'Gladiator' Named Best Drama

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) â€” Awards were handed out like party favors at the Golden Globes â€” few films went home empty-handed, but no movie dominated the ceremony. <br><br>The Roman epic ``Gladiator''

Monday, January 22nd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) â€” Awards were handed out like party favors at the Golden Globes â€” few films went home empty-handed, but no movie dominated the ceremony.

The Roman epic ``Gladiator'' claimed best dramatic movie and the 1970s rock 'n' roll story ``Almost Famous'' won best comedy.

``For a few anxious minutes I didn't think I'd get to take this baby home,'' ``Gladiator'' director Ridley Scott confessed to the Beverly Hilton audience.

Several films won two awards, thwarting those who would use the Golden Globes to predict a clear-cut favorite for the Academy Awards in March.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which sponsors the awards, also honored a handful of movies that have struggled at the box office, such as ``Wonder Boys,'' ``Nurse Betty'' and ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?''

The drug-trade drama ``Traffic'' was considered a favorite before the event, but won only two awards: Benicio Del Toro for supporting actor in a drama, and Stephen Gaghan for screenplay.

Tom Hanks won the dramatic actor Globe for ``Cast Away,'' a role for which he shed more than 40 pounds to appear starved, and Julia Roberts claimed best dramatic movie actress for ``Erin Brockovich.''

``I'm just shamelessly happy right now,'' Roberts said.

In addition to best comedy, ``Almost Famous'' also won in the supporting actress category for Kate Hudson's performance as a rock-band groupie.

George Clooney won best actor in a comedy film for ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' and Renee Zellweger of ``Nurse Betty'' won best comedy film actress.

Zellweger, who played a delusional soap opera fan in ``Nurse Betty,'' almost missed her award because she was in the restroom, a fate that befell Christine Lahti in 1998 when she won for ``Chicago Hope.''

``A moment I'll never forget,'' she said after rushing to the stage. ``A moment I almost didn't have.''

Taiwan's ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' won the foreign-language film Globe and Ang Lee was named best director for the epic combining martial arts fury with the heroines' love stories.

In the music categories, ``Gladiator'' earned the original score Globe for Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, and Bob Dylan won original song for ``Things Have Changed'' from the ``Wonder Boys'' soundtrack.

NBC's ``The West Wing'' was named best television drama series and its star, Martin Sheen, won best actor in a TV drama for playing the president.

Sela Ward, who plays a divorced mother re-entering the dating world, was named the top actress in a TV drama series for ABC's ``Once and Again.''

Robert Downey Jr., who faces another drug possession trial, won best TV supporting actor for his role as Calista Flockhart's boyfriend on ``Ally McBeal.''

``Sex and the City'' won best comedy series, and star Sarah Jessica Parker won for a second consecutive year as best actress in a comedy series. ``Frasier'' star Kelsey Grammer was best actor in a comedy series.

Al Pacino received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which honors outstanding contributions to entertainment.

Nominees are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's roughly 90 members, who cover Hollywood for overseas publications.