By John H. Foote
In a stunning turn of events Spike Lee’s brilliant film Da Five Bloods was shut out of the Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture (Drama), Director, and most shocking of all, New York Film Critics winner for Best Actor and almost certain Oscar nominee Delroy Lindo. Further, three of the five Best Director nominees are women, a first, and frankly a very exciting happening.
Also snubbed from the major categories: Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks and their masterpiece News of the World, and Rod Lurie, who I was hoping to see nominated for Best Director for his searing war film The Outpost. My God even the great Meryl Streep was snubbed for Best Actress in a Comedy for The Prom!
What does all mean for the Academy Awards? Directors that happen to be women will be noticed more than ever, diversity will rule the acting nominations like never before, and once again, Netflix will rule the day.
The a Golden Globe nominees for film are as follows, with commentary in brackets for each category
Best Picture (Drama)
- Mank
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Promising Young Woman
- The Father
- Nomadland
Wow, no News of the World, the year’s very best film, no Da Five Bloods? The HFPA can be silly, but this time they might have reached a whole new level of stupid.
Best Actor (Drama)
- Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Anthony Hopkins in The Father
- Riz Ahmed in The Sound of Metal
- Gary Oldman in Mank
- Tahar Rahim in The Mauritanian
Tom Hanks in News of the World where are you? Delroy Lindo in Da Five Bloods, the likely Oscar winner, how were you left out? Why Tahar Rahim?
Best Actress (Drama)
- Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Frances McDormand in Nomadland
- Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman
- Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
- Andra Hay in The United States vs. Billie Holiday
OK … at least they had the good sense NOT to nominated Amy Adams in Hillbilly Elegy. Some miracles happen.
Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Music
- Hamilton
- Palm Springs
- The Prom
Hamilton is not a film, it is a filmed stage play. I repeat it is not a film, why is it here?
Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)
- Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- James Corden in The Prom
- Lin-Manuel Miranda in Hamilton
- Dev Patel in The Personal History of David Copperfield
- Andy Samberg in Palm Springs
I repeat Hamilton is not a film, why was Miranda nominated?
Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
- Kate Hudson in Music
- Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Michelle Pfeiffer in French Exit
- Anya Taylor-Joy in Emma
- Rosamund Pike in I Care a Lot
No Meryl Streep in The Prom? Odd considering she was the finest thing in the dreary film.
Best Director
- Regna King for One Night in Miami
- David Fincher for Mank
- Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman
- Aaron Sorkin for The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Chloe Zhao for Noamdland
No Spike Lee for Da Five Bloods? Seriously? No Paul Greengrass for News of the World? But they nominated Regina King for her film One Night in Miami without a Best Picture nomination. Nice to see the love for female directors though.
Best Supporting Actor
- Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
- Jared Leto in The Little Things
- Bill Murray in On the Rocks
- Leslie Odom Jr. in One Night in Miami
The years Best Supporting Actor did not make the cut. Chadwick Boseman’s haunting performance in Da Five Bloods should be here.
Best Supporting Actress
- Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy
- Olivia Colman in The Father
- Jodie Foster in The Mauritanian
- Amanda Seyfried in Mank
- Helena Zengel in News of the World
The HFPA Association has always had a place in their hearts for overacting, hence Close. Silly.
Best Screenplay
- Promising Young Woman
- Mank
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
- The Father
- Nomadland
Both Da Five Bloods and News of the World should be here but who to bump?
Best Musical Score
- The Midnight Sky
- News of the World
- Tenet
- Mank
- Music
OK
John H. Foote is a well-recognized Canadian film critic/historian who has been an active critic for 30 years. His deep love for the movies began at a very young age. He began his career as co-host of the popular TV show Reel to Real where he remained for nine years. While on TV he began dabbling in education, eventually ascending to Director of the Toronto Film School, where he also taught film history. After leaving the college to care for his wife, he returned to teaching at Humber College where he taught both Film History and Method Acting Theory. John has written two books: “Clint Eastwood – Evolution of a Filmmaker” and the upcoming “Spielberg – American Film Visionary”. He is currently working on two books, one about the films of the seventies and another on the films of Martin Scorsese. Through his career he has worked in TV, radio, print and the web. John has interviewed everyone in the industry (more than 300 interviews) except Jack Nicholson, he says sadly. Highlights include Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda, Francis Ford Coppola and Kathryn Bigelow.
