BEVERLY HILLS – Once the Golden Globes show is over, the party really begins. Actually, let's rephrase that: that's when the “parties” begin. This year there were six on the grounds of the Beverly Hilton and another just a few miles away. But, as you'd suspect, the place to be is where the winners are and for the movie world that meant the FOX/20th Century Fox/Fox Searchlight shindig or the now legendary annual Warner Bros./In Style fete. The former featured big winners from “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Birdman,” “How To Train Your Dragon 2” and FX's “Fargo.” The latter is the party where every possible movie, TV and music star collides in a shoulder-to-shoulder extravaganza of pop culture. There was one moment at the WB/In Style event, however, which just has to be discussed before anything else.
You might not have caught her on the red carpet, but Taylor Swift was on the premises and joined buddy and Globe nominee Lorde in hitting up the soiree. While this event doesn't have a closed-off VIP area (we're all VIPs!), it is full of couches that face each other and that tends to create a maelstrom of packed people with publicists and personal security making it almost impossible to maneuver through. A few moments after Best Actor in a Drama winner Eddie Redmayne arrived, it was impossible not to notice him running into or saying hello (take your pick) to the aforementioned global pop stars. And while HitFix and In Contention are not in the gossip business, it goes without saying that Swift and Redmayne were reportedly once an item (if a brief one) and all eyes were on this “reunion.” The in-house photographers made a beeline for them and attempted to turn it into a pseudo-red carpet for a moment (I'm not sure they were even allowed to take photos, but they tried).
Meanwhile, less than two feet across from this mess (not a joke, just two feet) sat another one of the night's winners, “Boyhood's” Patricia Arquette and her husband. And, I can't believe I'm writing this, but it appeared no one was paying attention to them. I know this because I got stuck in the Lorde/Taylor/Eddie mess trying to get to a different part of the room. But sometimes extraordinary moments happen out of nowhere. Less than a minute after the photogs arrived, Redmayne somehow escaped the cabal and maneuvered past numerous handlers to reach out his hand and congratulate Arquette, who seemed immediately taken aback by the gesture. Want to know why there are all these stories of people loving Redmayne? There's your answer.
As for the rest of the WB/In Style party, I walked in as both Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson walked out with Globes in hand. Miles Teller, who arrived just for the post-show parties, was taking photos with his “Whiplash” co-star and Globe winner J.K. Simmons. But if the biggest throng of the night was around Lorde, Swift and Redmayne, the second biggest absolutely surrounded Chris Pratt. Later on the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star stopped to take photos with some of the guests on his way out, patiently waiting for one of them to figure out how to use her camera phone. John Legend, LA Galaxy star Robbie Rogers, Jason Collins, Vince Vaughn, Jessica Chastain, Gillian Anderson, Topher Grace, Hillary Duff, Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Schilling, Viola Davis, Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson, Channing Tatum, Jamie Dornan, Josh Gad and many more we've already forgotten filled the room.
The other place to be was at FOX's annual fete, which is outside the main building, but still on the hotel grounds. “The Grand Budapest Hotel's” surprise win for Best Picture – Comedy or Musical had director Wes Anderson surrounded by cast members Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson, as well as composer Alexandre Desplat. A few minutes after they arrived, “Foxcatcher's” Bennett Miller and Mark Ruffalo joined their party. Also celebrating with the “Budapest” crew – and having a grand old time – were Kristen Wiig and Claire Danes.
At the other end of the room Billy Bob Thornton and “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley celebrated their big wins by taking a ton of group photographs (really, it went on for awhile). Just a few feet away, Michael Keaton seemed to be taking a breather after winning the Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical statue (and quite an emotional speech). Later on there were reports of Chastain, Joel Coen and Frances McDormand arriving and chatting with Anderson and his “Budapest” crew (not sure if they were celebrating with the “Fargo” peeps).
All in all, it was another star-filled, extravagant post-Globes evening, but it did seem to thin out slightly (just slightly) earlier this year. Perhaps all those big names needed to get to CAA's big shindig at the Sunset Tower before the clock struck midnight.
A few additional observations.
– Only at the Globes: You wait for the elevator to take you to the Paramount Pictures party and Common, Gayle King and a slew of “Selma” supporters burst out when the door opens. You jump in the elevator to leave the party and when you hit the ground floor, the doors open and there's Julia Louis-Dreyfuss waiting to get inside.
– The HBO party is the toughest ticket at the Globes alongside Warner Bros/In Style. I ran into one movie director I know who just helmed a few episodes of an HBO series and he was waiting for his manager to help get him in. It wasn't a given!
– Aussie comic Pam Ann attended the FOX viewing party and I was stunned by how few people in attendance knew who she was. Wait, you've never hear of Pam Ann? Enjoy.