Every year the Hollywood hype machine gears up for what has come to be known as ''awards season,'' but already -- in the wake of the Golden Globe and various critics awards and nominations announced this week -- 2009 is ratcheting up to be one of the bitchiest seasons in recent memory.
Already I've had calls from key industry players taking shots at James Cameron's sci-fi extravaganza ''Avatar,'' Paramount's huge budget to boost ''Up in the Air'' and the depiction of Jews in ''An Education'' and ''A Serious Man'' -- called ''horribly stereotypical," with several Jewish organizations said to be gearing up protests.
I even heard from one longtime studio executive sniping about the legendary Meryl Streep -- having the audacity to call the actress' amazing performance as Julia Child in ''Julie & Julia'' merely ''an impersonation.'' Crazy!
- Another example of the back-biting was the snarky complaint -- made to me, entertainment industry blogger Nikki Finke and others -- about the party Leonardo DiCaprio threw recently for Tobey Maguire, honoring his lifelong pal's performance in the wrenching drama ''Brothers,'' also starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. The party guests included about a quarter of the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, shortly before their voting deadline for the Golden Globes.
END OF THE LINE? Sounds like all the couples counseling hasn't convinced Elin Nordegren Woods to give sex scandalized hubby Tiger a ''mulligan'' on their marriage. A usually reliable Woods source tells me Elin believes her marriage to be ''irrevocably broken'' -- echoing reports by People magazine and ABC, citing their own sources confirming a Woods divorce as being very likely, once a settlement is set.
- Woods may be temporarily missing from the world of golf, but look for his good buddy Donald Trump to step up to the plate. ''Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf'' debuts on the Golf Channel in April -- a reality series featuring actors, pro athletes, musicians and famous business execs competing against each other, with winnings going to favorite charities.
BABY BEAT: Musician Thomas Mars, the frontman for the band Phoenix, let the cat out of the bag during an interview on WXRT-FM (93.1) -- confirming his significant other, Oscar-nominated director Sofia Coppola, is expecting the couple's second child. The duo already are the parents of a 3-year-old daughter, Romy.
STAR ALERT: Area fans of Christina Applegate should be on the lookout for the actress. She revealed on Jay Leno's show Tuesday night (also featuring Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper) that she will be spending the Christmas holidays visiting family and friends in Naperville.
BARING MOST: Kellan Lutz, the hunky actor who plays Emmett Cullen in the ''Twilight'' flicks reportedly has been tapped to star in a big new Calvin Klein ad campaign for the designer's underwear line.
BARING ALL: While Tara Reid's wild party-girl reputation hasn't grabbed headlines of late, it's probably not surprising the actress has agreed to pose for the January/February issue of Playboy. The nude layout hits newsstands Friday. The good news: After a widely publicized rehab stint, the actress is said to be clean, sober and looking forward to promoting two recently completed films.
BAD IDEA: Friends and business associates of troubled Brit soul rocker Amy Winehouse are very worried the singer will remarry ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, himself plagued by serious drug problems -- and long seen as an enabler to his ex-wife's history of addiction to drugs and alcohol.
SPLITSVILLE SAGA: While an earlier People report of a Reese Witherspoon-Jake Gyllenhaal breakup was quickly denied by the stars' reps, there has been no such retort -- so far -- to a story in Us Weekly, out this week.
TASTY TREAT: Second City alum Bonnie Hunt was so tickled by the giant Eli's cheesecake made for last weekend's 50th anniversary of the improv mecca that she's showcasing a replica of the cake on her Friday show (2 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5).
Photo: Noel Vasquez, Getty Images / Friends Leonardo DiCaprio (right) and Tobey Maguire at a basketball game in April. DiCaprio threw a party for Maguire that could have helped boost his chances for a Golden Globe. Photo: Sofia Coppola
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