Jokes and Glory: The Golden Globe Noms

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Stephen Daldry's The Reader, a well-made, high-toned Holocaust drama that many critics and smartypants-types have dismissed due to its cool tone and lack of an emotionally cathartic finale, has been included among the five nominees for Best Drama for the Golden Globe awards, which were announced early this morning. What's this about? Is this a result of Harvey Weinstein having worked the room, leaned on Hollywood Foreign Press voters, etc.? What's the back-story?

The other four dramatic nominees are David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon, Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road (yaaay!...finally gets its due!) and Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. The shafted, elbowed-aside would-be nominees are Milk, Doubt, The Visitor, Gran Torino, Che and Nothing But The Truth.

Happy-Go-Lucky was nonsensically nominated in the Best Comedy/Musical category and WALL*E was among the Best Animated Feature noiminees.

The candidacies of Golden Globe Best Dramatic Actress nominees Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long) and Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road) have been literally saved by the HFPA. If they hadn't been nominated this morning (on top of their being ignored by LAFCA, NYFCC and BFCA) their wattage would have been seriously diminished as far as the SAG Awards and Academy noms would have been concerned.

Rachel Getting Married's and Doubt's Meryl Streep were also nominated in the Best Dramatic Actress category. Wait a minute -- the Globes have blown off Frozen River's Melissa Leo ?

Due respect, but Leo's performance in that little snow-covered, illegal-alien-smuggling movie was a greater, fiercer and more artful emotional-volcano display than what Angelina Jolie delivered in The Changeling -- and yet Jolie was Globe-nominated, at least in part because they want her to show up for the ceremony. Ratings be damned -- this isn't right. Jolie did a fine job but shame on the HFPA for dissing Leo. Pick up your torches, cans of lighter fluid and three-pronged pitchforks on the corner of Robertson and Santa Monica starting at 6 pm this evening. Look for a white flatbed truck.

The torches and pitchfork protest will also be about the omission of Revolutionary Road 's Michael Shannon from the Best Supporting Actor nominees, and about the mind-blowing, tongue-hanging-out, gah-gah inclusion of Ralph Fiennes 's performance in The Duchess -- one of the biggest where-the-fuck-did-that-come-from? nominations in Golden Globe history.

I for one am delighted with Tom Cruise being nominated in this category for his maniacal movie-mogul performance in Tropic Thunder -- he was extremely funny and deep into the sensibility of a typical killer CEO type -- along wth Robert Downey, Jr.'s turn as Kirk Lazarus, although Downey's is surely the more widely admired and supported performance in this Ben Stiller film.

The Duchess Best Supporting Actor GG nominee Ralph Fiennes

The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger was also nominated, of course, as was Doubt's Philllip Seymour Hoffman.

One surprise among the Best Dramatic Actor nominees is Brad Pitt's for his work in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He's just not strong enough in this David Fincher film to warrant an acting nomination. The HFPA just wants him to show up at the ceremony for the sake of ratings. (It would have been fine, however, if they'd nominated Pitt for his Burn After Reading performance...in the Supporting category, of course.)

But the biggest Best Dramatic Actor surprise is the omission The Vistor's Richard Jenkins. Why was Jenkins tossed off the boat? Because his attendance at the GG ceremony won't goose the ratings. And yet, as HE reader Scott Mendelson has put it, The Vistor "is basically a one-man show, for all intents and purposes. The only reason anyone ever talked about it was due to Jenkins' breakthrough performance."

Revolutionary Road''s Leonardo DiCaprio, dissed and ignored by the critics' groups so far, finally got a deserved Best Actor nomination. Frost/Nixon 's Frank Langella, Milk's Sean Penn and The Wrestler s Mickey Rourke were also nominated -- all totally expected. The likely winner at this point would seem to be Penn.

The Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical nominees are Burn After Reading (my personal favorite in this category), Happy-Go-Lucky (oppressive happy-Poppy vibes do not in any way make this film a comedy, and it has no music so this categorization is total bullshit), In Bruges (a few laughs, yes, but not that many -- it's hardly comedic), Mamma Mia! (a joke), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (my second favorite nominee).

