The pitched battle for Hollywood's highest honors began Thursday with Steven Spielberg's war epic, "Saving Private Ryan," leading the list of Golden Globes best dramatic picture nominations. The Globes, one of the most important gauges of the Oscars, gave "Ryan" five nominations, but that was topped by the number of nods for "The Truman Show" and the surprise hit "Shakespeare in Love," which each received six. The Golden Globes, backed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (an ill-defined but influential group), will be presented Jan. 24 in Beverly Hills.

  • "I pulled the sleepers out of my eyes and danced around the room a little bit," "The Truman Show" Best Actor (in a DRAMA!) nominee Jim Carrey told the Associated Press. "It's an amazing thing to have this kind of acceptance when you make a departure."

  • The Oscar nominations will be announced Feb. 9, with the ceremony taking place March 21. For a list of Golden Globe nominations, click here.