So, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced its 2011 Golden Globe nominees. We’re happy to see The Artist, Midnight in Paris, and even American Horror Story getting the love they deserve. But it isn’t all good news. As usual, many of the categories leave something to be desired. And readers? There is a whole lot of New Girl. Follow along as we grouse over the year’s biggest snubs, and add your own gripes in the comments.
Film:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: If ever there was a movie made with awards season in mind, it was this one. Adapted from a popular Jonathan Safran Foer novel, it takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and the cast includes Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. The film doesn’t come out until Christmas, so we haven’t seen it yet. But the fact that it was totally shut makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Young Adult: The Best Picture, Comedy/Musical category is generally viewed as less important than the Drama category, where most of the true Oscar contenders end up. But this year the comedy race is dead serious, including such likely Academy Award nominees as The Artist and Midnight in Paris, along with the critically raved-about and wildly popular Bridesmaids and well-received dark cancer comedy 50/50. The only questionable item on the list, in fact, is My Week with Marilyn — which we (and a good number of critics) really disliked, despite Michelle Williams’ excellent performance. A better choice might have been Young Adult, a very different kind of comedy that found Jason Reitman re-teaming with Diablo Cody.
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was never going to nominate this low-budget indie for Best Drama. But it’s absolutely criminal that they overlooked Elizabeth Olsen, who surprised all Olsen skeptics with a deeply resonant performance as a woman who has escaped a creepy Catskills cult and must deal with the traumatic repercussions of her time there.
Drive: We get it — it was a mainstream movie, but kind of a strange mainstream movie. The style didn’t work for everyone. But Drive was much more original and fun to watch than your average middlebrow Best Drama nominee, without ever insulting our intelligence.
Lars von Trier and Terrence Malick: These two titans of highbrow filmmaking ruled Cannes this year, bringing the kind of cosmic statements to the screen that couldn’t help but be compared. We thought Melancholia was absolutely brilliant, and we certainly enjoyed Tree of Life more than most of the Foreign Press’s nominees. Even if they were left out of the Best Drama category, these two superstar filmmakers at least deserved a Best Director nod for their thought-provoking work — you know, instead of George Clooney for his relatively dopey Ides of March. Also, where is Kirsten Dunst, whose Melancholia performance was a subtle and flawless depiction of crippling depression?
TV:
Breaking Bad: This great AMC show has been an underdog for years, so we weren’t really expecting it to get a nomination. But after its most recent (literally) face-melting season, it sure would have been nice to see it get the recognition it deserves.
Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and Community: Did this seriously happen? Did the Hollywood Foreign Press actually snub all three of these wonderful NBC Thursday-night comedies in favor of Episodes, the increasingly plot-free Glee, and freaking New Girl? Just… ugh! There are no words. (Nice to see Enlightened on the list, though — maybe the nomination will convince HBO to renew it for a second season.)
Treme (and all of its talented cast): No Best Drama Series nomination. No love for Wendell Pierce or Khandi Alexander. Probably because no one, including the Foreign Press, is watching this great David Simon show. A damn shame.
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly: Again, what happened here? Not only was Melissa McCarthy passed over in the film Supporting Actress category for her hilarious Bridesmaids performance, but she didn’t even manage to edge out Zooey Deschanel for a Best Actress, Comedy nomination for her starring role on Mike & Molly — for which McCarthy took home an Emmy this fall. What gives?
Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation: And here is where we have to stop writing about the Golden Globe nominees because we’re just too upset. Ron Swanson gets snubbed again?! Who are these people, and why do they combine not only comedy and drama but also miniseries in one supporting TV actor category, creating a situation where miniseries dominate?