The nominees for the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced Monday — and as per usual, there were snubs and surprises. Here are some thoughts on this year’s nominees:
Get Out is not a comedy
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Personally, I want members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to look me in the eyes and say they laughed a lot during this movie. Just because Get Out is a satire, that does not mean it’s a comedy.
Best Television Series, Drama is a tough category
This category is pretty much the same as last year’s nominees, but that just makes predicting the winner that much harder. The first nominee is the reigning winner Netflix’s The Crown. Then there’s HBO’s Game of Thrones, which had an amazing season filled with revolutions and revelations. Hulu’s hit series The Handmaid’s Tale also picked up a nomination, replacing last year’s nominee Westworld. Netflix’s Stranger Things and NBC’s This Is Us also retained spots in the category. It’s hard to say how this category is going to play out. It would be easy to give it to the new nominee, but anything can happen at awards shows.
13 Reasons Why receives an acting nomination
13 Reasons Why was one of the most-talked about series of the year, so it’s great to see Catherine Langford nominated for her role as Hannah Baker. The HFPA is notoriously progressive with its nominees because it often chooses more mainstream titles than other awards shows. Though the nomination seems a little out of place, I’m sure Langford woke up to dozens of well-deserved congratulatory phone calls.
Big Little Lies picks up six
HBO’s Big Little Lies was the summer’s break-out show, and the Golden Globes surely recognized that. The show was nominated for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and five acting nominations for Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Alexander Skarsgard.
Steven Spielberg’s The Post is a bait movie
The Post is inspired by the printing of the Pentagon Papers in the Washington Post and New York Times in the ‘70s. Two-time Best Director for a Motion Picture winner Spielberg was nominated for a Globe, as well as lead actors Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. The film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture, Drama, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. Now the film could be amazing, but it’s easy to see it could also be nominated for who is in it and directed it. Instead of nominating the same people repeatedly, it would be nice to see some shake up in the nominations.
Replace Spielberg with Greta Gerwig
Lady Bird is being revered as one of the best movies of the year, so why isn’t Greta Gerwig nominated in the directing category? Sure, she picked up a nod for the screenplay, but her directing shouldn’t go unnoticed. As usual, the directing category is filled with testosterone. Spielberg is a safe director, whereas Gerwig would have brought a little spice to the category.
The Boss Baby is up for Best Animated Feature — and that’s fantastic
When I decided to see The Boss Baby, I went in with very low expectations. When I left the theater, I knew I had seen one of the best and funniest animated features I had seen in a long time. The Boss Baby has two streams of humor like so many animated films do: adult humor and child-like humor. Every joke in the film landed well, and it told a heartwarming story. So before you judge the HFPA for nominating the film, go watch it on Netflix. You won’t be disappointed.
The Big Sick gets snubbed
Kumail Nanjiani starred in the heartwarming movie about how he met his wife. The film was filled with humor and charm, and it was definitely worthy of a Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy nomination. Sadly, the film wasn’t nominated, which could hurt its chances at the Oscars.
Ansel Elgort is recognized for ‘Baby Driver’
Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver was one of those summer movies that people expected to flop. No one anticipated it being one of the best movies of the summer. With its use of sound and its heist-centric plot, it became a success. And with Ansel Elgort in the driver’s seat, the film had an added charm. The HFPA nominated Elgort for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy — and it is well-deserved. The nomination is also his first and could potentially keep him in the running for an Oscar nomination.
Streaming dominates
Netflix, Hulu and Amazon dominated the television categories with shows like Stranger Things, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Netflix also received nomination in the motion picture categories for the critically acclaimed Mudbound and Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father. It’s not a surprise that the platforms are well represented.
Check out the full list of nominees here.
The Golden Globes hosted by Seth Meyers will air Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. on NBC.
