While the Academy Awards carry the biggest cachet of the awards season, no one can argue that the Golden Globes provide the funnest atmosphere and viewing pleasure for recognized performers and the at home audience. Early this morning the Golden Globe Nominees were officially announced, informally kicking off the annual awards season hunt, and , as always, there were plenty of snubs and surprises. Let's break down the official crop of nominees.
Snubs
In the Best Picture - Drama hunt, many pronounced Denzel Washington's adapted film, Fences, as a "sure-thing". However, much like the Hollywood Foreign Press, my review of the film labeled it as little more than a showcase for its performers. The Globes seemed to agree and surprisingly omitted the presumed Oscar contender from its Best Picture field.
In the Best Supporting Actor race momentum has been building for Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals) and deservedly so. Shannon gives an exceptional supporting turn and it was a bit of a head-scratcher as he gave way to some surprising finalists.
Late playwright, August Wilson, provides a dialogue-heavy screenplay for Fences, one that many anticipate will end up a finalist at the upcoming Oscars showcase. Yet, this morning proved to be harsh for the entire play-turned-motion picture as Fences failed to secure another major nomination in a category that many believed it was a safe bet.
Surprises
Surprising on-lookers in two separate categories, Noctural Animals writer and director, Tom Ford, secured nominations for both the film's screenplay and in the Best Director race. Ford's stylish psychological thriller had a very strong showing at the Globes and it will be interesting to see if this strong effort will pick up steam as we push on the the Guilds and Oscar nominations.
The Best Supporting Actor field was littered with curve-balls and none was bigger than Florence Foster Jenkins' Simon Helberg. Best known as Howard on the award-winning sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, Helberg's fluid transition to the big screen proved beneficial as he earns a highly coveted nomination in a generally crowded category.
In another surprising twist among the Best Director field, Hacksaw Ridge helmer, Mel Gibson, received a trip to the finals, while the film itself also secured a Best Picture - Drama nomination. Despite my own middling opinion, most critics have adored the film and its overwhelming success with the Globes could pave the way for some future Oscar success.
*** Stay tuned for some more awards season discussion tomorrow ***
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