Jewish talent takes home Golden Globes in TV and film

Israeli-born Natalie Portman wins best actress; Jewish writers of "The Social Network" and "Glee" take home awards.

By JTA
natalie portman golden globes 311 (photo credit: AP)
natalie portman golden globes 311
(photo credit: AP)
LOS ANGELES - Jewish talent won some and lost some at the Golden Globe Award ceremonies, auguring a mixed outlook for the upcoming Oscar nominations.
Israeli-born Natalie Portman waltzed away from the Sunday evening award ceremony in Beverly Hills as best actress in the drama category for her impressive turn as a tortured ballerina in “The Black Swan.”
“The Social Network,” the gripping - if somewhat skewed - story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, won for best drama picture, but its star, Jesse Eisenberg, lost out to best actor winner Colin Firth, portraying England’s stuttering George VI in “The King’s Speech.”
“Social Network” won additional honors for screenwriter Aaron Sorkin for best screenplay. Sorkin beat out, among others, Britain’s David Seidler, who provided the inspiration and script for “The King’s Speech.”
Seidler’s paternal grandparents perished in the Holocaust.
In the separate comedy or musical category, Paul Giamatti, who is not Jewish, emerged as best actor for his portrayal of the very Jewish producer Barney Panofsky in “Barney’s Version.”
The movie is based on the novel of the same title by Canadian-Jewish author Mordecai Richler.
Denmark’s “In a Better World” won the prize for best foreign-language film. Israel’s Oscar entry, “The Human Resources Manager,” did not place among the five finalists.
For the first time since the end of World War II, no movie or documentary dealing with the Holocaust or the Nazi era was submitted for either Golden Globe or Academy Award consideration.
The television musical show "Glee" was named best television comedy show, and cast members Jane Lynch, who plays cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, and Chris Cofer, who plays gay student Kurt, won for best supporting actress and actor. Brad Falchuk, son of national Hadassah President Nancy Falchuk, is a co-creator, producer, writer and director on the show.