LOS ANGELES – The story of a schizophrenic genius, A Beautiful Mind, took home four awards at the Golden Globe ceremony Sunday, including best drama and the best actor award for leading man Russell Crowe.
"A Beautiful Mind is just a movie, just a piece of entertainment at the end of the day, folks," Crowe said. "But hopefully it helps us open our hearts, gives us a little more understanding, gives us a little more compassion."
Jennifer Connelly won the best supporting actress award for her performance opposite Crowe, and the film took home the best screenplay Globe.
Moulin Rouge received three awards. Australian siren Nicole Kidman won for best actress in a musical or comedy for her performance as a cabaret singer, and director Baz Luhrmann accepted the film's best musical or comedy award. The movie also won for best original score.
"My hands are shaking," said Kidman. "This is really, really special because I never thought I'd be in a musical — let alone win an award for one."
Robert Altman won best director for his star-studded British murder-mystery, Gosford Park.
"I don't know what a best director is, except that [it is] someone who stands in the same space with the best actors," Altman said. "I feel that they do the work and I get to watch. And nothing is better than that."
Sissy Spacek won best dramatic actress for the drama In the Bedroom. Gene Hackman, who couldn't make it to the ceremony, won the comedy actor Globe for his performance as the head of a family of former child prodigies in The Royal Tenenbaums. And Jim Broadbent claimed the supporting actor trophy for playing the husband of novelist Iris Murdoch, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, in Iris.
Bosnia's No Man's Land received the foreign language film Globe beating out critical favorite, Amelie.
Sting was the victor in the movie song category for his romantic waltz "Until ...," from Kate & Leopold starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman.
The ceremony, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is considered to be a barometer for the Academy Awards. If it is, both A Beautiful Mind and Moulin Rouge could do very well at the Oscars in March.
One film that was noticeably absent from the list of winners was Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, which was just thrust out of the No. 1 box office spot — by Black Hawk Down — for the first time in four weeks.
The Golden Globes also showed that Hollywood is maintaining a low-key feel since Sept. 11. Absent were the outrageous antics or remarks that have given the Globes notoriety in the past.
Still, some stars reflected a lightening mood.
Sela Ward, who was nominated as best dramatic actress for television show Once and Again, wore a bright red midriff-baring dress by Valentino.
"I think it's time for us to celebrate life and live, and it's kind of fun to get dressed tonight, I have to say," she said on the red carpet.
The Golden Globes, unlike the Academy Awards, honor both television and film professionals.
In the television categories, HBO's Sex and the City took the best comedy prize and star Sarah Jessica Parker won for comedic actress, which she has won in the past. And the cable network's new funeral home drama Six Feet Under was chosen best dramatic series.
Charlie Sheen got the comedic actor award for ABC's Spin City. "This is so surreal. This is like a sober acid trip," joked Sheen, a recovering drug abuser.
Kiefer Sutherland who plays a CIA agent in the thriller 24, took the dramatic TV actor trophy. "I've just lost complete feeling in my lower half," Sutherland said.
Jennifer Garner claimed the dramatic TV actress award for playing a sexy spy in ABC's Alias. "I'm really glad I had the first glass of wine — I'm kind of regretting the second," Garner joked during her acceptance speech
HBO's World War II drama Band of Brothers won best miniseries, and Tom Hanks, who co-produced the project, accepted the award on behalf of the veterans depicted in the film.
"They're all either at home or in heaven and we do this to bring attention to them," Hanks said.
Judy Davis received the miniseries actress award for ABC's Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows and James Franco the miniseries actor prize for TNT's James Dean.
Harrison Ford, star of the Indiana Jones adventures, the original Star Wars trilogy and films such as Blade Runner, The Fugitive and Witness, received the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award. Past honorees include Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Barbra Streisand.
"In anticipation of tonight, I wrote two speeches — a long one and a short one," the soft-spoken Ford joked. "Because I thought it might be a long evening, I'll give you the short one: Thank you. But it seems there might be enough time for the long one as well, which is: Thank you very much."
The historically irreverent Golden Globe program, which encourages winners to be freewheeling and spontaneous, was broadcast live on NBC.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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