PICKING BEST OF GOLDEN GLITTER BEST PICTURE (DRAMA)
Fallon likely to bring safe, ‘look-at-me!’ humour to ceremony
Jimmy Fallon is the host Sunday night, so it’s official: the Golden Globes have jumped the shark.
For years, the scandal-tinged awards show was a hot ticket, a booze-fuelled evening involving louche speeches, bad behaviour and prizes nobody cared about. It was a lot of fun. It was great TV. Alas, things change. In years past, the Golden Globes did their best to emulate the Oscars and always, thankfully, fell far short. Where the Academy was pretentious, the Hollywood Foreign Press was bizarre and goofy; where the Oscars were super organized and deadly dull, the Golden Globes were loose and silly.
But we all become the thing we despise. And the Golden Globes finally got serious. And boring.
What made the show unique for a few years was the presence of Ricky Gervais, who had the Don Rickles approach to hosting the event: Take no prisoners.
Gervais is a comic who does not hesitate to call bollocks as he sees fit.
This is the host who last year said about the Oscar-winning drama Spotlight, a movie about pedophile priests in Boston and a widespread coverup of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, that, “Roman Polanski called it the best date movie ever.”
So this year in particular, as Mel Gibson marches back from Coventry and makes a triumphant return to the Hollywood fold with Hacksaw Ridge, Gervais should be there to skewer the guy.
We need the host who said, “I like a drink as much as the next man. Unless the next man is Mel Gibson.”
Which brings us to Fallon, friend to the stars. The man you’ve seen ruffle Donald Trump’s hair, sing like Neil Young and bring sycophantic suckuppage to a new level will host the Golden Globes.
Fallon will likely save his barbs for the Hollywood Foreign Press, that odd collection of geriatric typists who number no more than 90 members but wield incredible power, thanks to the Golden Globes.
His need to be ingratiating could finally turn the Golden Globes into just another over-long orgy of selfcongratulatory malarkey.
Let’s look forward, then, to a couple of hours of fake laughing, look-at-me! humour, brown-nosing the bigwigs, talking over guests and stupid games like Wheel of Impressions or Slapjack.
Oh, and awards will be handed out as well. The movies leading the Golden Globes nominations are La La Land (with seven), Moonlight (with six) and Manchester By The Sea (with five nominations).
Here’s a look at who will win — and who should win — in the major film categories: Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight The prize here will go to either Moonlight or to Manchester by the Sea; this really is too close to call. On the other hand, if another nominated movie has a rep who sent lavish gifts, all bets are off.
BEST PICTURE (COMEDY OR MUSICAL) 20th Century Women Deadpool Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land Sing Street Deadpool should win. La La Land will win. BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Joel Edgerton, Loving Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington, Fences Average age of the Hollywood Foreign Press is about 75, and Denzel Washington has been a longtime favourite of the group. But last year he won the Cecil B. deMille Award, so it will be easier for HFPA members to vote for Casey Affleck, who should win this.
BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)
Colin Farrell, The Lobster Ryan Gosling, La La Land Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins Jonah Hill, War Dogs Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool Based on support for La La Land, one assumes Ryan Gosling will win.
BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Amy Adams, Arrival Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane Isabelle Huppert, Elle Ruth Negga, Loving Natalie Portman, Jackie Could be Amy Adams, could be Natalie Portman. Based on subject matter, we’re guessing Portman will carry the day.
BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone, La La Land Meryl Streep, Florence Foster
Jenkins Normally, Meryl Streep always wins at the Golden Globes, but as she’s this year’s Cecil B. deMille Award recipient — that’s a sort of lifetime achievement award — someone else can win Best Actress. Annette Bening should win this award. Again, the popularity of La La Land with HFPA voters suggests Emma Stone will win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (BOTH CATEGORIES)
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins Dev Patel, Lion A.T. Johnson, Nocturnal Animals Mahershala Ali has earned the win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (BOTH CATEGORIES)
Viola Davis, Fences Naomie Harris, Moonlight Nicole Kidman, Lion Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea This prize could go to either Michelle Williams or Viola Davis, according to the guess-o-meter.
BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle, La La Land Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea Another toss-up. All are worthy-ish. Damien Chazelle’s movie is beloved by the HFPA, but Barry Jenkins and Kenneth Lonergan are more deserving here.