GLOBE TROTTERS
While most of America spent the weekend eyeballing Washington’s inaugural fanfare — which included hula dancers, a giant Styrofoam bison on a float and Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders wearing plunging bodygloves designed by the same man who made Laura Bush’s red ballgown — Hollywood, predictably, couldn’t have cared less.
The Golden Globes have become as much a social opportunity as a career opportunity — and this year’s round, culminating with Sunday’s awards show, stretched into four nights of solid partying.
The Talk magazine bash, which stretched from Asia de Cuba to the pool of the Mondrian, is one of Hollywood’s newest traditions.
“It’s the kickoff to the season,” Tina Brown explained. “All the celebrities are still fresh. They haven’t dressed up in a while and there’s a sparkle in their eyes. The actors seem dewier than at the Oscars.”
Aided by the star power of Miramax, Brown and Harvey Weinstein played host to Kristin Scott Thomas, Lasse Hallstrom and the Italian bombshell Monica Bellucci, as well as Sigourney Weaver, Helena Bonham Carter, Amanda Peet, Minnie Driver, Sarah Jessica Parker and Sofia Coppola.
What does Weinstein like best about the Globes? “The drinking,” he said as he bent down to kiss Hugh Grant’s hand.
Geoffrey Rush echoed the sentiment Thursday night at Premiere magazine’s party at the Academy Library.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” he sighed. “Martinis help you through.”
“I’ve had one of those you-think-you’re-Jackie-O. schedules this week,” Marcia Gay Harden laughed. “I think I deserve a name tag with the word ‘jet-setter’ on it.”
Friday offered two options. A crowd gathered on the roofdeck of L’Ermitage to toast Pamela Dennis and visiting British hair guru Charles Worthington. Bai Ling, Annabella Sciorra, Rosanna Arquette, Amanda Goldberg and Bobby Brown — sans Whitney — all dropped by.
Up the hill, Vanity Fair hosted an old-school Hollywood affair at Mike and Irina Medavoy’s Beverly Hills mansion. On the patio, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer shivered in her Prada slipdress beside Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Peter Fonda and Oliver Stone. Barbra Streisand held court in the dining room near Courtney Love, who marched up to stylist Phillip Bloch with a last-minute request.
“I’m going to the Globes,” she said. “Can you find me a dress?” It was a mere 36 hours before the show.
The Talk party the following night remained the weekend’s main attraction — and offered perhaps the best evidence of the Globes’ lax attitude. At the end of the night, Tina Brown parked herself on the middle of the dessert table and sat making her goodbyes between the three-tiered trays of chocolate.
“It was even better than last year,” she whispered.