The Golden Globes will be handed out this weekend, which means that Hollywood is officially entering the thick of Oscar Season. Do the Globes really matter, though? Well, yes and no. “No” because they are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press, a group made up of approximately 80 critics who write for various trade publications. There aren’t any significant critics among the bunch (no Roger Eberts or Peter Travers); however, these folks have a bit of a reputation. They are the only group without a ban on favours, gifts, etc., which is something that studios and Sharon Stone
often use to their advantage. The Globes, however, do matter because they offer the first awards seen by most of the public – since the Globes are the first to air on TV, the winners enjoy a higher degree of coverage and discussion, which usually results in a wider release and, therefore, more exposure and appreciation. That being said, in the past decade, only five films won both the GG and the Oscar:
Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind,
Chicago,
The Return of the King, and
Slumdog Millionaire.
How will the races shape up? Who knows? Part of what makes the Globes so enjoyable, regardless of their relevance, is their unpredictability – recall last year’s win of The Hangover over Julie & Julia, Nine, and (500) Days of Summer. This year should be exciting because there are several races that seem close. Which names are called might be predictable, but alternatively, some front-runners could be blind-sided by the competition (I promise to stop the Sandra Bullock jokes after this award season.)
My picks and predictions in the major film categories: