Last week was a very strong one for Sing Sing, which won two Gotham acting awards and landed on both AFI’s top 10 list and the National Board of Review’s list of the year’s top movies. But Globe voters snubbed the film in the best-drama category and also left supporting actor Clarence Maclin off the list. This snub isn’t an indicator that all hope is lost, though. Because the Globes have separate drama and comedy categories, there’s a limit to how many dramatic films can be on the Globes’ list, and there’s more room for dramatic features in the Oscars’ 10-film best-picture race. So plenty of hope is still left for Sing Sing.
Wicked Rises
As a commercial hit and a crowd-pleaser, Wicked was expected to do very well at the Globes. And it did not miss in its nominations, earning a nod for best picture as well as acting noms for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It also landed a nomination in the Globes’ cinematic-and-box-office-achievement category, a newer addition that is based on box office and viewership numbers. This is a category the film could easily win; Barbie won it at the last ceremony. Wicked also won the best-film award from the NBR, and Jon M. Chu took the award for best director, which was a big win in a year with such a competitive field.
Lead Actress Continues to Be Chaotic
The most crowded and cutthroat category this year remains best actress. As mentioned earlier, the Globes snubbed Marianne Jean-Baptiste while giving spots to Pamela Anderson and Kate Winslet (Lee), both of whom are not considered true contenders for Oscar nominations. They also gave Tilda Swinton a nod for The Room Next Door, which may help her chances in the Oscar race since that film remains very much on the bubble. The other drama-lead-actress nominees include Angelina Jolie (Maria), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here). The Globes made room for Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Zendaya (Challengers) in best actress in a musical and comedy. So by our count, that’s 10 likely lead-actress contenders, plus Jean-Baptiste—who still feels very much in the race after landing on many critics groups’ lists. This race will remain one of the most exciting ones to watch right up to the Oscar nominations.
One Late Entry Gains Momentum
A big question mark this season has been how A Complete Unknown might fare. Slated for a Christmas release, the film about Bob Dylan wasn’t ready to be shown until very late in the season. But since it started screening in late November, the reaction has been very favorable. Globe voters were definitely fans—the movie landed in the best-drama-picture category (despite featuring lots of music, it has not been categorized as a musical), and lead Timothée Chalamet also landed a nomination for lead actor. But the biggest nomination of note was Edward Norton’s in the supporting-actor category. Supporting actresses Elle Fanning (who won an NBR award) and Monica Barbaro have been out there campaigning, but Norton has not been as present. It’s notable that voters appreciate his performance as Pete Seeger anyway, and perhaps the Academy will feel the same.
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