"Outstanding Cast in a Comedy, Musical or Pleasantry"

Part 1 of 2 [updated: here's pt 2]
In this new edition of the podcast, Nick Davis, Katey Rich and Joe Reid join Nathaniel -- still fighting coughing jags -- to discuss the oddity that is the Golden Globe Comedy or Musical Nominations. Is Salmon Fishing in the Yemen really a comedy? We also cast our own votes in the SAG Ensemble race.

Topics include but are not limited to:

• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen instead of Bernie?
• Inflight Movies
• The absence of real comedies from the nominees
• HFPA's attack on gay icons: No Barbra???
• SAG's frustrating "Outstanding Cast" rules and who we would vote for
• Django Unchained, Ted, Cloud Atlas and more in this free-flowing conversation

You can download the podcast on iTunes or listen right here at the bottom of the post. But, as always, the podcast isn't complete without you. Join in the discussion and cast your own ensemble and best comedy votes in the comments.

Outstanding Cast & Globe Comedy

Comments

[Robert G]

I think Salmon Fishing is a very dry comedy. I know I laughed quite a few times. It's a romance with comedy rather than a romantic comedy. Now, with films like Pitch Perfect, Ted, or even Ruby Sparks released this year, the Globes had no reason to nominate it.

For ensemble, I would pull for Pitch Perfect and bumped out Best Exotic...solely because they included Dev Patel but not the far better performances from Tena Desai (the girlfriend), Lilette Dubey (the mother), and a whole slew of important featured players (like the maid, the old man on the grounds, and the manager of the call center). And honestly, I think Dev Patel only has a title card because of Slumdog Millionaire. The smallest role among the older Brits is significantly larger than Patel's role.

[Philip]

lol i had never even heard of salmon fishing in the yemen before the globes :P

[Steve G]

People want variety in the choices made by awards bodies, but when they highlight the work of two appealing actors who refreshingly aren't doing strenuous Acting with a capital A - Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor - they're quick to ridicule the selection.

(OK I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but I'm reacting to a lot of the comments about SALMON FISHING being made on Twitter and other blogs.)

I do agree that the HFPA rarely seem to go for outright comedy in Comedy/Musical, it's always light dramas, or poignant comedy-dramas. HOPE SPRINGS has light moments, but you'd be hard pushed to call it a comedy!

[RJ]

I can't remember how you all felt about Moonrise Kingdom, but I kept waiting for someone to mention it as the ensemble they'd add to the SAG lineup. Talk about a group of actors that were on the same wavelength/all delightfully serving a nearly impossibly specific directorial vision and tone. From top to bottom, I enjoyed every actor in the piece, and one of the great pleasures of the film was getting to see the various scenes' actor pairings and watching everyone get to play off of each other - in the process becoming a true "ensemble".

Similarly, the casts of Killer Joe and Anna Karenina were highly and entertainingly committed to risky stylistic and formal conceits that, in the hands of less capable actors, could have more readily fallen apart (I think the latter is overall a much more successful picture than the former, though I have nothing but admiration and appreciation for the actors in both). One other ensemble worthy of a shout out: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, for filling out a cast with under-25's, yet never feeling amateurish/as if any of the performers were out of their depth.

[BeRightBack]

I love these so much! They always seem too short. Please quit your respective jobs and keep talking to each other forever.

Re: SAG -- I've always wondered if the credit placement / awardage relation had to do with their union rules, which I know govern a lot of things in terms of credits. Does anyone know any details about whether that's relevant?

[Bia]

I remember seeing the trailer for Salmon Fishing and thinking that it looked beyond dull...I agree that Magic Mike should've been in its place or maybe even Bachelorette.

[iggy]

Am I the only one who liked Salmon Fishing? I must say I'd rather have a "nice pleasantry" nominated than a true but terrible comedy/musical like Mamma Mia. And quite honestly a solid comedy is hard to find these days. The best ones, if lucky, have some witty punch lines that might make you laugh here and there, but in terms of tone, rhythm, acting, etc, their unevenness can be seen more clearly than in other types of movies.

[George P.]

I saw Salmon Fishing in the Yemen earlier this year due to the positive reviews, that lovely colorful poster, and the two leads. I actually really enjoyed it and was wondering if it'd be placed in the Musical/Comedy category at the Globes if nominated (which happened!) due to the drama-lite feel it had. Glad to see it got the 3 nominations and more exposure to the film.

[Mike in Canada]

All podcasts are improved by a Sambola interlude. Soon, everyone will start doing it.