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being transformed into blue-skinned
Na'vi in "Avatar"
Oprah, the Executive Producer of Precious, was not at the Golden Globes in anticipation of some wins. I suspect it is because she didn't want to up-stage the actresses who were up for awards - Gabourey Sidibe and Monique (I cannot write Monique's name in that idiosyncratic spelling). And perhaps she is waiting for the real movie awards, the Oscars.
I figured Monique (who played Precious's mother Mary Jones) would win best supporting actress, but Sidibe was competing with some seasoned actresses in the "best actress" category. And with actresses who played roles that equaled hers.
In the end, Sandra Bullock, who is a much better actress and does deserve the Golden Globe, was awarded the prize. But, she does act in a Precious kind of film, The Blind Side. Just with a better ending.
Bullock plays the role of Leigh Anne Roberts Tuohy, the adoptive (white) mother of black football star Michael Oher, who had been in and out of foster homes since a young boy until he was adopted by Leigh Anne and her family at seventeen. Michael eventually becomes a football star playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Best Motion Picture went to Avatar. No surprise there. But, the fascinating part is that the main female blue-skinned Na'vi from the moon Pandora is played by black actress Zoe Saldana. When I saw Saldana without the blue make-up, I wondered why Cameron cast her as one of the Na'vi. After all, with all the make-up and computer simulation to create these Na'vi, any actress would have done.
Saldana also played in the latest Star Trek, so she may have had some "science fiction" exposure from that film. But, my feeling is that the ultra-liberal Cameron simply wanted to be authentic down to the grind when he made his film about non-white people from another galaxy confronting those "imperialistic" and damaging white colonizers. What better way to do that than to give the role to a black woman, so the message won't get lost in mere metaphors.
So, in a way, Precious did win, or at least the spirit of Precious won in three awards: Best Picture (Avatar), Best Actress (Bullock) and Best Supporting Actress. Hollywood just can’t help being politically correct.
