Ben Affleck, best director, and the cast and filmmakers of Argo, best drama picture, backstage at the 70th Golden Globe Awards

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 70^th Annual Golden Globes honored the best and brightest talent in film and television. Les Misérables stole the night on the film side, with three awards for best motion picture/ musical or comedy, best actor/ musical or comedy for Hugh Jackman and best supporting actress for Anne Hathaway. Argo followed close behind with wins as best motion picture/drama and best director for Ben Affleck. “When they put your name next to the names that she just read off, it’s an extraordinary thing in your life.”, Affleck said, accepting his award. ” These nominees are exceptional talents.  I truly to God never thought I’d be in the same breath as them.  I want to thank them.  I want to thank the many talented people that weren’t nominated, the many people that weren’t nominated ?? Paul Thomas Anderson who’s like Orson Welles and so many others.” Django Unchained also collected two Golden Globes, for Christoph Waltz as best supporting actor and Quentin Tarantino for best screenplay. “Wow.  I wasn’t expecting this.  This is a surprise”, Tarantino reacted as he took the stage of the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, adding that he owed his award to the work of the film’s cast. “I have my absolutely magnificent actors.”, Tarantino said, adding.” anybody who wins a screenplay award up here that means everything went well and you have the actors.” Jennifer Lawrence won the Globe for best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy for her work in Silver Linings Playbook, while Jessica Chastain took the award for best actress in a motion picture, drama for Zero Dark Thirty. Chastain evoked her director Kathryn Bigelow while accepting her Golden Globe. ” I can’t help but compare my character of Maya to you, to powerful fearless women who allow their expert work to stand before them,” Chastain said, adding, ” You have said that filmmaking for you is not about breaking gender roles, but when you make a film that allows your character to disobey the conventions of Hollywood, you’ve done more for women in cinema than you take credit for.” Daniel Day Lewis won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture/drama for his portrayal of  the 16th President of the United States in Lincoln.He thanked his wife Rebecca Miller for her support during the long process of composing his character. “When I go to work, Rebecca opens a window for me, and I jump out into the night and hunt and scavenge”, Lewis said, adding, “And at the end of it, I come back with whatever it is and drop it like a mouse at her feet and hope so much that she’ll think I’ve done a good thing. ” Brave won as best animated feature while Michael Haneke’s Amour took the best foreign language film award. Life of Pi‘s Mychael Danna took home the Globe for best original score, with Adele’s “Skyfall”, from Skyfall, taking the honors for best original song. On the TV sector,the telefilm Game Change received three Golden Globes as best mini-series or motion picture made for television and for its leading actress, Julianne Moore, and supporting actor, Ed Harris. Homeland also won three Globes as best series, drama, and for its best actor, Damian Lewis, and actress, Claire Danes. Danes thanked the writers for her victory, saying “(You) didn’t buckle under the pressure of the success of the first season and continued to challenge themselves and, by extension, us as actors.  You make such brave choices so relentlessly, and we’re all better for it.” Girls was the big winner in TV/comedy sector, with Globes as best series/comedies and for its star Lena Dunham, who accepted both awards with deep personal speeches. “Making this show and the response to it has been the most validating thing that I have ever felt”, she said, adding, “It’s made me feel so much less alone in this world. I can’t define it. Thank you.” Kevin Costner won a Globe as best actor in a mini-series or motion picture made for television for Hatfields & McCoys, Maggie Smith was chosen as best supporting actress for season two of Downton Abbey and Don Cheadle won as best actor in a series, comedy, for his work in House of Lies. Guided by hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, the evening showed the wide-range of works in comedy, drama and musicals.  Jodie Foster, the recipient of the Cecil B. deMille Award, gave a moving speech that resonated with audiences. The 70th Golden Globe Awards went on to win the highest ratings of the evening, and, with almost 20 million people tuned in the United States alone, establishing the largest viewership for an awards show so far in the season.