Best Actress in a Comedy./Musical Nominees are VCB's Rebecca Hall, Happy-Go-Lucky's Sally Hawkins, Burn After Reading's Frances McDormand, Mamma Mia's Meryl Streep and Last Chance Harvey's Emma Thompson.

Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical nominees are VCB's Javier Bardem , In Bruges' Colin Farrell, Pineapple Express 's James Franco (my personal choice), In Bruges' Brendan Gleeson and Last Chance Harvey's Dustin Hoffman.

Forget the Best Animated Feature nominees -- WALL*E is going to win it.

The Best Foreign Language Film nominees are The Baader Meinhof Complex, Everlasting Moments, Gomorrah, I've Loved You So Long and Waltz With Bashir.

Best Supporting Actress nominees are Doubt's Amy Adams, Vicky Cristina Barcelona's Penelope Cruz, Doubt's Viola Davis, The Wrestler's Marisa Tomei and The Reader's Kate Winslet.

Best Director nominees are Slumdog Millionaire's Danny Boyle, The Reader's Stephen Daldry, Benjamin Button's David Fincher, Frost/Nixon's Ron Howard, and Revolutionary Road's Sam Mendes.

The Best Screenplay nominees are Slumdog's Simon Beaufoy, The Reader's David Hare, Frost/Nixon's Peter Morgan, Benjamin Button's Eric Roth, and Doubt's John Patrick Shanley.

Do or Die<< previous | next >>Best 12.11 Reader Comment

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 11, 2008 at 6:57 AM

comment #1

LDKA0186 says ...

Wells (or anyone else more familiar with the workings of the site than I), what exactly does "high toned" mean in this context? For that matter, what about "well carved?" Not trying to be a smart-ass; I'm just asking.

Posted by LDKA0186 at December 11, 2008 7:16 AM

comment #2

Chase Kahn says ...

AH! I forgot about the Weinstein Factor -- That's why 'THe Great Debators' got in last year, after all.

Posted by Chase Kahn at December 11, 2008 7:18 AM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

Not being fanboyish in the slightest, but The Envelope says DARK KNIGHT got a Best Drama nod, or am I confused?

Posted by BurmaShave at December 11, 2008 7:19 AM

comment #4

byanyother says ...

No, Dark Knight did not.

Weinstein is alive and well - maybe they can revive their Reader campaign.

Posted by byanyother at December 11, 2008 7:20 AM

comment #5

TheJERMSguy says ...

I can't say I'm surprised no best pic nod for Chris Nolan's Dark Knight, but man, those other movies must really be satisfying. Knowing that The Reader had Harvey as its pusher, I'm going to watch it with folded arms going "Impress me."

Posted by TheJERMSguy at December 11, 2008 7:25 AM

comment #6

spoonbill says ...

Jeff-

1) "Happy-Go-Lucky" got a best film nomination in the Globes' comedy and musical category. And it wasn't the New York crix' choice for best picture - that would be "Milk" (though i would have preferred the Mike Leigh film won)

2) "Wall-E" received an animated feature nomination - it wasn't eligible for the drama or comedy best-pic categories under HFPA rules.

3) Why is no one mentioning that this Oscar race is largely over - "Benjamin Button" will earn the most nominations, and it will best picture. All this noodling will end once the Fincher film opens and starts indulging audiences in need of a good cry.

Posted by spoonbill at December 11, 2008 7:31 AM

comment #7

corey3rd says ...

if Americans wants a good cry, they'll look at their stock portfolios.

Posted by corey3rd at December 11, 2008 7:34 AM

comment #8

DavidF says ...

Even if there was no animated category, Wall*E is a drama? I'd think comedy is rather obvious there.

Also - and everyone seems to forget this between February and December - the Golden Globes are a joke. Not as bad as the Grammies, but still...

Posted by DavidF at December 11, 2008 7:37 AM

comment #9

spoonbill says ...

Corey3rd -

Sometimes an artificial trigger is needed to provoke real emotions - what film will better help facilitate that release than a put-life-in-perspective tale like BUTTON's? People who need a good cry often have much to cry about but just require the proper venue..

