Golden Globes: Film Nominations

Apparently I needed to sleep on my thoughts on the film Golden Globe nominations for a few more nights. Perhaps I just got too excited over the TV nominations? Regardless Birdman leads with 7 nods followed by its fiercest awards season rival, Boyhood, with 5 nominations. Onwards...

Best Director

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ava Duvernay, Selma
• David Fincher, Gone Girl
• Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood

If this was the eventual Oscar lineup, it would really be something to behold, but I doubt this would actually happen. And yet other than NBR winner Clint Eastwood and mega superstar Angelina Jolie who has been everywhere (until she was forced to take a break recently), there are not many alternates. Linklater is the front-runner at the moment.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

• Boyhood
• Foxcatcher
• The Imitation Game
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything

Many expected Unbroken here and in fact that film was completely ignored by the HFPA which has usually been kind to Jolie in the past (remember The Tourist?). I thought Whiplash should've sneaked in, at least over Foxcatcher which saw its slightly dwindling fortunes rise with these Globes nominations. Boyhood should be seen the big favorite here as Birdman is relegated to Comedy/Musical.

Best Actress, Drama

• Jennifer Aniston, Cake
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

These are the same nominations as the SAG Awards so I would think it would be quite difficult for anyone else to try to make the shortlist. Marion Cotillard, who has been one of the critics' favorite this award season will do her best though. And I suppose underestimated Amy Adams (in Comedy/Musical) at your peril.

Best Actor, Drama

• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
• David Oyelowo, Selma
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

With Michael Keaton in Comedy/Musical, this is a five-man race not only to grab a win here, but to also occupy four of the five spots at the Oscars. Only Oyelowo wasn't nominated for a SAG earlier, but his film might have screened to late. I would think Carell and Gyllenhaal are the weak links with regards to Oscars even though oddly enough I think Gyllenhaal might be a slight front-runner for this award (in Keaton's absence).

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

• Birdman
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Into the Woods
• Pride     
• St. Vincent

I'm super, super happy to see such a small film like Pride get nominated for such a major award and the other nominees are quite solid as well including front-runner Birdman, early-year favorite Grand Budapest Hotel, and starry musical Into the Woods. It is a bit sad to see Begin Again and Skeleton Twins ignored though. And how about the mainstream comedies this year like Neighbors and 22 Jump Street? Guardians of the Galaxy and Edge of Tomorrow should've also deserved SOME recognition, but really this year's slate isn't as bad (in fact NOT AT ALL) compared to other years.

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical

• Amy Adams, Big Eyes
• Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
• Julianne Moore, Map to the Stars
• Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie
• Helen Mirren, Hundred Foot Journey

Moore is doubles up on the nomination for getting in for a film that won't even be released this year so you know, whatever. I bet Blunt is fantastic, but a tiny part of me wished her nomination was for her superb work in Edge of Tomorrow. Wallis though? I loved her in her debut film a few years ago, but I'd rather use her spot for someone like Kristen Wiig, Elisabeth Moss, Jenny Slate, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keira Knightley, etc.

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical

• Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Bill Murray, St. Vincent
• Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice
• Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes

Keaton is your likely winner here, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Fiennes put up a fight for this as well as the Oscars (IF he's nominated, a big if). With that said, I was honestly hoping for a surprise nomination for Chris Pratt in this category, but alas.

Best Supporting Actress

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

This matches the SAG nominations almost perfectly with Chastain replacing Naomi Watts, but I think Chastain's performance is more of Oscar's speed so I think give or take Tilda Swinton, this is your Oscar line-up. A couple of other ladies who might break through would be veterans Laura Dern and Rene Russo.

Best Supporting Actor

• Robert Duvall, The Judge
• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
• J.K, Simmons, Whiplash

People talk about what a weak year it's been for lead actresses, but supporting actor seems to be lacking any options other than these five names who were also all nominated by the SAGs. I think the closest thing to an alternate would be Josh Brolin in Inherent Vice unless the Academy actually deigns to nominate Andy Serkis for his mo-cap work. Regardless, this is Simmons (likely winner) vs. Norton.

Best Screenplay

• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Gone Girl
• Birdman
• Boyhood
• The Imitation Game

No big surprises here as the trio of Boyhood, Birdman, and Budapest Hotel are likely Oscar front-runners in Original while Gone Girl and Imitation Game likewise in Adapted. It's quite a boost to the latter two films being singled out here as it's been a not so thrilling awards race so far this season for Adapted (compared to Original).

Best Animated Film

• Big Hero 6
• The Book of Life
• The Boxtrolls
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• The LEGO Movie

Unless one of the smaller, foreign animated films make any headway, this is your Oscar list as well. Except it doesn't really matter because EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, I mean The LEGO Movie will likely sweep the majority of awards as it has been doing for a few weeks now.

Best Foreign Film

• Force Majeure (Sweden)
• Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (France)
• Ida (Poland)
• Leviathan (Russia)
• Tangerines (Estonia)

I haven't seen any of these yet, but I have heard good stuff from people on Force Majeure, Ida, and Leviathan. It's sad that Brazil's really sweet submission The Way He Looks isn't making any awards dent at all so far.

Best Original Song

• "Big Eyes," Big Eyes
• "Glory," Selma
• "Mercy Is," Noah
• "Opportunity," Annie
• "Yellow Flicker Beat," The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I

After they snubbed her last year, I guess they had to honor Lana Del Rey here for her work in Big Eyes. In any case, there isn't a "Let It Go" from the bunch so who knows? Shocked to see "Lost Stars" from Begin Again not make it in though.

Best Original Score

• The Imitation Game
• The Theory of Everything
• Gone Girl
• Birdman
• Interstellar

The only film here I haven't seen is The Imitation Game, but it's nice to see Sanchez's innovative drum score nominated here especially after the news that his score is ineligible for the Oscars. Why? Because they suck.