BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "Shakespeare" was loved, Jack Nicholson was roasted and "Saving Private Ryan" started its march toward the Oscars at the 56th annual Golden Globe Awards presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
On the television side, producer David E. Kelley got a double dose of honors and "Felicity's" Keri Russell was an upset winner."Ryan" took home two awards -- for best motion picture drama and for Steven Spielberg's direction.
"Shakespeare in Love" won for movie (comedy or musical), screenplay and actress Gwyneth Paltrow's performance. "The Truman Show" was also a big winner, taking home prizes for motion picture score and for the work of actors Jim Carrey and Ed Harris.
"This is serious," Carrey said, looking at his award. He said he was going to give it to his daughter.
Cate Blanchett won best dramatic actress for her role as the title character in "Elizabeth."
The fact that the awards were spread among several movies -- including an award for Michael Caine as best comedic actor in "Little Voice" -- could make for a more wide-open Oscar race, as the Globes often foreshadow the Academy Awards. With its two major honors, though, Spielberg's World War II drama remains the favorite.
Spielberg, who relaxed Sunday by watching "Gunfight at the OK Corral" with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, said about "Ryan," "I hope that the movie is looking back 54 years to our fathers and grandfathers to say 'thank you' for letting us live in the free world that we do."
The evening's highlight came when Warren Beatty presented Nicholson with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor Nicholson later said gave him "the fear of the shroud." Beatty jokingly called Nicholson "one of my childhood idols" and later a "contemporary of Cecil B. DeMille."
Nicholson took it all in good humor and delivered a long, rambling, deliciously funny acceptance speech that touched on all aspects of his career.
"What I like about this achievement award is that it doesn't come from my peers," Nicholson said, flashing his trademark grin. "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a loose group of guys and gals. You almost feel like you could go out and have fun with them."
In the major television categories, "Ally McBeal" was again named best comedy series, while "The Practice" won for best drama. Both series are produced by Kelley. Tom Hanks' celebrated HBO miniseries about NASA's Apollo missions, "From the Earth to the Moon," won the prize for best miniseries.
Michael J. Fox of "Spin City" was the winner for TV comedy actor. The star, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, thanked his doctors, including one he said had opened up his brain. "We're so lucky to do what we do . . . and just take every day and enjoy it," Fox said.