British Stars Shine in Us Film Awards List

The adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement garnered seven nominations in the 2008 Golden Globes yesterday, confirming the fascination English costume drama holds for American film awards.

The film, released last week in the US, was nominated in all the major categories, including best drama, director, and screenplay.

Its two leads, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, both received nominations for the awards, which are due to be presented next month. The Globes, normally seen as a reliable precursor of the Oscars, suggested that this year's film awards season will be more open than ever. Seven films received nominations in the best drama category, while five were nominated for best musical or comedy.

Nominations for best drama included the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson's California oil boom tale There Will Be Blood. Crime sagas American Gangster and Eastern Promises, the college drama The Great Debaters and the legal potboiler Michael Clayton rounded out the field.

The best musical or comedy category saw nominations for the Beatles-inspired musical Across the Universe, the foreign policy comedy Charlie Wilson's War, musicals Hairspray and Sweeney Todd and the teen pregnancy tale Juno.

British names dominated, from Julie Christie for her performance as a woman with Alzheimer's disease in Away From Her to Ronald Harwood for his screenplay for Julian Schnabel's adaptation of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. That film was one of two US productions nominated for best foreign language film. It was joined by The Kite Runner, and films from France, Romania and Taiwan.

Awards season perennials also dominated the list, from Helena Bonham-Carter, to Hollywood royalty such as Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster and Angelina Jolie. British fare was also prominent in the TV categories, with dramas such as Longford, The State Within and Five Days all receiving nominations.

Whether the stars will be able to grace the red carpet for the awards is in doubt. The Hollywood writers' strike, now more than a month old, shows no sign of ending. Awards ceremonies are typically scripted by Writers Guild of America members and could well be subject to picketing.

Nominations

Best motion picture - drama American Gangster, Atonement, Eastern Promises, The Great Debaters, Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood

Best actress in a drama Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age); Julie Christie (Away From Her); Jodie Foster (The Brave One); Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart); Keira Knightley (Atonement)

Best actor in a drama George Clooney (Michael Clayton); Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood); James McAvoy (Atonement); Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises); Denzel Washington (American Gangster)