‘mother!’ may I?: Five story lines to watch for in this year’s Golden Globe nominations
Are you longing to see the “Big Little Lies†women reunite and don’t want to wait until the (now official) second season? Can you never have too much James Franco in your life? Are you one of the three people who actually enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence in “mother!�
Then you might be in luck come Monday morning. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. will announce the Golden Globes nominations beginning at 5:15 a.m. PST, and fans of Franco, Lawrence and the greatest television series on Earth could have reason to celebrate.
For the record:
3:20 p.m. Dec. 8, 2017An earlier version of this post listed Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. membership at 85. The group has 89 voting members.
Here are five intriguing story lines to look for.
Which best picture contenders will be left out?
One thing to remember: The HFPA is essentially just another critics group. Except they’re not critics, they’re journalists. (And whether that is too generous a description for some of the organization’s members will be left for another discussion.) There’s almost no overlap between Globes voters and the motion picture academy. It’s just 89 people saluting their favorite movies and performances.
That said, with two best picture categories — drama and musical/comedy — if you’re a contender, you want an invitation to the party. If nothing else, it’s good to be seen pretending to enjoy yourself on prime-time television.
On the best picture front, the academy usually goes its own way with a pick or two (especially since the Globes are still limited to five nominees in each category). Last year, “Arrival†and “Hidden Figures†earned Oscar nominations after the HFPA ignored them in the drama race. The year before that, it was “Bridge of Spies†and “Brooklyn.â€
“Lady Bird†and “Get Out†lead the comedy/musical contenders this year, and both are strongly positioned to find favor with the academy as well. If HFPA voters stick to recent trends, they’ll round out that category with indie favorites like “The Big Sick,†“The Disaster Artist†and “I, Tonya.†But historically, they’ve also gravitated toward music-minded movies, good news for “Beauty and the Beast†and “The Greatest Showman.†Globes voters have certainly picked lesser films here over the years. (“Burlesque,†anyone?)
The drama movie contenders, meanwhile, include likely academy picks “Dunkirk,†“The Shape of Water,†“The Post,†“Call Me by Your Name†and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.†It’s possible the Winston Churchill drama “Darkest Hour†subs in for “Three Billboards,†as some HFPA members didn’t care for the latter film’s shocking violence.
That leaves “Mudbound,†“Phantom Thread,†“The Florida Project†and, yes, “Wonder Woman†hoping that they’ll be the HFPA rejects that the academy embraces. (RSVP “The Florida Project,†for one.)
Will ‘All the Money in the World’ land any nods?
Ridley Scott finished reshoots for the period drama “All the Money in the World†last week, completing the job of erasing Kevin Spacey’s performance as oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and replacing him with Christopher Plummer. Although the film doesn’t open until Christmas and won’t be officially unveiled to the press until later next week, Golden Globes voters saw an unfinished version Monday in Los Angeles and New York. Reaction was decidedly mixed.
One HFPA member found it “thrilling,†though others griped that it was “long,†“meandering†and “tedious.†One constant: Plummer’s performance drew raves.
So while “All the Money in the World†— which tells the story of Getty refusing ransom demands after his grandson is kidnapped in 1973 — likely doesn’t have a prayer in most categories, it’s plausible (though not likely) that voters reward Plummer. It would generate plenty of publicity and serve as a tip of the hat to Scott, who managed to remove Spacey following multiple sexual allegations against the actor just nine weeks from the movie’s opening date.
Early Golden Globe predictions in film and TV categories »
Double shot of Franco?
The last time we saw James Franco at an awards show, he was chilling through co-hosting the Oscars with the exuberant Anne Hathaway. Six years later, he’ll likely be back in a big way, nominated for both his lead turn in “The Disaster Artist†and over on the television side for playing the twin brothers in HBO’s porn industry drama “The Deuce.â€
And the nominations will only be the beginning of the story as Franco could well win both trophies. Does that mean we might see Franco actually get excited or at least interested in what’s going on around him? Stay tuned!
Television: A sequel to the Emmys?
The HFPA likes nothing more than to beat the Television Academy to the punch in recognizing new shows. This year, however, three celebrated series — “The Handmaid’s Tale,†“Big Little Lies†and “Feud: Bette and Joan†— premiered after the Globes. The upshot: If you enjoyed the Emmys in September, you’re going to love the sequel in January.
Of course, newcomers will be feted too. Along with “The Deuce†and Franco, look for a couple of blasts from the past (the revivals of “Curb Your Enthusiasm†and “Will & Graceâ€) and maybe some love for Alison Brie (“GLOWâ€), Jason Bateman (“Ozarkâ€) and Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctorâ€). Voters also have shown a passion for under-the-radar streaming series (remember when Amazon’s “Mozart In the Jungle†won best comedy?), so perhaps Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel†or Netflix’s “Mindhunter†crashes the party this year.
One other question: What will the HFPA do with Jeffrey Tambor, a three-time nominee and past winner for “Transparent� His future on the show is unclear after a costar and a former personal assistant accused him of sexual harassment. I’m guessing the HFPA won’t invite him back.
‘mother’s!’ little helpers?
Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!†earned an F grade from moviegoers, per the marketing research group Cinemascore. Some critics disagreed, celebrating it for being a delicious farce, a religious and/or ecological allegory, or merely for the fact that Aronofsky convinced a studio to finance such a bizarre button-pusher.
The HFPA has given the film’s star, Jennifer Lawrence, three Golden Globes (and one more nomination) over the years, and it’s not much of a stretch to think they’ll nominate her again, if simply for enduring the making of this punishing film.
Twitter: @glennwhipp
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