Beverly Hills - The pitched battle for Hollywood's highest honours began yesterday with Steven Spielberg's war epic Saving Private Ryan leading the list of Golden Globes best dramatic picture nominations.
The Globes are considered an important gauge of how the Oscars will unfold.
Ryan gained a total of five nominations, though that number was topped by The Truman Show and the surprise hit Shakespeare in Love, which had six each.
The best dramatic film nominees were: Ryan, the relatively unknown critical hit Gods and Monsters, Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer, The Truman Show, in which comedian Jim Carrey played his first wholly dramatic role, and the British period piece Elizabeth.