Expect the unexpected
The biggest snubs and surprises at the 2019 Golden Globes.
ALL eyes were on the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, Sunday night as Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh hosted the 2019 Golden Globe awards, the first award show of the new year and the one that has become known for fun atmosphere, political statements in speeches and unexpected honorees.
On the television side of the ballot, projected winners such as Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) and Patricia Arquette (Escape At Dannemora) walked away with the trophies, but there were a few names read that seemed less certain going into the ceremony, such as Richard Madden (Bodyguard). Meanwhile for film, Bohemian Rhapsody pulled a surprise upset over A Star Is Born for the drama prize.
Here is a break down of the biggest snubs and surprises of the 2019 Golden Globe winners.
Film
Snub: AStarIsBorn
Bradley Cooper’s film was totally rebuffed in the major categories, walking away with just a single prize, ultimately, for original song. And in the top drama category? Voters opted for the movie that lost its director, who by the way went not-so-curiously unmentioned in acceptance speeches Sunday. Surprise: Green Book
Many were surprised by Green Book’s victory. Lacklustre box office and controversy dogged the title, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) just kept on liking the feel-good film, despite critics’ complaints. Surprise: Glenn Close, The Wife
Virtually no one picked Glenn Close to win the drama actress prize. The smart money seemed to be on A Star Is Born star Lady Gaga. But the HFPA couldn’t pass up an opportunity to finally award Close for a feature film performance. (She previously won for TV’s The Lion In Winter and Damages.) Great speech, too. Snub: Incredibles 2
If you’re paying attention to the season, where the critics groups are pretty much lining up behind latter-year animated hit Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, you know this isn’t really a “snub” per se. But HFPA voters pretty much always line up behind whatever Disney effort is in the mix. That said, they’re also hyper-aware of which way the wind is blowing. Surprise: Bohemian Rhapsody
It was clear the HFPA loved the film. The popular lead actor pick was Rami Malek, who made good. But the ultimate prize of the night? Not many expected that. Snub: Amy Adams
The star of Adam McKay’s Vice and HBO’s Sharp Objects came into the evening with two nominations in tow, but even with better odds than most everyone else in the room, she came up empty-handed. Still, at least the Globes have honoured her (for Tim Burton’s Big
Eyes). She’s rapidly approached overdue status with the Academy. Side note: some feel she also should have walked away with the limited series/TV movie actress trophy for her work on Sharp Objects. She lost both awards. Surprise: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Again, only if you’re not paying attention to the regional critics circuit. Which is probably most people. Still, it’s a stunner when Disney gets trumped. The only other recent film to pull that off was How To Train Your Dragon 2. Snub: BlacKkKlansman
It was an HFPA favourite with four major nominations on the evening, but Spike Lee’s latest fell short across the board. It’s still one of the season’s heavy-hitters with major nominations from SAG-AFTRA and critics recognition, but it doesn’t get the benefit of a televised boost on NBC this year.
TV
Snub: Homecoming The Amazon half-hour drama was one of the frontrunners in the series
category, as was its star Julia Roberts in the lead drama actress category, but neither of those (nor its slightly more wild card nominee Stephan James in the lead drama actor category) took home any trophies. Surprise: Jim Carrey gets pulled into Samberg and Oh’s opening.
Although many expected Showtime star Sacha Baron Cohen (Who Is America? )tobetheoneto steal the spotlight with a costume or outrageous stunt, it was his fellow network star and comedy actor nominee Carrey who got in on the fun when Samberg and Oh spotted him in the front of the audience and noted that the area was the film area, and he would have to move because he is doing TV now. It was an odd choice of joke, especially during an otherwise positive and upbeat start to the show, given how plum television roles have become and how many former bigscreen only stars (such as Carrey) have crossed over of late.
Surprise: Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
While Whishaw’s performance was strong enough that he was considered a frontrunner, it was something of a shock to see him come out the lone winner for the three-part Amazon series which was also on the ballot for limited series/TV movie and lead limited series/TV movie actor for Hugh Grant. The project was very much a two-hander, centred on Grant and Whishaw’s relationship. Surprise: Flu shots!
Every awards show does something kooky, from taking celebrities across the street to an unsuspecting movie theatre full of fans to having food delivered mid-ceremony, and the Globes was no different with Samberg and Oh introducing licensed professionals from “the Rite Aid in Echo Park” to dole out flu shots. While many in the audience, including Keith Urban, deflected, Linda Cardellini was one who actually allowed them to come at her with the needle.