BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The uplifting drama about a schizophrenic genius, “A Beautiful Mind,” led winners at Sunday's Golden Globes with four awards, including best drama and best actor for star Russell Crowe.

        The hyperkinetic musical “Moulin Rouge” claimed three awards including best musical or comedy, and best musical actress for Nicole Kidman.

        “A Beautiful Mind” — the story of Princeton mathematician John Nash, who won a Nobel prize for economics after years in a battle with schizophrenia — also won best screenplay and supporting actress for Jennifer Connelly.

        “A Beautiful Mind' is just a movie, just a piece of entertainment at the end of the day, folks,” Crowe said. “But hopefully it helps us open our hearts, gives us a little more understanding, gives us a little more compassion.

        “Moulin Rouge,” a tale of forbidden love in circa-1900 Paris, also won best original score. Kidman won for her role as a dying cabaret singer.

        “My hands are shaking,” Kidman said. “This is really, really special because I never thought I'd be in a musical — let alone win an award for one.”

        Robert Altman took the directing honor for his murder-mystery satire “Gosford Park,” which chronicles the scandals of aristocrats through the eyes of their servants.

        “I don't know what a best director is, except that (it is) someone who stands in the same space with the best actors,” Altman said. “I feel that they do the work and I get to watch. And nothing is better than that.”

        Sissy Spacek was named best dramatic actress for the dark drama “In the Bedroom.”

        “I feel so blessed to get to do what I love to do and work with so many wonderfully talented people,” Spacek said. “The best part is I get to go home to my most precious family.”

        Gene Hackman, who couldn't make it to the ceremony, earned the comedy actor Globe for his performance as the conniving head of a family of former child prodigies in “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

        The supporting actor honor went to Jim Broadbent for playing the husband of novelist Iris Murdoch, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, in “Iris.”

        Bosnia's “No Man's Land” received the foreign language film Globe.

        Sting was the victor in the movie song category for his romantic waltz “Until ...,” from the comedy “Kate & Leopold.”

        If conventional wisdom holds, the Golden Globe recognition by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will be a boost for the Oscar chances of “A Beautiful Mind” and “Moulin Rouge” when the Academy Awards are presented in March.

        Sunday's Golden Globes program also showed that Hollywood is largely maintaining a toned-down attitude since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Absent were the outrageous antics or remarks that have given the Globes notoriety.

        Still, some stars reflected a lightening mood.

        Sela Ward, who was nominated as best dramatic actress for the television show “Once and Again,” arrived in a bright red midriff-baring dress by Valentino.

        “I think it's time for us to celebrate life and live, and it's kind of fun to get dressed tonight, I have to say,” she said on the red carpet.

        In the television categories, HBO's “Sex and the City” took the best comedy prize and star Sarah Jessica Parker was cited as best comedic actress. The cable network's funeral home drama “Six Feet Under” was chosen best dramatic series.

        Charlie Sheen got the comedic actor award for ABC's “Spin City.” A recovering drug abuser, he joked: “This is so surreal. This is like a sober acid trip.”

        Kiefer Sutherland's role as a CIA agent in the real-time thriller ”24” won a dramatic TV actor trophy, and Jennifer Garner claimed the dramatic TV actress award for playing a sexy spy in ABC's “Alias.”

        “I'm really glad I had the first glass of wine — I'm kind of regretting the second,” Garner joked during her acceptance speech.

        HBO's World War II drama “Band of Brothers” won best miniseries, and Tom Hanks, who co-produced the project, accepted the award on behalf of the veterans depicted in the film.

        “They're all either at home or in heaven and we do this to bring attention to them,” Hanks said.

        Judy Davis received the miniseries actress award for ABC's “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” and James Franco the miniseries actor prize for TNT's “James Dean.”

        Harrison Ford, star of the “Indiana Jones” adventures and the original “Star Wars” trilogy, took home the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award.

        “In anticipation of tonight, I wrote two speeches — a long one and a short one,” the soft-spoken Ford deadpanned. “Because I thought it might be a long evening, I'll give you the short one: Thank you. But it seems there might be enough time for the long one as well, which is: Thank you very much.”

        More coverage from Associated Press

'Beautiful Mind' sweeps the Globes
Big media shoot-out at the Bill O'Reilly corral
Online chat about medications
What are you using Cinergy seats for?
Get to it
Revised wind chill index designed to give us the cold facts
A first-rate example of a bad first date
Snowboarding lifts off
Firming up breast tissue takes discipline
Fit Bits
Suicide Machines' cookie-cutter punk