Demi Moore's Winning Words

The Golden Globes were handed out tonight, and the big winner was actress Demi Moore for The Substance, a horror film where a fading Hollywood star turns to a black market drug to look younger but results in some scary side effects.

I haven't seen the film, but began watching her in 1985 when St Elmo's Fire came out. The ensemble film is about a coming of age story, young people who just graduated from college in their early 20s trying to figure out their lives and realising it's not straight forward -- we all make mistakes, but it takes courage to keep going.

Moore with McCarthy in St Elmo's Fire in 1985

She played the character Jules who gives the impression she's doing well in her career, but flames out. Jules is fired from her job, is behind on her credit card payments and her possessions seized, and tries to kill herself by freezing to death.

But her friend Billy manages to persuade her to let him into her cold apartment and he tells her they're all in the same boat, trying to make sense of their lives.

Fast forward almost 40 years later, and Moore goes on stage to receive her Golden Globe. She admits she's shocked by the honour, and then gives an eloquent speech about insecurity and having the confidence to rise above it:

"I've been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first time I've ever won anything as an actor. And I'm just so humbled and so grateful.

Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a 'popcorn actress' and, at that time, I made that mean that this [award] wasn't something that I was allowed to have. That I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn't be acknowledged, and I bought in and I believed that.

Moore glowing on the red carpet

And that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought, a few years ago, that maybe this was it. Maybe I was complete. Maybe I would -- I'd done what I was supposed to do.

And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance. And the universe told me that you're not done. And I am so grateful to [director] Coralie [Fargeat] for trusting me to step in and play this woman. Margaret [Qualley], for being the other half of me that I couldn't have done without, for looking out for me. To the people who've been with me for over 30 years... all of the people who stood by me, especially the people who've believed in me when I haven't believed in myself.

And I'll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting is: In those moments when we don't think we're smart enough or pretty enough, or skinny enough or successful enough, or basically just not enough. I had a woman say to me, 'Just know, you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.'

And so today I celebrate this as a marker of my wholeness and of the love that is driving me and for the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong. Thank you so much."

Some Golden Globes Winners

Murphy giving his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes

The awards season has begun and tonight the Golden Globes were held in Los Angeles. It's hard to believe it's been a year since Michelle Yeoh won best actress for Everything Everywhere All At Once, and from there the multi-genre film went on to win big at the Oscars. She has had an amazing year flying everywhere all at once, getting married, having a grandchild -- on her husband's side -- and releasing a series called The Brothers Sun on Netflix.

This past year I saw a few films and was pleased to see some of them do well at the Golden Globes.

Yeoh on the red carpet earlier this evening

Oppenheimer, about the father of the atomic bomb won five Globes for best drama, best director nod for Christopher Nolan, best actor for Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr, and original score.

It's quite an intense movie and if you haven't seen it yet, best to read up on J. Robert Oppenheimer first as the film goes over his background, from being a philanderer to his questionable communist links. It's unfortunate the women in his life don't get more opportunities to reveal more of their characters though. Nevertheless, both Murphy and Downey were fantastic going head to head in this story that is hard to tell, even over three hours.

One can't mention Oppenheimer with out saying something about Barbie. I liked the premise of the film and it started off funny, but then the laughs soon disappeared. Even Will Ferrell did his best to get the comedy going, but it wasn't enough. Yes, America Ferrera's monologue got cheers from women in the audience, but it seemed to be contrived like the rest of the film.

The Boy and the Heron is Studio Ghibli's first ever Golden Globe! And it comes days after Hayao Miyazaki's birthday too! This is also an intense World War II film about coming of age, destruction and reconstruction, where a boy yearns for his mother who has died, and a mysterious heron that speaks may lead him to her. 

Studio Ghibli wins for The Boy and the Heron

Toshio Suzuki is a Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer who posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he was very happy to hear The Boy and the Heron won a Golden Globe, that it was "a very special feeling."

"Since the beginning of this year, Japan has been hit by a series of tragic earthquakes and accidents. When I hear the reports of many people still waiting for rescue in the disaster areas, I am filled with a sense of despair. In such a situation, I hope the bright news of winning an award can bring a smile to everyone's face, even if only a little. Together with our U.S. distribution partners, we look forward to further success with The Boy and the Heron. Thank you very much to the Golden Globes for this honor."

From this statement Suzuki must have felt it was not appropriate to go to the awards ceremony, but we are thrilled for Studio Ghibli.

And finally so pleased to see Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph win best actor in a musical or comedy film and best supporting actress in a motion picture respectively for The Holdovers. This is a film that at first seems like it is a comedy full of wry humour, but it goes way beyond it and has a message for everyone, that we never really know a person until they reveal the truth to you. It ties in very well with one of the most searched words on the Internet -- authentic.

Randolph kisses her award for The Holdovers

The next awards are the Emmy Awards on January 15, Baftas on February 18 and then the Oscars on March 10.

Quote of the Day: Ke Huy Quan

Quan gave an emotional acceptance speech tonight

The Golden Globes were handed out tonight and we love Ke Huy Quan's acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

He became famous as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 38 years ago. After that Quan doubted himself and his ability to keep going in acting.

But almost four decades later he has affirmed to himself and the rest of the world that he deserves to be on the stage.

Here's his speech:

Wow. Thank you. Thank you so much. 

I was raised to never forget where I came from and to always remember who gave me my first opportunity. I am so happy to see Steven Spielberg here tonight. Steven, thank you. 

When I started my career as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, I felt I felt so very lucky to have been chosen. As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it. If it was just luck, through so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer, that no matter what I did, I would, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid. 

Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid and they gave me an opportunity to try again. Everything that has happened since has been unbelievable. Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, thank you so so much for helping me find my answer. You have given me more than I could have ever hoped. 

Thank you to the Hollywood foreign press Association for this incredible honour. Thank you to A24 Ley Line Entertainment and Agbo. 

Thank you to our incredible producer Jonathan Wong. Thank you to Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and our entire EEAAO family. And last but not least, I want to say the most important person in my life, the one person that never stopped believing in me, my wife Echo, I love you with all my heart. 

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.