Posted by spoonbill at December 11, 2008 7:49 AM

comment #10

lipranzer says ...

I'm very happy for both Kristin Scott Thomas and Sally Hawkins, but one way the Globes are a joke? The way they pad out the comedy noms. BURN AFTER READING and IN BRUGES?!? Really? (granted, I'm the only one I know who thinks the latter is overrated, but still). And while Robert Downey Jr. absolutely deserved his nomination, I don't think Tom Cruise did; maybe it's because I saw the movie after all the hype, but I don't think he was that funny, except for his exchange with Nick Nolte. I even thought that dance he did over the end credits was stupid.

And the TV noms also make me sad (no "Generation Kill" or "Pushing Daisies," plus the last shot for "The Wire" to get any kind of recognition from them, and they were ignored again), but that's another story.

Posted by lipranzer at December 11, 2008 7:51 AM

comment #11

McClaneSveUs says ...

I think that Fiennes probably got a ton of support for his hilarious role in In Bruge too. I think he's had a great year in general and they were trying to honor him. But, I loved that In Bruges performance.

Posted by McClaneSveUs at December 11, 2008 7:51 AM

comment #12

Jeff says ...

Saw The Reader last night and I seriously felt it deserves to be on a list of the five worst movies released all year. I am shocked that it is nominated for best picture over so many other deserving films. The two leads had zero chemistry and I did not give a flying fucking about anyone or anything that was happening. I haven't been so bored in a film since, well, The Hours. Mr. Daldry is officially the most overrated POS working in Hollywood. No wonder Scoyy Rudin wanted to take his name off.

Posted by Jeff at December 11, 2008 7:57 AM

comment #13

K. Bowen says ...

Ralph Fiennes was pretty out of nowhere. But Mamma MIa! ?

That list of dramas, other than Slumdog, shows the inertia of this process. Those have been presumed contenders since people started making the charts, and here they are, quality notwithstanding. I like two of them, thought one was OK, dislike one of them, and haven't seen The Reader.

Posted by K. Bowen at December 11, 2008 7:58 AM

comment #14

lipranzer says ...

Oh, and I'm sad Richard Jenkins got ignored, but that's a little more understandable - his film came out early in the year, he's a relative unknown, and as usual, the competition for Best Actor Drama is pretty fierce.

And I haven't seen THE READER yet, but yeah, I think Daldry's wildly overrated as well - I hated BILLY ELLIOT and THE HOURS.

Posted by lipranzer at December 11, 2008 8:11 AM

comment #15

Unison says ...

I Believe In Harvey Killing Milk

Posted by Unison at December 11, 2008 8:14 AM

comment #16

Josh Massey says ...

Do fans of "Entourage" even think it's one of the best five comedies anymore?

Look, there's no applying logic to the Golden Globes. It's star-fucking, plain and simple. They want to see Jolie there. They want to see Cruise there (although I love that nomination). They want to see Pitt there. You don't get nominated for Best Song unless you are a huge name. It's the same every year.

That said, I do applaud them for remembering In Bruges, James Franco and, again, the Cruise nomination.

Posted by Josh Massey at December 11, 2008 8:20 AM

comment #17

Scott Mendelson says ...

How exactly does The Visitor get nominated for Best drama while Richard Jenkins doesn't get a best actor nod? The (very good) movie is basically a one-man show, for all intents and purposes. The only reason anyone ever talked about it was due to Jenkins' 'breakthrough' performance.

And the above poster is right, the HFPA seems to have just copied and pasted Dave Poland's 'Oscar charts' from way back in September, before anyone had seen anything, and gone home for the day.

Posted by Scott Mendelson at December 11, 2008 8:22 AM

comment #18

Howlingman says ...

I know it's only TV (gasp and shudder), but no other nomination pleased and surprised than January Jones for MAD MEN -- still the best thing I've seen this year, movie or otherwise.

Posted by Howlingman at December 11, 2008 8:45 AM

comment #19

actionman says ...

Scott -- The Visitor didn't get a best picture drama nom.

