Golden Globe Nominations Announced

No, it's not the Oscar nominations (January 22nd, 2019) but the list of Golden Globe nominations may be a good indication of the contenders to watch in the Oscar field this year for some of the top categories.

So let's get down to it. The full list of nominations can be found on the Golden Globes website, but I want to take a look at a few things that jumped out at me as I reviewed the nominations.

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Who has the most nominations?

The upcoming Adam McKay film Vice leads the Golden Globes with 6 nominations including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), Christian Bale for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy), Amy Adams for Best Supporting Actress (any motion picture) and Sam Rockwell for Best Supporting Actor (any motion picture). Even though the film has not released yet (Christmas Day), it has been talked about as a contender for a number of these categories at the Oscars as well. I expect Vice to be near the top of the pack in terms of Oscar nominations as well once the nominees are announced.

The Favourite, Green Book, and A Star Is Born are all tied in second with five nominations each. I can see some of these landing with the Oscars as well, but since A Star Is Born is listed under Drama while The Favourite and Green Book fall into the Musical/Comedy category, it's hard to find direct analogs at the Oscars. Out of these three I think Green Book is the best bet to receive multiple nominations, especially for Ali and Mortensen in the lead and supporting roles.

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Another thing that jumped out at me is the inclusion of Black Panther in the Best Picture (Drama) nominees. There has been plenty of conversations about whether the Ryan Coogler superhero film would be considered for nomination in the Best Picture category by the Oscars and this is a potential first step to that becoming a reality.

Other films in the Best Picture lists that I can see making the cut at the Oscars include BlackKklansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born, Green Book, and Vice. Not making the cut from those lists are Crazy Rich Asians and Mary Poppins Returns. While the latter two are and will be big box office hits, I don't think they will resonate with the Academy voters in the same was some of the other films listed above have.

One caveat here is the Academy Award for Best Popular Picture which was announced earlier this year and later shelved for the current Oscar year. The Golden Globe lists feel a bit more like the films that would be perfect for this category when it does finally go into effect, especially films like Crazy Rich Asians and Mary Poppins Returns, along with A Star Is Born and perhaps even Bohemian Rhapsody.

When that category does go live, I hope they don't limit it to just five film like most categories, but open it to as many as 10 just like the current Best Picture category. I say this because there are so many films deserving of a nomination for popular films and while there will surely be more crossover with a longer list, I think that's OK and only offer more films the option of claiming "Oscar Nominated" to their name.

What are your thoughts on the Golden Globe nominations? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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