Golden Globe Awards 2008 turned out to be a little more than surprising, not the awards but the way they were announced. Instead of the usual red carpet, flashy gowns and designer suits, what we got to see was a simple press conference, where the winners were announced. In the latter front, there were hardly many surprises. Golden Globe Best Motion Picture Award went to Atonement, directed by Joe Wright under ‘Working Title Films Limited’. With this, 35-year-old Joe Wright became the youngest director in history of Golden Globe to be bestowed with that honor.
Atonement
Atonement is a movie based on Ian McEwan's novel, of the same name. The movie centers on Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old, whose one lie drastically changes the life of three individuals. Briony is one of the three children in a wealthy family, with her elder sister being Cecilia. Cecilia falls in love with the housekeeper’s son Robbie Turner, educated at Cambridge University. Briony witness passionate encounters between Robbie and Cecilia and believe him of being something of a sex maniac assaulting her sister. Tallis family is visited by Lola Quincey, Briony’s cousin, and her younger twin brothers.
The twins go missing and Briony goes out to find them. Instead, she comes across Lola, being raped by a tuxedoed man. She assumes him to be Robbie and based on her testimony, he gets convicted. He is released from prison on condition that he enlists as a private in the British Expeditionary Force. Briony and Cecilia join the nursing corps. In the end, Briony is shown to be a successful writer, with her new novel being ‘Atonement’. She is being interviewed and tells that she never ever had the courage to face her sister again, who never got reunited with Robbie. The novel was her atonement for her destructive act.
Nominations for Best Motion Picture (Drama)
The nominations for the Best Motion Picture - Drama were:
- American Gangster (Universal Pictures)
- Atonement (Working Title Films Limited)
- Eastern Promises (Kudos Pictures)
- The Great Debaters (MGM)
- Michael Clayton (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- No Country For Old Men (Miramax Films)
- There Will Be Blood (Miramax Films)
