Oscars 2015 Predictions: How do the Golden Globes Affect the Oscars?
On Thursday, the Golden Globe nominations were announced, with "Birdman" leading the nominees with seven.
The Globes are very influential to the Academy Awards because a number of winners transfer over to the Academy Awards. As a result, a number of nominees got a boost while other films lost strength. Here are some of the results:
1. "Interstellar," "A Most Violent Year," "Unbroken," "American Sniper" Are in Big Trouble
All four films were snubbed from the Golden Globes nominations even though they had the star power the Globes are usually drawn to. "Interstellar" has been quickly dissipating from the race and it is most likely due to the fact that it scored mixed reviews and failed at the box office. Meanwhile, "Unbroken" was expected to be nominated as it is the type of studio movie that draws enough attention. However, reviews were also mixed and the film's late release date also impeded the movie from widely screening. "A Most Violent Year" may have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress but failed to get the attention in the Best Picture race. "American Sniper" was also absent regardless of the career high performance by Bradley Cooper.
2. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" Is Strong
Despite having been released in March, the Wes Anderson film scored four Golden Globe nominations. Even though the film scored a SAG Best Cast nomination, most pundits expected it would not have an effect on the Oscar race. However, the Anderson film exceeded expectations at the Globes. It not only scored a nomination in the Best Picture Musical or Comedy category but it also scored a Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor nomination. While the Golden Globes don't always transfer over to the Academy, it definitely influences some of the Oscar's choices.
3. Jennifer Aniston Is Strong
Like "The Grand Budapest Hotel," it was expected that Jennifer Aniston's nomination at SAG for "Cake" would be a fluke. However, the Golden Globes confirmed that the performance has a lot of support. It is still too early to know if indeed it will actually be nominated for the Oscars. The movie itself has negative reviews and audiences have yet to see it. Back in 2012, Nicole Kidman got nominated for "The Paperboy" for the Golden Globe and the SAG award. However, while the film had a good campaign, it failed to garner an Oscar nomination. Aniston still has a long way to go before making that nomination come true and it would be unprecedented that two performances that only had qualifying runs get nominated at the Oscars.
4. It Is a "Boyhood" vs. "Birdman" Year
Even though "The Imitation Game," "The Theory of Everything" and "Selma" were nominated for Best Picture, "The Imitation Game" and "The Theory of Everything" did not receive director nominations. On the other hand, "Selma," which failed to get nominated for the SAG awards, did not get nominated for Best Screenplay. Both "Boyhood" and "Birdman" made both categories, and those are crucial for a Globe win.
5. No Love for "Begin Again" or "Top Five"
Two of the most beloved comedies of the year were completely snubbed from the Golden Globes, ending their awards season possibilities. Both films were expected to get nominations in the Best Picture Musical or Comedy categories but were not mentioned. "Begin Again" also had strong chances in the Best Actress category as well as the Best Song category. Going forward to the Oscars will be more difficult as they are not the type of Academy-friendly films.
6. Harvey Weinstein Rules
Even though it was Fox Searchlight who scored the most nomination, the Weinstein Company was stronger than expected. Early on in the race, it seemed like "The Imitation Game" was not generating buzz with critics. However, at the Golden Globes, the film scored five nominations including the Best Picture. The company also had a strong showing in the Musical or Comedy categories. "St. Vincent" was nominated for Best Picture for Musical or Comedy while "Big Eyes" scored nominations in the acting categories. In total, the company scored 10 nominations and showcased that it is still relevant in the race. Moving forward, the studio could have a huge influence in the Oscar race and could enter the Best Actress race with either Marion Cotillard for "The Immigrant," Amy Adams for "Big Eyes" or Jessica Chastain for "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby."