A magic and moving moment: In 1990, when Audrey Hepburn, now devoting most of her time to her mission as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef, receives her Cecil B. deMille statuette, the second of her special awards, after nine Golden Globes nominations and only one win. Elegantly dressed in white, like the angel she had played a year before in what would be her last movie appearance, in Steven Spielberg’s Always.
In 1991, Pretty Woman doesn’t win any Globes but Julia Roberts does. Instant stardom. Same global level of fame for the golden boy Tom Cruise, who consolidates his star status with his winning performance in Born on the 4^thJulia Roberts’ appearance is like a sudden fresh breeze. Comparisons with the breakout of Audrey in Roman Holiday are inevitable. Is Jennifer Lawrence the new Julia? Or a quirkier mix, somewhere between a new Holly Hunter and a new Gwyneth? You be the judge .
In 1994, another memorable evening: Steven Spielberg wins Best Director for Schindler’s List, which won also for best film, at the 51^st Golden Globes Awards. The director of Jurassic Park gained a new respectability, reinforced in 1999 with a repeat win for Saving Private Ryan.
That night, on January 22nd 1994, the other notable winners are Tom Hanks for his heartbreaking performance in Philadelphia, Holly Hunter for The Piano, Robin Williams for Mrs. Doubtfire. Tom Hanks is the Actor of the nineties: he will win the next year for Forrest Gump and, again in 2001 for Cast Away, while the salaries of the stars are skyrocketing.
Remember Jim Carrey’s 20 million dollar paycheck? It caused a stir and made headlines at the time. In Hollywood, powerful agents and the new A-Listers are taking over: Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Nicole Kidman and the fantastic comeback of Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. The young hunks are Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp – still considered a bad boy then- and Keanu Reeves about to enter The Matrix. Denzel Washington (winner of best supporting actor for Glory in 1990), is mesmerizing in The Hurricane. Stars also come from England – Hugh Grant, Ewan Mc Gregor– and Australia: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett.
Gwyneth is then everyone’s darling thanks to Shakespeare in Love, while TV actress Helen Hunt becomes an unexpectedly hot commodity on the big screen with As Good As It Gets. Others dazzle in a slew of strong performances: Sharon Stone in Casino, Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich, Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry and Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom. Martin Scorsese‘s wonderful The Age of InnocenceWinona Ryder. 
Was it the unlikely alliance of the big studios’ unlimited means with the determined ambition of the independent cinema that created such a powerful result? Miramax is the hot studio and Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival is a must for showcasing new talents. Consider this: American Beauty, Braveheart, Chicago, Evita, The English Patient, Gangs of New York. Among the winners for Foreign Films: Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother. Actors strech their legs behind the camera: in 1991 Kevin Costner impresses with Dances with Wolves, his masterful directorial debut, earning a Best Director Golden Globe, and Clint Eastwood does the same in1993 for his powerful Unforgiven.

Stars are born: Angelina Jolie, Best Actress in a Movie Made For Television, Golden Globe 1999, for GiaPretty Woman.

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