The best noms handed out by the increasingly asinine group at the HFP:

James Franco in Pineapple -- funniest performance of the year.
In Bruges for best pic (though it's hardly a "comedy" -- just glad it got some recognition)
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges
Cruise/Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
Burn After Reading for Best Pic Comedy.
Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky

Other than those....boooooring.

Posted by actionman at December 11, 2008 8:46 AM

comment #20

spoonbill says ...

Scott Mendelson: The Visitor wasn't nominated for best picture. I don't think that a scenario where it was nominated and Jenkins was snubbed would have a chance of occurring.

Posted by spoonbill at December 11, 2008 8:48 AM

comment #21

Josh Massey says ...

The Associated Press is incorrectly reporting The Visitor was nominated. That's where the confusion is coming from.

Posted by Josh Massey at December 11, 2008 8:52 AM

comment #22

Katey says ...

Does the Milk snub mean we're back to the "Hollywood homophobia" meme? Because I was really ready to let that one stay in 2006 where it belongs.

Posted by Katey at December 11, 2008 8:56 AM

comment #23

Chase Kahn says ...

TO LIPRANZER -- you're worried about IN BRUGES and BURN AFTER READING getting nominated when MAMMA MIA! is in the same field???

Posted by Chase Kahn at December 11, 2008 8:59 AM

comment #24

rgmax99 says ...

Finally some love for In Bruges! Though, Wells is right, it ain't a much of a comedy -- particularly the ending.

Posted by rgmax99 at December 11, 2008 9:01 AM

comment #25

corey3rd says ...

nobody needs to put these crummy times into perspective by starring into the CGI enhanced face of Brad Pitt. I've got six friends that have either been laid off or are fearing the year end ax. They don't need to cry - they do that on the commute home.

Brad Pitt has zero worries in the world. he's earning $20 million a flick, he gets to bang Angelina whenever the nannies watch the kids. He doesn't have to worry about making the rent on his French mansion. He won't have to break it to the twins that this is going to be a small Christmas.

Nobody needs a good cry at this moment. We need to feel like we're not doomed. That someday we won't have to wonder if playing $10 for a movie ticket is a necessary expense.

Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory was robbed once more. Best comic actor working on TV.

Posted by corey3rd at December 11, 2008 9:02 AM

comment #26

corey3rd says ...

please remember that the Hollywood Foreign Press is a fraud organization filled with junket whores. These people are swayed.

Posted by corey3rd at December 11, 2008 9:04 AM

comment #27

spoonbill says ...

Movies are where people cry when they can't muster it in the "real world" even if they need to - and a lot of people probably need to.

And i commute on a major Wall Street-to-burbs route and i've yet to see someone turn on the waterworks. Inside a theater playing BUTTON, that third act just might do the trick for a lot of them.

It's always crummy times somewhere for someone.... and movie ticket sales rise in bad times, anyway, because people need to get a good distracting laugh or a good cathartic cry. Nothing shocking there...

Posted by spoonbill at December 11, 2008 9:07 AM

comment #28

EricGilde says ...

I love Tom Cruise but no way did he deserve it for Tropic Thunder. Way overrated--the category's way too competitive to give a nomination to a makeup job.

Also, hooray for In Bruges!

Posted by EricGilde at December 11, 2008 9:33 AM

comment #29

Scott Mendelson says ...

I knew I wasn't crazy... I checked the nominations twice (re - The Visitor).

And yes, The Big Bang Theory is arguably the funniest comedy on today (30 Rock is second and hopefully Scrubs will take its place atop again when it returns in Jan). Everyone in that cast deserves a nod. And frankly, I'm glad to see the writers (apparently) acknowledging that Parsons (while wonderful) has become just a touch too dominating a force in the ensemble (ie - last week's episode literally rendered him unable to speak for the last two acts). It's a delicate thing when one member of the ensemble breaks out in a way that makes him/her all too easy to write for at the expense of everyone else.

Posted by Scott Mendelson at December 11, 2008 9:51 AM

comment #30

diesel says ...

"if Americans wants a good cry, they'll look at their stock portfolios."

when what they really should be crying about is the fact that 46% voted for that other guy. i'm still amazed.

Posted by diesel at December 11, 2008 10:41 AM

comment #31

ZayTonday says ...

