NEW YORK (AP) – With the nominees home on a remote video and presenters Tina Fey and Amy Poehler from different sides of the country, a socially distant 78th Golden Globe has advanced amid the pandemic and amid a storm of criticism for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, with top awards going to “Nomadland”, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”, “The Crown” and “Schitt’s Creek”.
The biggest prize of the night, best dramatic film, went to Chloé Zhao’s elegiac road movie, “Nomadland”, a western set in economic turmoil and personal mourning. Zhao, the Chinese filmmaker, became the first woman of Asian descent to win the title of best director. She is only the second woman in the history of Globo to win, and the first since Barbra Streisand won by “Yentl” in 1984.
“‘Nomadland in its essence, for me, is a pilgrimage through pain and healing,” said Zhao, accepting the awards remotely. “For everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, this is for you.”
With a canceled red carpet and stars making speeches on the couch, Sunday’s Globo had little of its typically frothy flavor. But they continued, nevertheless, with sweatpants and dogs winners in their laps, in a pandemic that undermined almost all the glamor of Hollywood.
Facing scarce traditional studio competition, streaming services dominated the Globes like never before – even if the top prize went to a well-known, albeit renamed source: Searchlight Pictures, the specialized label now owned by Disney behind “12 Years” the Slave ”and“ Birdman ”.
Amazon’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” – one of the few nominated films shot partially during the pandemic – won the best film, comedy or musical. Its star, guerrilla comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, also won the award for best actor in comedy. Referring to Rudy Giuliani’s infamous cameo, Baron Cohen thanked “a new talent that came out of nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius”.
“I mean, who would get the most laughs by opening the zipper?”, He said.
Netflix, which entered 42 nominations, won the top TV awards. “The Crown,” as expected, led to the best drama series, along with acting victories for Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles), Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) and Gillian Anderson (Margaret Thatcher). “The Queen’s Gambit” won best limited series and best actress in the category by Anya Taylor-Joy. “Schitt’s Creek”, the pop TV series that found a broader audience on Netflix, won the best comedy series in its last season. Catherine O’Hara also took best actress in a comedy series.
Chadwick Boseman, as expected, posthumously won the award for best actor in a dramatic film for his final performance, in August Wilson’s adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – a Netflix release. Boseman’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, in tears, emotionally accepted the award.
“He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for his guidance and sacrifices, ”said Ledward. “He said something beautiful, something inspiring.”
Apple TV + won its first grand prize when Jason Sudeikis, dressed in a sweatshirt, won the award for best actor in a comedy series with streamer “Ted Lasso”.
The NBC broadcast began in split screen. Fey took the stage in New York’s Rainbow Room, while Poehler stayed at the Globes’ usual home at the Beverly Hilton. In their opening remarks, they managed their normally timely comings and goings, despite being almost 3,000 miles apart.
“I always knew my career would end with me wandering around the Rainbow Room pretending to speak to Amy,” said Fey. “I just thought it would be later.”
They appeared before masked participants, but without stars. Instead, the sparse tables – where Hollywood royalty is often huddled and filled with alcohol during the show – were occupied by “first responders and essential workers,” as Fey said.
In a production nightmare, but one that became familiar during the pandemic, the first winner of the night received his award without sound. It was only after presenter Laura Dern apologized for the technical difficulties that Daniel Kaluuya, who won the award for best supporting actor for his role as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah”, made his speech. When he finally succeeded, he wagged his finger at the camera and said, “You’re getting me dirty!”
The improvisation pandemic was only part of damage control for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which features the Globes. After the Los Angeles Times revealed that there are no black members in the HFPA’s 87-person voting body, the press association was under increasing pressure to reshape itself and better reflect the sector in which it exerts influence.
This year, none of the most acclaimed black-led films – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, “One Night in Miami”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Da 5 Bloods” – were nominated for the Globes’ best film award . With HFPA potentially fighting for its life in Hollywood, Sunday’s Globo was part of the apology tour. Fey and Poehler started the matter quickly.
“Look, a lot of loud garbage has been indicated, but it does,” said Poehler. “This is their thing. But a number of black actors and projects led by blacks have been overlooked. “
In the first half hour of the NBC broadcast, members of the press association appeared on stage to promise change. “We recognize that we have our own work to do,” said Vice President Helen Hoehne. “We must have black journalists in our organization.”
It remains unclear whether these statements – along with a diverse group of winners – have done enough to remedy anything. By the time the show ended, Time’s Up sent letters to HFPA and NBCUniveral demanding more. “Globes are no longer gold. It’s time to act, ”wrote Tina Tchen, the group’s president.
The circumstances of COVID-19 have led to some anomalies in awards. Mark Ruffalo, appearing remotely, won the award for best actor in a series limited by “I Know This Much Is True” with his children celebrating behind him and his wife, Sunrise Coigney, seated next door.
Lee Isaac Chung, screenwriter and director of the Korean-American family drama contest “Minari” (a film that HFPA was criticized for not qualifying for the main award due to its non-English dialogue), accepted the award for best language film foreign while his daughter hugged him. “She’s the reason I made this film,” said Chung.
John Boyega, winner of the supporting actor for his performance in Steve McQueen’s “Small Ax” anthology, raised his leg to show he was wearing training pants below his most elegant white jacket. Jodie Foster (“The Mauritanian”) won one of the biggest surprise Globes, best supporting actress in a film, while, sitting on the couch next to his wife, Alexandra Hedison, and with her dog, Ziggy on her lap.
Even though the speeches sometimes lacked drama without Hollywood gathered in one place, the performance was a common refrain. Explicitly referring to the diversity of HFPA, presenter and previous winner Sterling K. Brown began: “Thank you. It’s great to be black at the Golden Globe, ”he said. “Come back.”
Jane Fonda, honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, spoke passionately about the expansion of the large entertainment tent for everyone. “Art has always been not only in tune with history, but has led the way,” said Fonda. “So, let us be leaders.”
Other awards included Pixar’s “Soul” for best animated film; Rosumund Pike took the best actress in a comedy or musical film for “I Care a Lot”; Aaron Sorkin (“Trial of the Chicago 7 ″) for best script; and, in the biggest surprise of the night, Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”) for best actress in a drama, beating Carey Mulligan (“Promising young woman”) and Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”).
Despite considerable reaction before the show, the Globes persisted because of their popularity (the program ranks as the third most watched award program, after the Oscars and Grammys), their profitability (NBC paid $ 60 million for the rights to broadcast in 2018) and because they serve as important marketing material for rival films and Oscar candidates.
The Oscar will be held on April 25.