By Alan Hurst
In what was expected to be a big night for Netflix, with a total of 34 nominations going into the 77th Annual Golden Globes, the streaming behemoth emerged with only two wins (Laura Dern for Marriage Story and Olivia Coleman for The Crown). Perhaps most surprising was the complete shut out of Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed The Irishman, which many thought would take awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director. Instead, Sam Mendes well reviwed World War I epic 1917 won those awards. It gets a wide release this week.
The Golden Globes honour both film and television and, in addition to 1917, the big winners were Quentin Tarintino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood with three awards including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, HBO’s Succession won two awards in the TV Drama race, and Chernobyl, another HBO production, won two awards in the TV Movie or Miniseries catergories. The only other streaming services to see some gold included Amazon with its two awards for the TV comedy Fleabag and Hulu with awards for the TV Comedy Ramy, and an award to Patricia Arquette for The Act.
Going into the ceremony The Irishman was the front-runner for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Scorsese was supposedly in a tight race with Tarantino for Best Director, and Joe Pesci was expected to take Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. But those awards didn’t happen. A lack of a nomination for The Irishman’s lead Robert DeNiro may be have been a sign of how it might – and did – play out. Does this jeopardize The Irishman’s Oscar chances? Possibly, but the Globes are not really a serious predictor of what’s to come. First, by dividing the competition between drama and musical/comedy, the Globes can safely honour two front runners. And Oscar’s Best Picture winners have only synched with the Globes about 50 percent of the time over the last decade.
I think what last night’s winners demonstrate is the fact there is still a reluctance to fully embrace streaming service’s film product when it comes to major awards. And even if the acknowledged king of film – Martin Scorses – has embraced streaming, there is still a strong contingent that feel movies should be seen on the big screen. TV productions have an easier time – hence the awards to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in 2018 and 2019 and the success of Fleabag and The Crown (again) this year.
In terms of acting awards, both Joaquin Phoenix in Joker and Renee Zellweger in Judy were expected to win Best Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and they did. They were also responsible for two of the more quirky acceptance speeches of the night, no surprise.
Taron Egerton’s win as Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for Rocketman was a bit of shock – many expected Eddie Murphy to be welomed back to the Hollywood mainstream for his acclaimed performance in Dolemite is My Name. And if not Murphy, then Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. Awkwafina was the expected winner for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for The Farewell.
Brad Pitt was the winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. Pitt is terrific in the film, but it’s not a supporting role. He’s co-lead with DiCaprio. Al Pacino or Joe Pesci in The Irishman would have made or sense. Laura Dern’s win for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Marriage Story was also a bit of surprise, as it was expected the Globes would honour the more flamboyant Jennifer Lopez for her work in Hustlers. Look for a very competive two-way race with Dern and Lopez going into the Oscars.
The Winners: Movies
- Best Motion Picture – Drama: 1917
- Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical: Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
- Best Director – Motion Picture: Sam Mendes 1917
- Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama: Renee Zellweger in Judy
- Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Awkwafina in The Farewell
- Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture: Laura Dern in Marriage Story
- Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama: Joaquin Phoenix in Joker
- Best Actor – Motion Picture Comedy or Muscial: Taron Egerton in Rocketman
- Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture: Brad Pitt in One Upon a Time … in Hollywood
- Best Screenplay: Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
- Best Original Score: Joker
- Best Song: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from Rocketman
- Best Animnated Motion Picture: Missing Link
- Best Foreing Language Motion Picture: Parasite
The Winners: Televison
- Best TV Series – Drama: Succession
- Best TV Series – Comedy or Musical: Fleabag
- Best TV Limited Series or Movie: Chernobyl
- Best Actress – TV Drama: Olivia Coleman in The Crown
- Best Actress – TV Comedy or Musical: Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag
- Best Actress – TV Limited Series or Movie: Michelle Williams in Fosse/Verdon
- Best Supporting Actress – TV Series, Limited Series or Movie: Patricia Arquette in The Act
- Best Actor – TV Drama: Brian Cox in Succession
- Best Actor – TV Comedy or Musical: Ramy Youssef in Ramy
- Best Actor- TV Limited Series or Movie: Russell Crowe in The Loudest Voice
- Best Supporting Actor – TV Series, Limited Series or Movie: Stellan Skarsgard in Cherynobyl
Hooked from a first viewing of Mary Poppins at four and after school reruns of I Love Lucy, Alan has been a movie and TV enthusiast ever since. A particular aficionado of films from the late thirties through the seventies, he enjoys helping others discover the joys of those films, directors and stars. His career has careened from journalism to public relations to marketing, always with one foot in the arts and with a unique ability to relate all work and life experiences back to a movie. Alan’s top five desert island films are Bonnie and Clyde, Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret, Mildred Pierce and, with no apologies, Mary Poppins. Alan’s focus will be on films from Hollywood’s first golden era (and a little beyond) as well as TV.
