Politics, government, and diversity among movie nominees at the 2021 Golden Globes

When I told my readers "I plan on writing about the movie nominees, although I haven't decided whether that's tomorrow or later next week" at the conclusion of Television nominees about politics and government at the 2021 Golden Globes, I was pondering whether to do that or write about another awards show, such as the Critics Choice, WGA Awards, or finish my Emmy series for Black History Month. I then remembered that the Golden Globes will be the first awards given out on February 28th, so I'm prioritizing writing about them today for the Sunday entertainment feature. Watch as Grace Randolph of Beyond The Trailer shares her opinions in Golden Globes 2021 Nominations & Predictions. Take it away, Grace!

Golden Globes 2021 today! Beyond The Trailer's reaction to nominations! Snubs! Female aka Women Directors! Mank! Borat! James Corden The Prom!
...
Golden Globes 2021 today! Beyond The Trailer host Grace Randolph's reaction & predictions of the nominations and winners! Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Mank, Promising Young Woman, One Night in Miami, Nomadland and more! Snubs! Share your own reaction to the nominations for the Golden Globes 2021, and your own predictions, before you watch the full show with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler!

Those are the nominees that Grace thinks should and will win. Follow over the jump for my opinions, including how well the nominated movies fit the themes of politics and government, how diverse the acting nominees are, and whether I agree with Grace about the likely winners.

Best Motion Picture, Drama
“The Father”
“Mank”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

As Grace notes, "Mank" has more nominations than any other film, six. It also is a story about Hollywood, which, all other things being equal, makes it the favorite because Hollywood loves good show about itself. It will probably be enough for "Mank" to win this category at the Golden Globes and earn lots of nominations at the Oscars, making it the favorite there, too. However, when Grace mentions that it includes politics, it's mostly the politics of Hollywood and the movie industry, not the politics that influences government. "The Trial of the Chicago 7" covers that, and it has the second most nominations of any motion picture, five. The other three movies in this category have four nominations each. They all explore social issues, especially "Nomadland," which IMDB describes as "After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad." That movie looks more like a documentary than a scripted drama. Speaking of "Nomadland"...

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Based on the IMDB description, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" has the most politics and government content, as the film "Follows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair." "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" also explores social and political issues within entertainment, as IMDB summarizes the film as "During a recording session, tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable 'Mother of the Blues'." Both feature diverse nominees as well as depicting African-American perspectives on their respective eras. That written, I agree with Grace that it's between Carey Mulligan and Frances McDormand for this award.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Tahar Rahim, “The Mauritanian”

IMDB describes "The Mauritanian" as "Mohamedou Ould Salahi fights for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years," so it has the most political and goverment content of all the films with nominated actors in this category. That written, while the nominations for Tahar Rahim and Riz Ahmed are important for diversity, they aren't likely to win. I think it's between Chadwick Boseman, Grace's pick, and Gary Oldman; as much as Grace dumped on his performance, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association might vote for him anyway. Anthony Hopkins is a great actor, but I'm not sure this is his best performance.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Helena Zengel, “News of the World”

The three biggest names in this field are Glenn Close, Olivia Colman, and Jodie Foster. Grace expressed her cynicism about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association when she said that Close and Colman would only win this award if the HFPA couldn't help themselves. On the other hand, she thought Foster, Amanda Seyfried, and Helena Zengel deserved the award. She wants Seyfried. I'm rooting for Foster, the nominee from the most political movie with a nominee in this category.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Jared Leto, “The Little Things”
Billy Murray, “On the Rocks”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night In Miami”

Fortunately for the theme of this entry, Grace's top three choices come from the three most political films, Sacha Baron Cohen for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and Leslie Odom Jr. for “One Night In Miami.” Out of the three, Kaluuya is not only Grace's favorite, but also had the best promotional image on Twitter, so I used it.

Best Director, Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
David Fincher, “Mank”
Regina King, “One Night In Miami”
Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”

Grace thinks it's between David Fincher and Chloé Zhao with Fincher favored. I agree.

