The Hollywood Film Awards, with Carlos de Abreau at the helm once again drew in an mega A list buzzy crowd for its 22nd year. Awkwafina hosted and she was terrific, clever, snappy and really funny. “It’s amazing, I’ve always wanted to host these awards since I found out about them two weeks ago.”
There were poignant moments: ‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler recounted how he was recently at Target right before Halloween on a rare date night with his wife and “I saw this Hispanic family in the costume section. A young boy about 8 years old reached up and snatched T’Challa’s costume. That was so rewarding that the kid felt powerful dressing like an African superhero.” Dan Reynolds beautifully sang his ‘Skipping Stones’ from the documentary ‘Believer,’ with composer Hans Zimmer playing as well. Damien Chazelle told of his admiration for the astronauts and said that, “In this climate, their story gives me a certain amount of hope, because it reminds me that all of us ordinary, flawed, fallible human beings, when pushed, can be capable of anything and everything.” Anne Hathaway gave her ‘Les Miz’ co-star Hugh Jackman the Hollywood Actor Award and affectionately mocked his nice guy image. Chalamet, accepting the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award, got the giggles after he thanked on of the film’s producers Brad Pitt (who by then had left). Amanda Stenberg, who received the Hollywood Breakout Performance Actress Award,’ for her work in ’The Hate You Give,’ encouraged the crowd, “to stand up and be heard.” Glenn Close, accepting her trophy for The Hollywood Actress Award, thanked her British co-star Jonathan Pryce and noted that, “ there was no American actor who wanted to be in a movie called ‘The Wife,’ we had to go over the Pond.
Nicole Kidman was the epitome of grace saying, “I’m in the position of being able to, right now, give voice to complicated women and have them be seen, have them be heard, have them be understood. I’m also in the position of supporting female directors and crews. I’m incredibly grateful for the career that I’ve been given by you, the Hollywood community, by this industry. You’ve allowed me to take risks and to fall down. You’ve picked me back up again. You’ve given me a second, third and fourth chance. I will always continue to give back to this community and give back to this industry and give back to my craft.”
