The Golden Globe Nominations!
Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 8:32AM
NATHANIEL R in Golden Globes, Oscars (18), precursor awards

by Nathaniel R

HFPA president Meher Tatna introduced Terry Crews, Danai Gurira, Leslie Mann, and Christian Slater to announce the nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards. We didn't quite get the shakeups we wanted for players that needed the high profile boost of the Globes (like Toni Collette or Carey Mulligan) to boost their dark horse Oscar prospects but the Globes gonna Globe and there's as much to praise (Charlize Theron!) as their is to shake your fists at (Bohemian Rhapsody in Best Picture, wtf?).

In not so great news (unless you love it of course) Vice led the nominations with 6 honors, with The Favourite, Green Book, and A Star is Born tied as runner-up to most nominations with 5 each. UPDATE: We've shared Team Experience reactions to the snubs and nominated directors, and talked the fate of First Man and Widows, but here was our first quick take on the nomination after the jump along with some commentary...

FILM
(links go to reviews)

A STAR IS BORN was expected to lead the nominations. It didn't quite but still did really well

Drama 

The nomination for Bohemian Rhapsody annoys -- even if you enjoy that movie because of its music (no judgment, Queen is an awesome band), it is a messy film, clearly showing it's turmoil with 3 different directors during production and troubles on set and band interference with the narrative. All the seams show. 

Stupid trivia: "B" was the letter of the day apparently with all four titles having a prominent B in the title.

Musical or Comedy 

A very expected list... though it's a smidgeon odd if you think about it that they gave the original Mamma Mia! (2008) a Best Picture nomination in this category even though it was wildly inept as a motion picture and skipped the far superior sequel this year! Vice led the nominations... which is something.

Actress, Drama

The Globes gonna globe so they went with big stars even if their Oscar prospects are a bit wobbly right now (Kidman and McCarthy)... the sole shock is Rosamund Pike's highly praised performance in an underperforming film. But this is sad news for the awards season prospects of Toni Colette (Hereditary) and Carey Mulligan (Wildlife) who seemed to have a better shot here than they did with Oscar given the two different lead actress categories.

Actress, Musical or Comedy


A gorgeous list, don't you think? Happy to see Elsie Fisher included and THRILLED for the Charlize Theron surprise for Tully, one of the year's best but most misunderstood films. 

Actor, Drama

 Lucas Hedges surprises with a nomination for Boy Erased and John David Washington's nomination for BlacKkKlansman also suggests that the film is strong heading probably headed toward SAG Ensemble and Oscar Best Picture nominations.

This is the first major speedbump for Ethan Hawke, though, for his rapturously praised work in First Reformed  and an even bigger blow to Ryan Gosling's Oscar prospects for First Man;  Gosling is a big enough star for immediate Globe interest. That they passed him by is not a good sign even though he's terrific in the movie.

Actor, Musical or Comedy


Sad that they didn't find room for LaKeith Stanfield for Sorry to Bother You. Reilly is good in Stan & Ollie but it's such a Globe choice since it's a low profile British movie that is barely seen and coming out for New Year's essentially, so it will use this Globe nod for all its worth, promotion wise. 

Supporting Actor

Lots of Category Fraud happening here with Ali and Chalamet both taking up spots that should've gone to suppporting actors but what can you do. Does the exclusion of Sam Elliott spell trouble for his Oscar prospects or is that merely a slight slip as oddities do happen in awards season. For the record, Rockwell isn't in very much of Vice but I knew people would love his work as George W Bush. He's fun in his couple (few?) scenes... even if a nomination is generous.

Supporting Actress 

 It's our exact Oscar prediction list. But alas, two category frauds with Stone & Weisz taking up spots. They're great in The Favourite dont get me wrong but it's supposed to be a category for character actresses, not leading ladies.

Director

Sometimes the Globes surprise with better directors list than Oscar comes up with. Not this year... unless Oscar really fudges up. We really don't need Farrelly and McKay BOTH nominated this year when you've got people like Yorgos Lanthimos, Damien Chazelle, Marielle Heller, Ryan Coogler, Pawel Pawlikowski, Steve McQueen, Ari Aster, Hirokazu Koreeda, Bo Burnham, Paul Schrader, and Debra Granik all rightthere and available with stronger work.

Screenplay


They combine adapted and original which is why we see great screenplays like Eighth Grade and First Reformed and Can You Ever Forgive Me? shut out. Well that reason plus bad taste! 

Foreign Film

All high profile contenders soperhaps this spells trouble for Poland's Cold War. That said Oscar and Globe foreign film lineups never go 5/5 so beware if you're predicting this exact list for Oscar. In fact, they never even go 4/5... Here's how this century has gone so far and you'll see that 2 of 5 is most common. Part of the difference is that the Globes work from a different eligibility list but it's also just different taste.

2000 - 2/5
2001 - 2/5
2002 - 3/5
2003 - 1/5
2004 - 2/5
2005 - 3/5
2006 - 2/5
2007 - 0/5
2008 - 2/5
2009 - 2/5
2010 - 2/5
2011 - 1/5
2012 - 3/5
2013 - 2/5
2014 - 3/5
2015 - 2/5
2016 - 2/5
2017 - 3/5

Score

Good list! Well done, HFPA.

 Songs


Troye Sivan and Annie Lennox and Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga and Dolly Parton!!! The Globes love having celebrities in the house and they're all way more famous than Marc Shaiman who wrote those Mary Poppins songs (he's nominated in score, so he's fine)! That said this is another category that doesn't correlate with Oscar's tastes all that well. 

You have to wonder, though, given the Globes obsesssion with nominating pop stars in this category, why they dont have performances on their show?

Animated Feature

This might easily be the Oscar list, too, though Mirai obviously isn't safe as the outside America contender with lots of other overseas possibilities. 

TV
(links go to reviews)

Drama Series 

Including the seasons here because it's always fun to note how obsessed the Globes are with new shows. Notice how quick they dumped The Handmaid's Tale which won last year.

Comedy Series 

The Good Place is the sole big 3 network to make it in to the series nominations. I'm so behind on TV since movies are my life but I've just started watching it and it's so wonderful.

Limited Series 

I've been meaning to watch A Very English Scandal for the longest. Do you like this lineup?

Comedy Actress

Did this category need TWO women reprising their most famous roles though?

Comedy Series, Actor

Last year's winner Aziz Ansari was not eligible this year


Drama Series, Actress

Drama Series, Actor

Last year's winner Sterling K Brown(This Is Us) was not nominated this year

Actress in a Limited Series

Adams and King are nominated together in two categories! (also supporting actress, movies)

 Actor in a Limited Series

Supporting Actress TV  

It's so frustrating that the Golden Globes are so stingy with supporting players, only one category for all kinds of television while the leads have three different categories. Nevertheless this is a good list, isn't it?

Supporting Actor TV 

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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