There was a lot of color a-poppin’ on the red carpet right alongside the flashbulbs, but for every frock that sizzled there was another one that fizzled. We take a look at the hits and misses of the 2002 Golden Globes, which stars clearly have a passion for fashion, and which stars were merely clashin’. Click on the link at the bottom of this story to see our gallery of Globes photos.
HIT: Jennifer Garner
There is nothing cloak-and-dagger about the red carpet-red Vera Wang gown Alias star Garner chose for her debut appearance at the Golden Globes. Fashion mission accomplished: the dress scores points on several fronts, for combining sheer, sleek simplicity with a bold color choice, and that knockout three-foot train (that we saw was stepped on by P.Diddy and Ewan McGregor, sadly). Plus she gets to show off those tremendously toned shoulders. Of course, a dress like this would be bad for Garner’s TV character, as it could barely conceal a thong line, let alone a deadly weapon.
MISS: Sarah Jessica Parker
It’s hard to go wrong in Karl Lagerfeld, and yet somehow the ever-plucky Parker does with this Poofasaurus Rex. The Sex and the City star usually either knocks her fashion choices out of the park or strikes out dramatically, and this ensemble is definitely right in the strike zone. There’s nothing all that heinous about each of the individual elements–the dress, the hair, the makeup, the necklace–but when they all come together she looks like Carrie (Bradshaw) on Prom Night.
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HIT: Debra Messing
TV’s Grace Messing is ever-graceful in her dynamic chiffon Oscar de la Renta, which came with the most impressive train of the evening. The gown was a holdover from last fall’s Emmys, when “subdued” and “respectful” were the buzzwords of the moment, prompting her to put it back in the closet. The actress mastered the understated look then, and now proves that when glitz fits, her tasteful choice once again rules the red carpet. A fine Messing, indeed–now if we can only get her onstage to collect an award in her great couture one of these days.
MISS: Cameron Diaz
Diaz ‘s choice, frankly, is harder to figure out than the plot of Vanilla Sky.
HIT: Calista Flockhart
Much like Ally McBeal’s love life, Flockhart‘s fashion choices are often just a hair off the mark, but the TV lawyer makes a strong argument with this simple ensemble. It proves that, yes, she has a curve or two, the color is perfectly complementary and the sexy off-the-shoulder look and splayed, splashy hemline evokes the retro-glam feel of Hollywood’s Golden Age without trying to hard. All in all, a very successful motion.
MISS: Cate Blanchett
If acting is about making the right choices, and Blanchett is, we’ll all agree, a stellar actress, then what happened here? Is there even one good choice in this entire outfit?
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HIT: Jennifer Connelly
Connelly‘s got more than just a Beautiful Mind going for her, which is why she is able to pull off this relatively simple and straightforward look–she’s so devastatingly gorgeous, she doesn’t really need to oversell anything. Basic black does the trick, and while the flower at the décolletage is a minor gimmick (as if she really needs to draw anyone’s attention there) but frankly, I don’t mind.
MISS: Rachel Griffiths
OK, this is, um, different. The bright pink color scheme might have been tasty on saucy Aussie Griffiths, but all those frou-frou frills on the front–just what’s going on there? Feathers? Beads?–combined with her overdone hair extensions leave her looking like a big ball of cotton candy, but the taste isn’t sweet. Let’s hope she stashes this gown six feet under after the Globes.
HIT: Heather Locklear
On just about anybody else, this look would be waaay too Pamela Anderson, even on Pamela Anderson. So how does Locklear pull it off? Um, look at her. It’s like Wayne and Garth said, “There is a God, and Heather be thy name.”
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MISS (BUT JUST BARELY): Andie MacDowell
It certainly wasn’t the worst outfit on the red carpet and I liked it when I first saw it on TV, but when I encountered MacDowell in person on awards night, the dress made her boobs appear even stiffer than some of her performances. Not to imply that they’re fake–the dress just asks them to defy gravity in a very silicon kinda way. Now, how do I get out of this without an obligatory “Golden Globes” gag?
HIT: Halle Berry
Valentino’s been Berry, Berry good to Halle, and she’s always been able to pull off the designer’s smooth, curve-hugging, peek-a-boo-paneled creations with aplomb. And here, just in time for her newly sexed-up image, Valentino delivers a resplendent mocha gown that, matched with the actress’ inimitable skin tone, seems to cover this Berry in chocolate. She’s definitely the belle of this ball, without a monster in sight.
Others Who Hit: Reese Witherspoon; Marisa Tomei; Naomi Watts; Angelina Jolie; Billy Bob Thornton (yeah, that’s right, a beret-wearin’ Billy Bob–wanna make something of it?); and Will Smith.
Others Who Missed: Sela Ward (bare midriff, yes; covered in bows, no); Jessica Alba (the uninspired white tux was a definite step backward from her successful Emmy frock); Megan Mullally (put those things away before somebody loses an eye); John Cameron Mitchell (hated–yet secretly loved–it); Benjamin Bratt and Brad Pitt (you boys, who wear clothes so well, just insist on scruffing things up).
