Golden Globes limit ‘Passion’
The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. announced Monday that Mel Gibson’s worldwide hit “The Passion of the Christ” will be eligible for a best foreign-language film Golden Globe nomination, not best motion picture. Director Gibson and others who worked on the film, however, will be eligible in other categories.
A spokesman for the organization said Golden Globe rules allowed only English-language feature films to compete for best picture. Although “The Passion of the Christ” is a U.S.-produced movie, the dialogue is in Aramaic with subtitles.
The association also announced that Michael Moore’s controversial film on the Bush administration’s war on terror, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” is ineligible for a best motion picture nomination because Golden Globe rules prohibit documentaries from competing in that category. Moore has withdrawn his film from consideration by the Academy Awards for best documentary, but is willing to have Oscar voters consider the film for best picture.
The two moves by the association are setbacks for Gibson and Moore because the Golden Globes are often seen as a precursor to the Academy Awards.
This year’s Golden Globe nominations will be announced on Dec. 13, with the awards ceremony to be broadcast Jan. 16 on NBC.
Robert W. Welkos
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