AFP
Los Angeles (AFP) โ Black comedy โThe Banshees of Inisherinโ topped the Golden Globes nominations Monday, as the tarnished Hollywood awards show tries to rebuild its reputation following last yearโs boycott by A-listers and studios.
The movie about the abrupt end of a friendship on a tiny Irish island during the 1920s picked up a whopping eight nods โ the most for any film in almost two decades โ including nominations for star Colin Farrell and director Martin McDonagh.
Surreal sci-fi โEverything Everywhere All at Onceโ earned six nominations, while raucous Hollywood Golden Age drama โBabylonโย and Steven Spielbergโs deeply personal โThe Fabelmansโ took five each.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes, has scrambled to reform itself since long-harbored criticisms of the groupโs practices went public in early 2021.
Tinseltown completely distanced itself from the Globes last January over membersโ lack of diversity, alleged corruption and lack of professionalism, and the show took place behind closed doors.
Broadcaster NBC has gambled that it is time to bring back the glitzy gala, albeit under a trial one-year contract, on January 10 in Beverly Hills. The entire industry is waiting to see which stars will show up.ย
Brendan Fraser, who was nominated Monday for his starring role in โThe Whale,โ a drama about a morbidly obese man, has already said he will not attend the awards.
โItโs because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didnโt raise a hypocrite,โ Fraser told GQ last month.
Fraser has alleged that a former HFPA president, Philip Berk, sexually assaulted him in 2003. Berk denies the incident, and has since left the group.
Tom Cruise, who was widely seen as a strong contender in the acting categories for โTop Gun: Maverick,โ was overlooked by Globes voters Monday.
Cruise last year returned his three Golden Globes to the HFPA in protest at its behavior.
Star power
Nominations for the 80th Golden Globes were unveiled on NBCโs โTodayโ program Monday.
Along with Spielbergโs โThe Fabelmansโ and โTop Gun: Maverick,โ other films nominated for best drama included Baz Luhrmannโs rock-and-roll biopic โElvis,โ and James Cameronโs eagerly awaited โAvatarโ sci-fi sequel.
โTar,โ which stars Cate Blanchett as a ruthless classical conductor, took the final drama spot.
In the comedy or musical category โBanshees,โ โEverything Everywhereโ and โBabylonโ were joined by whodunnit sequel โGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryโ and Cannes festival Palme dโOr-winner โTriangle of Sadness.โ
A-listers among the acting nominees included Daniel Craig (โGlass Onionโ) Hugh Jackman (โThe Sonโ) Angela Bassett (โBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverโ) and Olivia Colman (โEmpire of Light.โ)
While recognition from the HFPA has traditionally helped to kick-start Oscar campaigns and market films, the Globesโ importance this year is less certain due to the recent scandals.
Reactions on social media Monday were notably muted. Few nominees publicly commented, although official accounts for several films including โBlack Pantherโ congratulated their stars.
The Globes drew flack for failing to nominate a single female movie director, or any best drama or best comedy films directed by women.ย
Danielle Deadwylerโs powerful performance as the mother of 14-year-old lynching victim Emmett Till in โTillโ was among the morningโs most controversial omissions.
But overall, Vanity Fair writers Katey Rich and David Canfield said Globes voters had โplayed it safeโ this year, with few surprises.
On the television side, comedy โAbbott Elementaryโ led with five nominations, while Netflixโs British royals drama โThe Crownโ was among several shows earning four nods.
โNot the old HFPAโ
The HFPA has recently expanded its voting body to include people with more diverse backgrounds, banned members from accepting gifts, and halted its in-person press conferences with stars, which were often derided for the improper behavior of some members.
โThis is really not the old HFPA anymore,โ president Helen Hoehne recently told The Hollywood Reporter.
โI respect Brendan Fraserโs decisionโฆ And I personally, sincerely hope thereโs a way for us to move forward and we are able to regain Mr Fraserโs trust, along with the trust of the entire entertainment community,โ she added.
Still, powerful Hollywood publicists remain divided over the Globes, with some expressing skepticism about the reforms โ and a reluctance to return to the event with their stars.
A plan by US billionaire Todd Boehly to spin off the awards show into a for-profit entity and pay salaries to members has raised eyebrows.