The nominations for the 83rd Golden Globes were announced yesterday morning by Marlon Wayans and Skye Marshall. After the Golden Globes overhaul, the new organization has truly shifted the kinds of films it nominates. While the old HFPA would nominate the biggest stars at all costs, the new Globes seems to have a much more international taste. This year proved to be a bit of a mixture of the two, with films like “Sentimental Value” and “Sirāt” racking up nominations alongside “Wicked: For Good” and “The Smashing Machine.” As always, many surprises and misses could be found along the way, especially with their expanded categories.
NEON DOMINATES THE INTERNATIONAL CATEGORY, PLUS MORE
We knew this could happen once NEON started acquiring acclaimed films at Cannes this year. Their international contenders took up five of the six spots in Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language: “Sentimental Value,” “It Was Just an Accident,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sirāt,“ and “No Other Choice“ were joined by “The Voice of Hind Rajab.“ Additionally, four of Neon’s five films scored Best Picture nominations. “Sentimental Value“ landed eight nominations in total, the second-most of the year, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, alongside “The Secret Agent“ and “It Was Just an Accident.“ “No Other Choice“ found its way into Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy, along with a nomination for Lee Byung-hun in Best Actor – Musical/Comedy.
The Neon love didn’t just stop there. Though “Sirāt” didn’t make it into Best Picture – Drama, it received a surprising nomination for Best Original Score, adding to its surprising craft nominations from CCA. All told, this morning couldn’t have gone much better for Neon, which is now aiming to get anywhere from two to four films in the Oscar ten for Best Picture, and yesterday’s nominations were the first sign that four may indeed be possible.
BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY GOES WILD
Congrats to Richard Linklater, the first director to have two films nominated in Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy since 1963, when George Sidney’s “Bye Bye Birdie“ and “A Ticklish Affair“ both received nominations. “Blue Moon“scored a nomination there, alongside a Best Actor nomination for Ethan Hawke, who continues to solidify his place in the Best Actor race this year. “Nouvelle Vague,“ however, scored no other nominations.
Notably missing: “Jay Kelly,“ which managed to score acting nominations for George Clooney and Adam Sandler, but nothing else. Similarly, “The Testament of Ann Lee“ seems to be officially dead for Best Picture, getting Amanda Seyfried into Best Actress – Musical/Comedy and nothing else. Can it somehow surge back to life later in the season? Unlikely, though Seyfried is perfectly safe for a nomination for Best Actress. “Wicked: For Good“ also missed out here, despite Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande receiving acting nominations, two original song nominations, and an additional nomination for Cinematic & Box Office Achievement.
So…what does this mean for Best Picture at the Oscars? It makes those last two spots still difficult to predict, especially with “Train Dreams” and “Bugonia” also looking to get in.
A COUPLE OF ACTING SURPRISES
While the “new Globes“ seem as alive as ever with the international domination this year, the “old Globes” couldn’t help but show themselves here or there, most notably, with a nomination for Emily Blunt in Best Supporting Actress. “The Smashing Machine“ has long faded from public consciousness, though Dwayne Johnson’s nomination was expected due to the Drama/Comedy split. Still, Blunt made her way into her category of only six nominees. Could she repeat at SAG, where she’s a previous winner? Similarly, as “Frankenstein“ rose over the last two months, perhaps we all underestimated Oscar Isaac’s chances for Best Actor as he scored a nomination in the Drama category.
Back on the cool side of the Globes, Eva Victor landed a somewhat surprising nomination in Best Actress – Drama for “Sorry Baby,“ while Lee Byung-hun made it into Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for “No Other Choice.“ Neither has a particularly great chance of repeating at the Oscars, but perhaps their films could break through in their respective screenplay categories as a result of this momentum.
“BUGONIA” RISES, “TRAIN DREAMS“ KEEPS CHUGGING ALONG
In the battle for the lower-level contenders, the Globe nominations continued the narrative that began building for several films last week. “Bugonia“ has hung on particularly well this week, after scoring nominations at CCA and a spot on the AFI Top Ten. It continued here with a Best Picture – Musical/Comedy nomination, and acting nominations for Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, his second consecutive Golden Globe nomination for a Yorgos Lanthimos film. While the film feels secure for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination at this point, is it climbing the ranks into Best Picture as well?
