Well, Awards Season has officially kicked off, and as per tradition it begins with the least important of the movie awards shows: The Golden Globes! The Hollywood Foreign Press’ Awards show is known for its light atmosphere and laid back tone, however this year it had a responsibility. There’s a giant cloud hanging over Hollywood right now that all the awards shows will have to address and somehow get across the PR that it’s not quite the hive of scum and villainy it may seem to be.
It’s no surprise then that feminism was the theme of the night, and will be of all the like shows coming up. Last year, Trump was the man of the hour, and while the oafish shit-weasel was derisively alluded to a couple times, the major purpose of commentary this year was on advocating change for and appraisal for women in the industry. There was a lot of emphasis on and addressing of the sexual harassment epidemic, particularly the multiple Hollywood scandals associated with it; both with senses of humour and passionate sincerity. Many of the speeches were charged with the theme of equality and the courage to speak out, and the presenters were noticeably majority female. Cue the typical consortium of angry assholes on the internet.
Politics and awards shows make for unpopular bedfellows, and for a long time now a frequent critique is how often winners or presenters at such shows use their platform to make a political statement. And it’s easy to see why. Unabashed views and hot button talking points often do distract from the moment. It’s common now for many winners to speak long past their allotted time limit. In the past, such speeches were short, full of gratitude, and concise. Winners treated it as their moment of personal accomplishment and not much more. Awards shows in the past were mostly apolitical, with only the most harmless of jokes aimed at the President or the institutions of government or celebrity.
This however, is not the past.
We have more freedoms now, and anyone for good or bad, can speak their mind. It would be ignorant to assume that the rampant sexual misconduct we’re finding out about now is new. However, people, actresses especially, couldn’t address it in the 1940s or 50s. Hollywood had a respectable decorum and a reputation, which in addition to the social limitations of the time, meant that things like politics at awards shows weren’t permitted lest one damage their reputation. It’s why Sidney Poitier could only barely acknowledge he was the first black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor, when he accepted his statuette for Lilies of the Field in 1964; a feat referenced by Oprah on Sunday night (Oprah was this years’ recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award because she’s been in some movies, and hers was the longest and most impassioned speech -the one that'll be trending more than anything).
And yeah, political diatribes can be exhausting, I won’t deny that they sometimes have been off-putting or annoying to me. But if 2017 has taught us anything it’s that, sadly, they’re needed. Things that should be blatantly obvious aren’t to some people. It can be preaching to the choir when someone at an awards show is making a speech about a specific political issue, official, or belief, but in this case the problems being addressed are internal to the industry behind the art being esteemed, and thus a lot more relevant. Hollywood elites who’ve won awards and even delivered political speeches have now been ousted from the entertainment industry, and while it is depressing to see respected figures fall from grace, reveal themselves to not be worthy of that respect, it also should be lauded and encouraged that silenced voices are now being heard. And if an award winner prefers to address this in their speech rather than make it a more personal victory, that’s their choice.
The shit that’s been building up the last few months inevitably had to be addressed during this years’ awards circuit, there was no avoiding it. I mean hell, one of the big awards contenders almost had Kevin Spacey in it! And it’s not going to go away, nor should it. I’m glad the Golden Globes addressed it head-on. The Globes have always been “that other Awards show”, which you shouldn’t really take seriously (it’s always amusing to see which films get labelled as “comedies” for their ridiculous format). It’s been popularized by folks like Ricky Gervais as the chill and fun awards show, where celebrities have wine and sit at tables, and perhaps bask a little too much in their privilege. This years’ show was not fun, and I don’t mean that as an insult. This years’ Golden Globes ceremony took advantage of their status and the fact it’s the first awards show of the 2018 season, to be the ambassador of Hollywood’s ideology moving forward while contending with the recently exposed dark underbelly of the system.
Is it a lot of damage control? Yes. Is it affecting who receives its awards? Arguably. It can’t entirely be coincidence that in the realm of television the biggest winners of the night were The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies. But despite this, and despite the repetition in the speeches and jokes, it is a very good thing. Because while a lot of the show called out abusers and the corrupt, it was also making an effort to be a celebration of women. Of all the statements, from Rachel Brosnahan and Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, and Barbara Streisand, a Thelma & Louise reunion, and of course the powerful Oprah, the best and most encouraging came at the end of the night from Frances McDormand, winning very deservedly for her incredible performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. “It was really great to be in this room tonight,” she said. “To be part of a tectonic shift in our industry’s power structure.” It’s going to be a gradual shift to be sure, but I’m hopeful.
And now, my reactions to some select moments and winners from the show:
- Host Seth Meyers, who’s best known for his politically commentative youtube videos, as well as a talk show nobody watches; began the show immediately with jokes directed at the atmosphere of untrustworthy Hollywood heavyweights. He made a Big Little Lies/Get Out pun, suggested Christopher Plummer replace Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, mocked Spacey’s accent on the aforementioned show (not seeing the irony that Spacey was given a trophy for that accent from the very awards he’s hosting), and made an uncomfortable joke about the male actors in the room not having to worry they’re in trouble when their name gets announced -prompting a very creepy look from Willem Defoe. While he was a lukewarm host at best, he did have one great bit about Daniel Kaluuya reliving the plot of Get Out, he actually acknowledged how elitist they all look to viewers at home while making a point, and was jestingly shamed by Amy Poehler for mansplaining. Though there is a valid point in that even though he poked fun at it, this was a year that probably should have had a female host of the Globes. Poehler and Tina Fey have proved great in the past; or to better suit such a political evening, why not Samantha Bee?
- I’m so proud to see Sam Rockwell win and goddamn does he deserve it for Three Billboards. In his speech he rightfully calls Frances McDormand a badass!
- Each film nominee is given a special introduction, starting with Zac Efron talking about The Greatest Showman, in as watered down terms as the movie is.
- Jennifer Aniston presents in a cute bit with Carol Burnett. It’s always a delight to see Carol Burnett!
- Elisabeth Moss’ win is punctuated with a classy quote from Margaret Atwood.
- Roseanne and Dan are on stage together again in an awkward bit that hopefully isn’t a preview of their revival.
- Seth Rogen introduces The Disaster Artist with his personal experience of finding out about The Room and it’s pretty funny. Also funny, and a little bit worrying is the fact that Tommy Wiseau is actually there! Later, James Franco wins for his performance, dragging his brother and co-star Dave on stage with him and inviting Tommy as well. Unfortunately the paranoia of what the hell Tommy’s going to do on stage at the Golden Globes makes it hard to appreciate the very sweet words James has to say about his brother. Also, where’s Greg Sestero?
- Allison Janney has a bird on her shoulder for no reason and it’s awesome!
- I haven’t even seen it yet but I wanted The Breadwinner to win Best Animated Film purely out of my love for Cartoon Saloon.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones presents with her 101 year old father-in-law Kirk Douglas, where she reminds us about Douglas’ efforts to end the Blacklist. Douglas himself has some incomprehensible words, but still seems to be in good spirits, which is nice.
- Guillermo del Toro gives a fantastic speech upon winning Best Director for The Shape of Water (a film I still frustratingly haven’t been able to see) about why he loves monsters and how his creative work inspired by this has saved his life. He tells off the musical cue to wrap up and ends with the wonderful sentiment: “somewhere, Lon Chaney is smiling up at all of us!”
- Saoirse Ronan wins Best Actress in a Comedy and is so nice and grateful she doesn’t even correct the mispronunciation of her name.
- Dakota Johnson presents, clearly not liking the announcer associating her with Fifty Shades Freed.
- Greta Gerwig pants out a speech as Lady Bird wins Best Comedy and it’s quite adorable.
- It takes an on-stage Thelma and Louise reunion to make us all realize Geena Davis is incredibly tall.
- Frances McDormand’s speech is wonderfully sassy, and shortly thereafter, Three Billboards wins Best Drama which I’m very happy about! Take Awards season by storm you strangely stupendous movie!
My reviews of the nominated movies:
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