The Golden Globes nominated more than 40 individual films Monday — and yet still managed to overlook quite a bit. That may just be the brutal truth of awards season: The field narrows and suddenly great performances and wonderful films are simply left in the dust.
The Globes have always had quirks, like A-lister tunnel vision, and while there might not be anything quite as glaring as the infamous year of “The Tourist,” this batch is not without its oddities: Some good, some bad, some simply perplexing.
Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises from the nominations.
Danielle Deadwyler just can’t catch an awards season break. After being overlooked for “Till” by both the Globes and the Oscars, it seemed likely she’d be recognized for her turn in Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” (which somehow got no nominations at all). Oscar nominations are still over a month away, however, so perhaps this is the spark needed to remind voters.
It may be fun to needle the Golden Globes, but every once in a while they get something very, very right — and this year, the proof is in the nominations for “All We Imagine as Light.” The Indian film from a small distributor is one of those gems that, more often than not, is mainly celebrated by critics groups. And yet here it was nominated not only alongside a truly great batch of films in the international category — which it won’t be at the Oscars because India controversially selected another film to represent the country — but also in directing, for Payal Kapadia.
For an actor who has received four Golden Globe nominations in her lifetime and one win (“Lady Bird”), it was a bit of a shocker that Saoirse Ronan did not receive any this year. She had two major performances in notable films: as a recovering alcoholic in “The Outrun” and as a mother in wartime London in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” (also entirely, bafflingly empty-handed). Recognition for both would not have been undeserved.
Sebastian Stan managed to get a supporting and lead nomination for two different roles, however. His lauded portrayal of a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice” is not awards season kryptonite, after all (Jeremy Strong was also nominated). Equally exciting is Stan’s recognition for “A Different Man,” and yet that also comes with a snub caveat: His breakout co-star Adam Pearson did not get the same.
Another major oversight is Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who delivered the performance of a lifetime in Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths” as Pansy, the very unpleasant, but very quotable English woman with a chip on her shoulder. She has been getting recognition from prominent critics groups — most recently from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association — so hopefully all is not lost for other nominations.
Where do we even start with this one? Certainly, when only six are nominated there are going to be some major exclusions, but the absences were glaring, including RaMell Ross (“Nickel Boys”), Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”), Jon M. Chu (“Wicked”), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), and Jesse Eisenberg (“A Real Pain”).
One nomination for “Sing Sing,” for Colman Domingo, does not seem sufficient. Though it would have fit well in the best drama category, most glaring is the exclusion of Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin from supporting. The former inmate was a revelation in this film about incarcerated men who participate in a theater program.
The lead performance category for “musical or comedy” is, as always, all over the place. Unlike most years, there are actual musicals (Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez” and Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked”). While the others might have comedic elements, mostly of the dark or satirical variety, there’s not really a straight comedy in the batch, which is unfortunate in a year when June Squibb delivered such a great comedic performance in “Thelma” — also her first leading role. A real missed opportunity.
Pamela Anderson’s renaissance is in full swing, with a nomination for “The Last Showgirl” that caught some off guard. She and Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres are up against the likes of heavy hitters like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton and Kate Winslet.
Meryl Streep has been nominated 34 times at the Golden Globes (including receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2017) and yet somehow her delightful turn in “Only Murders in the Building” was not one of them this year.
The Globes love movie stars, especially the charismatic kinds who put on charm offensives at guild Q&As. Ryan Reynolds may not exactly be an Oscar contender for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but he should have been a shoo-in for the Globes. Is it a sign of the reformed times of the Globes 2.0 that he didn’t make the cut? Or perhaps Glen Powell took the high-wattage charm spot this year? Either way, we’ll look forward to an inside joke the next time the merc with a mouth graces our movie theater screens.
