Golden Globe Awards 2012: ‘The Artist’ wins Best Picture - Comedy or Musical

The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards were telecast Sunday, Jan. 15. In a not-unexpected turn of events, “The Artist” was named the winner for Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical category.

“The Artist,” directed by Michel Hazanavicius, was favored to win as the movie has been receiving both critical praise and a warm audience reception.

In a show-stealing moment, Uggie the Jack Russell terrier, the canine star of the film, joined Hazanavicius and the cast on stage. In the acceptance speech, producer Thomas Langmann accepted the award in memory of his late father, director Claude Barri.

The French movie takes audiences back to Hollywoodland just at the cusp of the talkies in the late 1920s. It tells the story of the fading star of silent-movie actor George Valentin and the parallel rise of starlet Peppy Miller. The film, taking a cue from its setting and focus, is filmed in black-and-white and does not use dialog.

See a slideshow of 2012 Golden Globe nominees for Best Picture for Comedy or Musical. Or watch "The Artist" at the Golden Globes or a trailer for the film.

“The Artist” (a La Petite Reine – Studio 37 – La Classe Americaine – JD Prod- France3 Cinema – Jouror Production-uFilms coproduction; The Weinstein Company) has previously won a number of awards, including Critics’ Choice Award for Best Picture and Film Critic Awards for Best Picture in Boston, Denver, Detroit, New York, Oklahoma, Phoenix and Vancouver.

This 2012 Golden Globes category showcased a diverse range of comedy movies, from broad comedy to sentimental journeys into the past.

Also nominated for the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy were

• “50/50” (Summit Entertainment and Mandate Pictures; Summit Entertainment), directed by Jonathan Levine;
• “Bridesmaids” (Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures), directed by Paul Feig;
• “Midnight In Paris” (A Mediapro, Versatil Cinema & Gravier Production; Sony Pictures Classics), directed by Woody Allen; and
• “My Week With Marilyn” (The Weinstein Company; The Weinstein Company), directed by Simon Curtis.

Worth noting: Despite the release of “The Muppets,” one of the year’s most best-received movies, HFPA nominated no musicals for this category.

Golden Globe winners enjoy an increased visibility in local movie theatres, if still relatively new, or tend to be available through DVD rentals such as Redbox, located at select Giant Eagle and Get Go! locations.

Pittsburgh movie-goers should look for mainstream films still in release at AMC Loews Waterfront 22, SouthSide Works Cinemaand Waterworks Cinema 10. Look for locations and movie tickets available for online purchase at Fandango. Independent films will screen at Squirrel Hill’s Manor Theatre.

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