“Train Dreams,“ on the other hand, which had built momentum last week, couldn’t break into Best Picture – Drama here. Still, Joel Edgerton landed in Best Actor, along with a Best Original Song nomination for Nick Cave’s “Train Dreams.” It’s not a significant setback for the Netflix film, which has scored mentions at CCA/NBR/AFI, but it didn’t necessarily give it much of a boost either. A PGA nomination will be crucial for it if it wants to continue being in the hunt for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
KATE HUDSON LIVES
Is the long-rumored Kate Hudson rise in Best Actress finally here? I personally don’t think so, but she did receive a nomination for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for “Song Sung Blue.“ Though this is a good get for Hudson, her miss at CCA is perhaps the biggest knock in her campaign thus far. But, with presumed-Oscar frontrunner Jessie Buckley competing in Drama, does Kate stand a chance to win here? It’s certainly possible. Recent NYFCC, NBR, and LAFCA winner Rose Byrne would be her biggest competition, but is “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“ too challenging to get a win from the Globes? “Song Sung Blue“ feels like a very “old Globes“ pick, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
“IS THIS THING ON?“ SEEMS TO BE OFF
Some hoped Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?“ switching to the Drama categories could have given it a better shot at Golden Globe nominations. That theory proved unfounded yesterday morning, with the film blanking entirely, the first of Bradley Cooper’s directorial features to do so. Could it have gotten into Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy over “Nouvelle Vague?” I’m not certain, but it’s possible. Will Arnett and Laura Dern might’ve had a tough time no matter which categories they landed in. Globes were always their only real shot at a major precursor before its official theatrical release, so its awards season run appears to be over. Hopefully, audiences will still check out the film when it releases this Christmas.
“AVATAR: FIRE & ASH“ AND “WICKED: FOR GOOD“ CAN BRING IN THE MONEY, BUT NOT THE NOMINATIONS
In the battle for sequels to receive a Best Picture nomination, both “Avatar: Fire & Ash“ and “Wicked: For Good“ missed big time with the Golden Globes. “Avatar: Fire & Ash“ received only two Globe nominations: Best Original Song for Miley Cyrus’s “Dream as One“ and Cinematic & Box Office Achievement (despite not yet earning a single dollar at the box office). While reviews aren’t out yet, it’s clear James Cameron’s third film in the “Avatar” franchise is underperforming in this awards season. Yes, the movie could still earn $2 billion at the box office, but will that be enough to turn things around?
Similarly, “Wicked: For Good“ received five Golden Globe nominations, the most for any non-Best Picture nominee this year. But missing that category for Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague“ and “Blue Moon“ is pretty damning for the film’s overall campaign, as it appears Globe voters had to really go out of their way not to nominate it (or “Jay Kelly“) here. But neither of Linklater’s films is going to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. For that reason, it’s tough to get a clear read on “Wicked: For Good’s” chances in Best Picture. PGA will have to be the final answer, but even still, the warning signs are there.
MARTY SUPREME TAKES AN “L” BUT STILL COMES OUT LOOKING GOOD
Though many have seen “Marty Supreme“ as a top-tier Best Picture contender, the A24 film slightly underperformed at the Globes, earning nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet, and Best Screenplay. Notably, Josh Safdie didn’t make the cut for Best Director. Further, the film continues to miss in the Best Supporting Actress category altogether. Neither Gwyneth Paltrow nor Odessa A’zion has received any major nominations for the film from the Critics’ Choice or the Golden Globes. In a category that’s filling up quickly, it could be too late for either of them to break in. SAG will help clear that up.
“HAMNET,” “SINNERS,“ AND “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER“ ARE THE FRONTRUNNERS
The top Best Picture contenders “Hamnet,” “Sinners,“ and “One Batte After Another“ all kept moving along yesterday morning without missing much of a beat. With nine nominations, “One Battle After Another“ was the Golden Globe nomination leader, thanks to its five acting nominations (Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor). “Hamnet“ landed everywhere it needed to, with six nominations total, including a Best Original Score nomination for Max Richter, a good boost for the film. “Sinners“ received seven nominations, the third-most of the morning, and made it in nearly everywhere it needed to except in the supporting acting categories. Despite making it everywhere last week, Mosaku didn’t get a Globe nomination, nor did Delroy Lindo, whose hopeful revenge nomination for “Da 5 Bloods” isn’t seeming to pan out with awards bodies this year. Otherwise, Michael B. Jordan received his first Golden Globe nomination, a good sign for his status in a crowded Best Actor category.
ELSEWHERE
Many predicted “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle“ to land in Cinematic & Box Office Achievement, but it missed there, instead receiving a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Animated.
“F1“ continues to show up in Best Original Score. It’s not the sort of score that typically makes it into the Oscar category, and Hans Zimmer isn’t a guaranteed nominee like John Williams. Still, the strong box office and overall craft performance could propel it there.
Amy Madigan received her highest-profile nomination yet for “Weapons.” While there still isn’t a crossover between the Globes and the Academy, a nomination in the first two televised awards shows of the season (she received a nomination from the Critics’ Choice Awards) is a big deal. She could be the rare horror performance to make it to the Oscars.
There’s still a month to go before the Golden Globe Awards on January 11th, but these nominations give a good boost to films early. Oscar shortlist voting has started, and the race is tightening up.
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