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
Jack Fincher, “Mank”
Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, “The Father”
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”

The best overall screenwriter is probably Aaron Sorkin, although I think he's a little too in love with his own opinions. Just the same, Grace and I agree he's the most likely to win, followed by Jack Fincher for "Mank."

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
“Hamilton”
“Music”
“Palm Springs”
“The Prom”

"Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" has both the most nominations of any movie in this category, three, and the most current political content, including a really memorable prank on Rudy Giuliani. As Grace says, it could very likely win, as much as she thinks "The Prom" deserves it more. However, I'm rooting for the other political comedy or musical, "Hamilton," the winner of two People's Choice Awards. I predicted then that "I expect the show will be nominated for...a Golden Globe or two" and the HFPA proved me right.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Kate Hudson, “Music"
Michelle Pfeiffer, “French Exit”
Rosamund Pike, “I Care a Lot”
Anya Taylor-Joy, “Emma”

The two actresses Grace tagged as likely to win, Maria Bakalova and Rosamund Pike, happen to act in the movies most about politics and government. In addition to the mean-spirited political pranks in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," "I Care a Lot" is a crime caper, which means the police are involved. Of the two, I'm rooting for Pike. I've been a fan of hers since she starred in the Bond film "Die Another Day."

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
James Corden, “The Prom”
Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton”
Dev Patel, “The Personal History of David Copperfield”
Andy Samberg, “Palm Springs”

Grace just can't hide her disappointment with this field, but she settles on Sacha Baron Cohen as the likely winner. I'm personally rooting for Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton so he can have a Golden Globe to go along with his People's Choice Award, but I learned long ago not to count out James Corden. The man has talent.

Before I move on, as much as Grace dumps on "Palm Springs," I want to stand up for it. Not only was it a decent comedy, but it won the Critics Choice Super Awards for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie, Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie (Andy Samberg), and Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie (Cristin Milioti). Given the other nominees in these categories, I would agree with those wins. At the Golden Globes, I think Samberg deserves his nomination, but not a win.

Best Motion Picture, Animated
“The Croods: A New Age”
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”

I'm with Grace; "Soul" all the way.

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
“Another Round”
“La Llorona”
“The Life Ahead”
“Minari”
“Two Of Us”

The films about politics and government are "Another Round," about four drunken high school teachers, "La Llorona," a horror film about a war criminal, and "The Life Ahead," about a Holocaust survivor who takes in a street kid. Out of the three, Grace thought only "The Life Ahead" had a good chance of winning. Personally, I'm torn between "La Llorona" and "Minari," the former because of its horror theme and the latter because its lead actor played in "The Walking Dead."

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat, “The Midnight Sky”
Ludwig Göransson, “Tenet”
James Newton Howard, “News of the World”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Mank”
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, “Soul”

Grace thinks this award will go to "Soul." I'm enough of a musician that I won't trust her judgment, but my own. Since I haven't listened to the scores yet, I'm sharing Grace's choice, Music of Soul | Disney and Pixar's Soul | Disney+.

Disney and Pixar's Soul original motion picture soundtrack plus two vinyl albums are available December 18. Stream Disney and Pixar's Soul this Christmas only on Disney+.

About Soul:
What is it that makes you...YOU? This Christmas only on Disney+, Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film “Soul” introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voice of Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”), Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” is streaming only on Disney+ beginning December 25.

The video certainly advocates for the soundtrack.

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Fight For You,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Hear My Voice,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
“Io Sì (Seen),” “The Life Ahead”
“Speak Now,” “One Night In Miami”
“Tigress & Tweed,” “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”

Again, I'm enough of a musician that I won't trust her judgment, but my own. Since I haven't listened to the scores yet, I'm sharing Grace's choice, Speak Now.

“Speak Now” by Leslie Odom Jr.

Composers: Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth

That is a pretty and moving song, so I can see why Grace likes it.

That was a lot of work. I'll tackle something easier tomorrow, like the Emmy Awards. Stay tuned.