I agree that Pitt shouldn't get an award for his performance in Button. His character was really passive.

Posted by ZayTonday at December 11, 2008 10:50 AM

comment #32

ZayTonday says ...

Oh and In Bruges? FUCK YES.

Posted by ZayTonday at December 11, 2008 10:54 AM

comment #33

lipranzer says ...

Chase: I haven't seen MAMMA MIA, and I won't. I guess I assumed the idiocy of that nomination was a given. My mistake.

Posted by lipranzer at December 11, 2008 10:59 AM

comment #34

berkguru says ...

Zero noms for the The Shield

DISGRACE!

Posted by berkguru at December 11, 2008 11:06 AM

comment #35

DarthCorleone says ...

I saw Benjamin Button last night. It's impressively made, but I had some major reservations about it thematically and narratively. I don't get this high level of praise at all.

Posted by DarthCorleone at December 11, 2008 11:17 AM

comment #36

Pinko Punko says ...

That is huge for In Bruges- that film came out in February? It is a dark comedy. Not quite "ha ha" but very black. Farrell is just so good and committed to the part. This is great.

Posted by Pinko Punko at December 11, 2008 11:46 AM

comment #37

Doug says ...

Love "In Bruges" and despite its darkness I definitely consider it to be a comedy.
I'm pretty sure "The Dark Knight" will get Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and "Revolutionary Road" won't.

Posted by Doug at December 11, 2008 12:04 PM

comment #38

bfm says ...

I loved "In Bruges". I would have classified it as a dark comedy. I'm still laughing at parts now. I saw it on DVD - the deleted scenes are worth watching, especially a wonderful line by Ralph Fiennes on the train.

Posted by bfm at December 11, 2008 1:16 PM

comment #39

Joshua Mooney says ...

Here's my problem with all these these damn awards, and it's quite simple: A) You suggest that GG noms are sometimes given out to people they want to appear on their awards show. B) It's been suggested that Oscar nominators have increasingly taken note of GG noms and awards before making their own decisions. C) Some Oscars may go to people who the HFPA simply wanted to appear on their show. Q.E. fuckin' D. It's absurd!

Posted by Joshua Mooney at December 11, 2008 1:48 PM

comment #40

Rich S. says ...

You know what's great about the Golden Globes?

Yeah, me neither.

Posted by Rich S. at December 11, 2008 1:57 PM

comment #41

TVMCCA says ...

Liked THE READER far more than Jeff did.

Missing the old days when Harvey could have mounted a CRYING GAME-esque campaign to make THE READER have a decent opening weekend: "Don't reveal the secret in the middle of this film!"

Posted by TVMCCA at December 11, 2008 2:50 PM

comment #42

dinovelvet says ...

I'm glad someone else acknowledged THE SHIELD on here, when the Globes did not. Walton Goggins should have been a lock for Best supporting actor on a TV series, his descent into hell this season, and his final scenes, were gut-wrenching. Michael Chiklis should have gotten the nod just for the confession scene in the penultimate episode.

Posted by dinovelvet at December 11, 2008 3:47 PM

comment #43

Josh Massey says ...

Walton Goggins turned in the year's best performance I saw in any medium.

Oh, and In Bruges is a comedy - in fact, it holds 2008's funniest moment as far as I'm concerned (Farrell on cocaine, so on the nose I'm convinced he really was using),

Posted by Josh Massey at December 11, 2008 4:32 PM

comment #44

NC Gary says ...

The day the Oscar noms are announced no one will even remember who won what at the Globes. They are just the appetizer to tide you over until you get to the main course (meaning the Oscar).

Posted by NC Gary at December 11, 2008 4:51 PM

comment #45

Poker Rakeback says ...

Pitt should have got an award for his performance in button.

Poker Rakeback

Posted by Poker Rakeback at February 21, 2010 6:32 AM

Posted by teayneverdie at February 27, 2010 1:04 AM

comment #47

jimb12345 says ...

Meryl Streep should every award out there. She is just amazing to watch. She is a great talent.
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comment #48

ClaudiaWin says ...

I saw it on dvd, I love it.
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comment #50