Brad and Angelina to Miss Awards Weekend

The red carpet is going to be a slightly less glamorous place this weekend.

That’s because Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are skipping both the Critics Choice Awards on Friday night and the Golden Globes on Sunday.

The usual gossip whisperers are saying it’s because the royal pair are having relationship issues and don’t want to be seen in public.

I say, Horsefeathers. For the last couple of years, Brad and Angelina have done yeoman duty showing up on lots of red carpets and sitting through countless awards ceremonies. And where is has gotten them? No place. They don’t win, but then have to look enthusiastic for the actual winners. Last year, in her acceptance speech at one of these shows, Kate Winslet actually forgot Angelina’s name when citing her other nominees.

Who needs it?

This year, Brad has a great comic performance in “Inglourious Basterds” as Sgt. Aldo Raine. His Italian bit at the start of the final sequence is hilarious. Pitt, as he showed in “Burn After Reading,” is a gifted comic actor. But he was overlooked for Christoph Waltz, who plays the Nazi Hans Landa. Pitt is no doubt happy for Waltz, but reasonably disappointed that a total newcomer to American cinema accidentally stole his thunder. You can’t blame him.

Still, “Basterds” is an ensemble piece. And while Waltz was a stand out, Pitt is without a doubt the heart and soul of the movie. As the leader of the “Basterds,” he is the movie’s hero. He’s exactly who patrons plunked down $12 for, and why he’s billed as the star of the movie. He has a lot of significant moments in “Basterds.” One of my favorites is right after the massive shoot-out in the bar, when Pitt shouts down. He’s off camera, but his accent is impeccable and so is attitude. The audience loves hearing just his voice, which says a lot when you think that Pitt’s image is his selling point.

So Brad, if you read this, come to Hollywood this weekend. The “Basterds” need you. Angie’s absence is understood: she has six kids and is finishing a film. But we’re Paging Pitt: it won’t be the same without you!