started this event 13 years ago to gain a foothold in the industry's endless awards season and now, before even one pitch is thrown in the World Series, they are the first on the block to hand out trinkets to Oscar wannabes. At the start of the show an announcer says "the selection [of winners] is based on private, press, preview and festival screenings, as well as recommendations from a cross section of Hollywood professionals, including actors, agents, executives, directors, film critics, entertainment journalists, managers, producers, publicists, screenwriters and members of the guilds and societies."

The box boy at de Abreu's local Ralphs supermarket probably has a say as well. If you aren't happy with these choices at least now you know who to blame.

The actual award may be a dubious distinction (how many given in this town aren't?) but the turnout by both winners and presenters is undeniably impressive. Among those who showed up just to present Monday night were Steven Spielberg, Morgan Freeman, Ewan McGregor,  Pierce Brosnan, Charlize Theron, Sandra Bullock, Diablo Cody, Kate Beckinsale, Kathleen Kennedy, Marisa Tomei, Michael Bay, Maria Bello, Edward Asner and Taraji P. Henson. And this thing isn't even televised!

But on a night that was surprisingly full of entertaining speeches, no one topped "Julie and Julia" writer/director Ephron for putting it all in perspective after good friend and Hamptons neighbor Spielberg gave her the Hollywood Screenwriter Award.

"I'm very excited to be here, wherever I am. I am pleased to thank the Hollywood Film Festival, whoever you are. And I want to thank the people at my table because you could all be home with your family eating anything but this," she said to great knowing laughter from the crowd as the Hilton's dry chicken main course would probably have Julia Child turning over in her grave.

Theron also got big laughs when in presenting Renner with his Hollywood Breakthrough Award she announced his nickname for her has always been "Assnuts." On a more serious note Renner said his "Hurt Locker" honor goes to "the families of our fallen troops."

Swank, in accepting her award for playing Amelia Earhart, exhibited uncommon honesty in saying, "I just didn't want to fall flat on my face."

For DeNiro, whose name presenter Beckinsale says is "practically a verb at this point," the Hollywood Award for his upcoming December release, "Everybody's Fine," is quite meaningful, he said.

"Many of you were disappointed when I didn't receive the Nobel Peace Prize and unlike that award the Hollywood Film Festival's doesn't have a cash component," he said. "I'd rather have this."

If Swank and DeNiro are no sure shots in their respective Oscar categories this year, the Hollywood Awards choices for Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" and Supporting Actress Julianne Moore in "A Single Man" are quickly moving into front-runner status in theirs, and their charming acceptances at this event are probably just the first of many we are going to be hearing from them all season long.

Waltz, who is now in L.A. playing the villain in "The Green Hornet," said that since Quentin Tarantino chose him to play the evil Col. Hans Landa, his life has been a whirlwind. Moore thanked "Single Man" director Tom Ford for giving her an "incredible" 15 minutes on film. She raced to the airport after getting her award early in the ceremony to return to work Tuesday morning.

Winner of Yahoo Movies public poll for Hollywood Movie Of The Year was "Star Trek."  That film's new Mr. Spock, Zachary Quinto, accepted and quipped, "Gee I'm shocked the online community chose to honor 'Star Trek'!"

Perhaps the most touching moment of the night came when young "Precious" star, Gabourey Sidibe, received her "New Hollywood" award and noted the presence of all the major industry players there in the ballroom.

"I'm a random girl from Harlem and this room is just way too big for me," she said as she thanked her director Lee Daniels (who also was rewarded) for changing her life.

A party sponsored by STARZ and held at the Beverly Hilton pool area went into the wee hours, where Sidibe was undeniably the belle of this particular ball.

Okay, so now that's one down and only 463 more awards ceremonies to go until Oscar! Better make sure you have some comfortable shoes.

-- Pete Hammond

Photo: Ewan McGregor, left, and Hilary Swank
Credit: Matt Sayles / Associated Press

Comments

[SAW]

What the heck's going on! I always watch the Golden Globes and tune in eary to see the fashions. I missed the whole the thing. The movies are not even out yet! Boo!!!!!!!