'Brokeback' tops indie-dominated Golden Globe nominations

Jake Gyllenhaal (left) and Heath Ledger in a scene from 'Brokeback Mountain'.

BEVERLY HILLS, California - Gay cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain," topped the Golden Globe nominations today with nominations in seven categories, including best film drama, in a year dominated by independent and low-budget movies.

For the first time, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which give out the Globes, shunned major Hollywood studio movies in its most widely watched category, best film drama, including Steven Spielberg's "Munich" and Peter Jackson's "King Kong."

Joining "Brokeback" on the list for best film drama were "Good Night, and Good Luck," a stylish black-and-white movie directed by George Clooney, Woody Allen's story about British class warfare "Match Point," and two low-budget thrillers, "A History of Violence" and "The Constant Gardener."

"Brokeback" also won nominations for best director, Ang Lee, best actor in a dramatic movie, Heath Ledger, best supporting actress, Michelle Williams, best screenplay, score and original song.

The movie, which has won several critics' awards and is now a front-runner for the Academy Awards, was followed by "Good Night," "Match Point," and the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "The Producers," all with four nominations each.

"The Producers" made the list of nominees for best film musical or comedy with Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," "Mrs. Henderson Presents," about a nude revue in a London theatre in World War II, "Pride & Prejudice," based on the Jane Austen novel, and independent hit "The Squid and The Whale."

Of the movies, only "Producers" and "Walk the Line" could truly be called big-budget, Hollywood films. Spielberg and Jackson scored nominations for best director with "Munich" and "King Kong," respectively, but each film landed in only two groups. Another major movie notable for its lack of nominations was "Memoirs of a Geisha," also in only two categories.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk called the absence of major studio films "a testament to the award process" and said it showed the association's roughly 90 members could be very discerning in their movie choices.

The Golden Globes, which will be given out on January 16, are widely watched as a barometer for early Oscar contenders. Many of the nominees will go on to be nominated for Oscars, which are the US film industry's top awards given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Along with Ledger, best actor for a film drama nominees included Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role as author Truman Capote in "Capote," Russell Crowe playing a boxer in "Cinderella Man," David Strathairn as newsman Edward R. Murrow in "Good Night, and Good Luck" and Terrence Howard as a pimp in "Hustle & Flow."

Best actress nominees for a movie drama were Felicity Huffman portraying a transgendered character in "Transamerica," Gwyneth Paltrow for "Proof," Charlize Theron for "North Country," Ziyi Zhang in "Memoirs of a Geisha" and Maria Bello in "A History of Violence."

Six actors landed nominations for best actor in a movie musical or comedy, including Joaquin Phoenix for "Walk the Line," Cillian Murphy in "Breakfast on Pluto," Nathan Lane in "The Producers," Johnny Depp for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Pierce Brosnan in "The Matador" and Jeff Daniels for "The Squid and The Whale."

Musical or comedy actress nominees were Judi Dench for "Mrs. Henderson Presents," Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line," Sarah Jessica Parker in "The Family Stone," Laura Linney for "The Squid and The Whale, and Keira Knightley in "Pride & Prejudice."

Foreign language film nominees included two Chinese entries, "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Master of Crimson Armour," France's "Merry Christmas," South African movie "Tsotsi" and the Palestinian film "Paradise Now."

Finally, unlike the Oscars, Golden Globe awards are also given in television categories. Best TV drama nominees were "Commander in Chief," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Prison Break" and "Rome." Best musical or comedy nominees were "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Desperate Housewives," "Entourage," "Everybody Hates Chris," "My Name is Earl" and "Weeds."

- REUTERS