It was a successful evening for female actors at the Critics’ Choice Awards, which paid homage to female-led stories stories, which included The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Handsmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies. Wonder Woman received the award for best action movie, with Gal Gadot accepting a special award for challenging gender-based stereotypes.
Gal Gadot
The sexual misconduct scandal was a part of the show, too, however, with James Franco winning an award, just hours after a report surfaced that detailed allegations made against the actor. Franco chose not to attend the event, which was held at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar in California.
The Shape of Water won four awards on the night. The fantasy romance won best director for Guillermo del Toro, who closed the show by voicing his support for female equality. The film received the highest number of nominations, with 14, also winning best picture, along with production design and score honours.
The dinner ceremony was hosted by Olivia Munn, who had previously spoken in public regarding her own sexual misconduct experiences in the industry. The actress had the audience raise a glass, along with Niecy Nash, to all actors in Hollywood who took meetings in meeting rooms, as opposed to hotel rooms.
Winners will have had the opportunity to raise a glass in style after the ceremony, with the usual bevvy of after-show parties available. Speaking of hotel rooms, many of the less-prominent guests staying nearby will have been enjoying the local entertainment, with such awards shows held in premium locations.
Of course, they will have had the opportunity to watch the award-winning films on the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. They may have even chosen to turn to other forms of entertainment online, such as online casino games, There’s a number of casinos getting in on the current freespins fever, and a chance to win money for free always puts a smile on the face. A few spins at the roulette table helps to keeps up the glitz and glamour theme, too, of course.
When it came to smiles at the ceremony, it seems like women weren’t quite done.
Female-centric stories were also the centre of attention in the comedy category. The award for best comedy series went to The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, with star Rachel Brosnahan winning best comedy actress. Brosnahan pointed out in her speech that while women weren’t wearing black, as was largely the case at the recent Golden Globes awards, there is more to be done in the fight against sexual harassment. The best actress award went to Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Chris Hemsworth, who presented the award to an absent McDormand, noted that last year’s three biggest movies in North America were Wonder Woman, Beauty and the Beast, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, all featuring female protagonists. He added that the most successful comedy was Girls Trip and the most successful independent film was directed by filmmaker Greta Gerwig, who also penned the script.
Many winners at the Critics’ Choice Awards had also won Golden Globes, including Brosnahan, Oldman, Rockwell, McDormand, and the stars of Big Little Lies. There’s more to come from awards season, with the Academy Awards to be presented on the 4th of March.
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