Amidst the ‘white noise’ of celebrity fashion hits and faux pas, glamorous couples and obsessive hype for the Golden Globes, viewers should expect a competitive race for awards between many engaging films. Movie lovers have indicated that the Golden Globes ceremony operates as a fortune-teller for the Oscars, but 2012’s mix of movies may result differently.
The Golden Globes kicked off the award season on Jan. 13, with roughly a month to turn the tables before the Oscars night, on Feb. 24. Snappy commentary was crisply executed by the Golden Globes hosts, Tina Fay and Amy Poehler, who are both well-known for their roles in “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation,” respectfully and many episodes of “Saturday Night Live.” After noting that last year’s host Ricky Gervais “could not be here tonight because he’s no longer in show business,” Poehler joked about “Zero Dark Thirty” Director Katheryn Bigelow. “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron,” she said.
There are a few key differences between the Golden Globes and the Oscars. The Oscars is an awards ceremony hosted only for film whereas the Golden Globes recognizes excellence in film and television. Additionally, the Golden Globes separate the “Best Picture” category into “Best Drama” and “Best Musical or Comedy.” The Hollywood Foreign Press Association judges the Golden Globes and the Academy of Motions Picture Arts and Sciences judge the Oscars awards, which can explain why outcomes can be considerably different on each night.
The rescue thriller “Argo” was a huge success at the Golden Globes, snatching both the “Best Motion Picture-Drama” and the “Best Director” award. However, the film is not nominated for “Best Director” on the Oscar ballot, which will result in an interesting battle between Michael Haneke (“Amour”), Benh Zeitlin (“Beast of the Southern Wild”), Ang Lee (“Life of Pi”), Steven Speilberg (“Lincoln”) and David O. Russel (“Silver Linings Playbook.”)
Claiming the “Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical” award was “Les Miserables,” a big-budget adaption of the classic theatre production. Hugh Jackman was awarded “Best Actor-Comedy or Musical” as Jean Valjean, and Anne Hathaway won “Best Supporting Actress” for her role as Fantine. Hathaway was humbled upon accepting the award, remembering her beginnings “as princess of Genovia.” On Oscar night, both “Les Miserables” and “Argo” will test their positions as “Best Motion Picture” with other nominees, which include; “Amour,”“Beasts of the Southern Wild,”“Django,” “Les Miserables”, “Life of Pi,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Jessica Chastain swiped the “Best Actress-Drama” award for her role as Maya in “Zero Dark Thirty.” On Oscar night, she faces the toughest competition from “Silver Linings Playbook” lead actress, Jennifer Lawrence. The “Best Actor-Drama” Globe went to Daniel Day-Lewis for his performance in “Lincoln,” while the “Best Supporting Actor” was awarded to Christoph Waltz, for his performance in “Django.”
Golden Globes night held a nice surprise for Adele, who won “Best Original Song” for “Skyfall,” from the intro sequence song of the latest ‘James Bond’ film of the same title. Adele’s composition beat “The Hunger Games” hit-number “Safe and Sound,” written by Taylor Swift and Civil Wars. “Best Original Score” went to Mychael Danna’s “Life of Pi” soundtrack, which beat John William’s score for “Lincoln.” Pixar’s “Brave” picked up the “Best Animated Film” Golden Globe.
Whether you are a filmmaking fanatic or love to critique celebrity wardrobe choices, the Oscars will be a night for you to remember. The best way to prepare for the awards ceremony is check those “Must-Sees” off of your movie checklist. For a list of Oscars awards categories and nominees, visit oscar.go.com/nominees.