Demi Moore in The Substance and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2024 Photo: IMDB, Getty Images Demi Moore in The Substance and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2024 Photo: IMDB, Getty Images

“I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting: In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough or pretty enough, or skinny enough or sucessful enough, or basically just not enough. I had a woman say to me “Just know, you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick”—This is how Hollywood actress Demi Moore accepted her Golden Globes award in the ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy’ category at the 82nd Golden Globes Awards on January 5, 2025. Moore, who made her acting debut in 1981winhq, said that this was the first time that she had won an award for her performance in 45 years. Recounting a comment made to her by a producer 30 years ago, Moore said that she was called a “popcorn actress”. She stated how she had internalised the remark to the point that it made her believe that she didn’t deserve any acknowledgement for what she did, irrespective of her fame and success. In many ways, her very personal and moving acceptance speech echoed the overarching sentiments of The Substance (2024), for which she bagged the trophy. The film, directed by Coralie Fargeat, is from the body horror genre and is a commentary on the unrealistic standards of beauty and ageing that are set for women by the society.

The lineup of films, which were nominated for various awards at the ceremony, reflected that 2024 was a year of stimulating and dynamic performances by women from across the world. Fernanda Torres, the Brazilian actress who won in the ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama’ category, acknowledged this humbly in her acceptance speech. “This is such an amazing year for female performances...so many actresses here that I admire so much,”said Torres, while accepting her award. Torres was competing with her performance in the Portuguese film I’m Still Here (2024), against the likes of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton, Pamela Anderson and Kate Winslet. Directed by Brazilian director Walter Salles, I’m Still Here is a political biographical drama on Eunice Paiva, played by Torres—an activist, who deals with the enforced disappearance of her husband, Rubens Paiva, a politician who opposed the military dictatorship in Brazil in 1964.

Fernanda Torres in I'm Still Here and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2025 Photo: IMDB Fernanda Torres in I'm Still Here and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2025 Photo: IMDB

Since the last few years, the Golden Globes Awards ceremony has stood out as a witness to powerful speeches by the actresses who have been awarded for their distinctive performances. Last year, it was Lily Gladstone’s speech after receiving the award for the ‘Best Performance in Drama’ category. Gladstone—who is of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce and European origin—became the first indigenous actor to win the award and was given a standing ovation by the audience at the ceremony. She was awarded for her role as Mollie Burkhart, a member of the Osage Nation, in Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama, “Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023). The film was premised on a series of murders of Osage members in Oklahoma in 1920, after oil is discovered on their land. She credited her Blackfeet community and nation, “all her beautiful sisters in the film” as well as her mother for her achievement. “I’m so grateful that I can speak even a little bit of my language, which I’m not fluent in, up here. Because in this business, Native actors used to speak their lines in English and then the sound mixers would run them backwards to accomplish Native languages on camera,” Gladstone said. She dedicated her award to “every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream,” and explained that her victory is shared by those, “who are seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other.”

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon and Golden Globes Awards, 2024 Photo: IMDB, Getty Images Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon and Golden Globes Awards, 2024 Photo: IMDB, Getty Images

In 2023, Michelle Yeoh took the ceremony by storm, when she won in the same category as Moore for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) as Evelyn Quan Wang. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film was a hat tip to Asian directors and film genres, and was based on the story of a Chinese American immigrant who is out to save the multiverse from destruction while being hounded by the IRS. Having started her film career in 1984, Yeoh took a moment to “take it all in” when she received her award. “40 years…not letting go of this!” she said, with her trophy in hand. “I remember when I first came to Hollywood, it was a dream come true, until I got here,” she recalled and laughed. “Because…look at this face…I came here and was told, ‘You are a minority’, and I’m like no, that’s not possible. And then, someone said to me, ‘You speak English!’ I mean, forget about them not knowing Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Asia, India…And then I said, Ya, the flight here was about 13 hours long so I learnt on the way!” she said. “As time went by…I turned 60 last year…and I think, all of you women understand, as the days, the years and the numbers get bigger, it seems like opportunities start to get smaller as well,” said Yeoh. In the middle of her speech, she also asked the Award ceremony producers to “Shut up”, when the orchestra tried to cut her off mid-way through her speech. “I can beat you up…and that’s serious!” she jokingly remarked.

On the other hand, China have qualified for their maiden Asian Champions Trophy final. Their journey to the summit clash has been a rollercoaster ride. They started with a defeat to India but bounced back with a 4-2 win over Malaysia. The hosts then faced a 2-3 loss to South Korea and were also routed 5-1 by Pakistan in the pool stage.

The youngster displayed goalkeeping masterclass in the shoot-out, saving all four of Pakistan’s attempts after the match was drawn 1-1 in regulation time.

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2023. Photo: IMDB, Getty Images Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once and at the Golden Globes Awards, 2023. Photo: IMDB, Getty Images

The speeches of these actresses, over the years, are testimony to the inherent exclusion, racism and patriarchy embedded within Hollywood—one of the most powerful film industries in the world. The kind of performances being recognized by award ceremonies such as Golden Globes in the recent past, however, indicate a very subtle shift taking place in the perception of what qualifies as an ‘achievement’ for such institutions. While remedying the deeply ingrained biases in the industrial structure may take a long time, perhaps this shift, brought about by such vibrant and diverse women performers, is a small step towards a more inclusive cinema as well as industry.

In The Substance, Demi Moore Holds The Devastating, Fragile Centre Of A Ruthless Drama

BY Debanjan Dharwinhq