By Anthony Breznican
The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "Lost in Translation," a story of two lonely Americans who find friendship in a Tokyo hotel and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" each collected three Golden Globe awards on Sunday.

New Zealand director Peter Jackson, center, won the award for best director for his work on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. With him are producer Barrie Osborne, right, and actor Elijah Wood (Frodo). (AP photo)

Bill Murray won best comedy actor for "Lost in Translation," which also won best comedy film and best screenplay for Sofia Coppola, who wrote, produced and directed the film.

Meanwhile, Peter Jackson won best director for the final installment of his fantasy epic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Among TV nominees, HBO's six-hour adaptation of playwright Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" won five trophies, including best miniseries or TV movie.

But movies gathered most of the attention as Sean Penn collected best movie drama actor for playing an emotionally ravaged father seeking revenge for his daughter's murder in "Mystic River," and Charlize Theron won the drama actress honor for "Monster," the story of a prostitute serial killer.

Theron thanked writer-director Patty Jenkins for believing she could play the role. "There's only so much you can do, but if somebody doesn't give you a chance there is nothing you can do," Theron said.

Murray and Diane Keaton were recognized for best lead comedy film stars.

This year it was regarded as the best and last chance for the "Rings" trilogy to collect major honors.

The last film in the blockbuster trilogy, it also gathered two musical awards: for composer Howard Shore for best original score and for best movie song "Into the West," which was performed by Annie Lennox.

"I never realized that seven years on this movie would end up turning me into a Hobbit," Jackson joked, referring to the shortish, big-footed magical characters in the J.R.R. Tolkien stories.

In other categories, Keaton as an older woman in love in "Something's Gotta Give" and Murray as an aging actor in a platonic romance with a younger woman in "Lost in Translation" collected Golden Globes for lead comedy performances.

"Getting to play a woman to love at 57 is like reaching for the stars with a step ladder. I know I got lucky," said Keaton.

Murray thanked "Lost in Translation" writer-director Sofia Coppola and went on to dryly mock Hollywood award speeches, declaring he had fired all his agents and representatives and had no one else to thank.

He also poked fun at the idea that comedy performers are overshadowed by dramatic stars. "Too often we forget our brothers on the other side of the aisle - the dramatic actors," he said. "I'd just like to say: Where would our war, our miseries and our psychological traumas come from?"

Coppola collected the best screenplay trophy, and thanked her father - "The Godfather" director and co-writer Francis Ford Coppola, calling him "a great screenwriting teacher."

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association event is regarded by many in Hollywood as one of the year's biggest parties, but it's also a way to generate front-runner buzz for the Oscars.

The Globes are distributed by a relatively small group, about 90 journalists who cover entertainment for foreign-based media outlets.

Tim Robbins and Renee Zellweger collected supporting movie performer honors.

Robbins' supporting role as a grown child-abuse survivor suspected of murder in "Mystic River" earned him the first trophy of the evening. "Wow! We just sat down. The good thing about this coming early is that I get to drink now," Robbins joked.

Later in his acceptance speech he shouted to director Clint Eastwood: "Clint, you are the man! I have never felt so trusted and in such good hands as when we were on the set for that movie."

Eastwood accepted the drama actor award on behalf of Penn, who did not attend, and described his "Mystic River" star as an actor who has been too often taken for granted.

Zellweger received the supporting movie actress award for playing a tough-as-bark backwoods woman in "Cold Mountain." She previously won two lead comedy actress Golden Globes for "Nurse Betty" in 2001 and last year for "Chicago."

Zellweger told the crowd that playing the character of Ruby was "one of my greatest joys." To her co-stars Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, she said: "It was a privilege to shovel out the barn with you."

Best movie drama nominees were "Cold Mountain," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "Mystic River" and "Seabiscuit," while comedy movie contenders were "Bend It Like Beckham," "Big Fish," "Finding Nemo," "Lost in Translation" and "Love Actually."

The Globes have a history of honoring future Oscar winners, including "Titanic," "American Beauty" and "Gladiator." A win often bodes well for performers, too, with previous Globe winners including Hilary Swank for "Boys Don't Cry," Julia Roberts for "Erin Brockovich" and Jack Nicholson for "As Good as It Gets."

Besides winning best TV movie or miniseries, "Angels in America" won four performing awards. Co-star Meryl Streep and Al Pacino were picked best TV movie lead performers and supporting TV honors went to Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker.

Streep, who was previously onstage to present the award to Robbins, accepted her trophy with a blushing remark: "I just realized you can see completely though my dress."

Among the nominees Wright beat out for supporting TV actor: his "Angels in America" co-stars Ben Shenkman and Patrick Wilson. "I share this with you," he told them from the stage. "But I'll keep it at my house."

Anthony LaPaglia won best drama series actor for the CBS crime show "Without a Trace," while Frances Conroy claimed the drama actress award for the HBO funeral-home show "Six Feet Under."

Sarah Jessica Parker won best comedy series actress for "Sex and the City," which is in its last season on HBO, and Fox's real-time thriller "24" won best drama series.

BBC America's "The Office," which stars co-creator Ricky Gervais as an annoying boss at a British paper merchant, defeated "Arrested Development," "Monk," "Sex and the City" and "Will & Grace" for best comedy show. The critically lauded "The Office" is being developed into an American version.

"I'm not from these parts," said Gervais, who later won best TV comedy actor. "I'm from a little place called England ... We used to run the world before you."

The honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award went to Michael Douglas, whose actor father, Kirk Douglas, received the honor in 1968. "My father couldn't make it here tonight, but if Kirk was here I would acknowledge him for his stamina, for his endurance and for his great sense of material," Douglas said.

Douglas, 59, also thanked another acting veteran, his co-star on the 1970s TV series "The Streets of San Francisco," for teaching him about the business. "I will be eternally grateful to Karl Malden for showing me what a work ethic is about," Douglas said, while Malden smiled from the audience.

The Globes event came just two days before Tuesday morning's announcement of the Oscar nominations. The Oscar ceremony is set for Feb. 29, about three weeks earlier than previous years.

List of winners for 61st annual Golden Globe Awards

List of winners at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night:

Motion pictures

Picture, Drama: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Actress, Drama: Charlize Theron, "Monster."

Actor, Drama: Sean Penn, "Mystic River."

Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Lost in Translation."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Diane Keaton, "Something's Gotta Give."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Bill Murray, "Lost in Translation."

Foreign Language: "Osama," Afghanistan.

Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger, "Cold Mountain."

Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins, "Mystic River."

Director: Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Screenplay: Sofia Coppola, "Lost in Translation."

Original Score: Howard Shore, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Original Song: "Into the West" from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," by Howard Shore, Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox.

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Television

Drama Series: "24," Fox.

Actress, Drama: Frances Conroy, "Six Feet Under."

Actor, Drama: Anthony LaPaglia, "Without a Trace."

Musical or Comedy Series: "The Office," BBC America.

Actress, Musical or Comedy Series: Sarah Jessica Parker, "Sex and the City."

Actor, Musical or Comedy Series: Ricky Gervais, "The Office."

Miniseries or Movie Made for Television: "Angels in America," HBO.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie Made for Television: Meryl Streep, "Angels in America."

Actor, Miniseries or Movie Made for Television: Al Pacino, "Angels in America."

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie Made for Television: Mary-Louise Parker, "Angels in America."

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie Made for Television: Jeffrey Wright, "Angels in America."

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Golden Globe winner previously announced this year

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Michael Douglas.

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On the Net

http://www.hfpa.org/