Cronenberg could go either way

By Etan Vlessing

Even though David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises" will contend for three Golden Globe awards next month, the Canadian director expects to be a no-show.

Or he might cross a possible WGA picket line outside the kudosfest.

OK, he's confused.

"I would not say I would not cross a picket line under any circumstance. At the moment, I'm totally up in the air about it," Cronenberg told the Globe and Mail newspaper this week. "Normally I would go, but I'm now having second thoughts about it, for many reasons," he added.

This is the problem, as Cronenberg sees it.

"First, I wasn't personally nominated [for best director]. And there is a struggle for seats. Aside from that, the strike aspect will affect the tone of the thing. No question," he said.

The Canadian director also says he's "uncomfortable" about walking up a red carpet astride a picket line. "Obviously the idea you might fly to Los Angeles from anywhere around the world to go to the Golden Globes and be faced with a picket line is not pleasant for anyone, including the people on the picket line. For the WGA to picket the Globes means they'd be stopping their own members from going forward to get awards that they've worked hard to get. I have mixed feelings about that aspect too."

Given the hand-wringing that's happening as Cronenberg tries to decide whether to even make the show, imagine the agonizing over the acceptance speech.