Golden Globes Recap Roundtable

One week ago, the 78th Golden Globes took place. As you might have come to expect of any events in the public sphere by now, the 2021 edition of the awards was unlike any edition ever before. We saw what I imagine was the first-ever 'split-screen monologue,' with Tina Fey hosting from New York and Amy Poehler managing duties from Los Angeles. Instead of the usual hotel ballroom stuffed to the brim with celebrities, there were two reception halls with only first responders present, masked and distanced from other tables. There were the occasional in-person presenters, but by and large, the acceptance of the awards was done by the various actors, directors, etc. from the comfort of their own homes. Unsurprisingly, as many of us have gotten accustomed to over the last year, there were technical glitches and weird virtual backgrounds to behold. But at the end of the night, just as every year before, awards were still given out for excellence in the world of film and television.

Christian Becker, Sierra Slaughter, and Daniel Woodiwiss, three of the usual suspects when it comes to The Couch's content on film and television, offer some thoughts on the winners, losers, and ceremony as a whole:

First things first, what were your overall impressions of the show? Impressive and creative? Weird and chaotic? Boring and drawn-out?

Christian: For all its limitations, the show was…fine? Doing a big award show with the hosts on two different coasts and most of the nominees/winners “Zooming” in, of course there were going to be tech issues with awkward pauses and sound mishaps. Just sort of comes with the territory. But everybody seemed to lean in and have fun with the madness. The various backgrounds and cute family moments with the winners gave us something that a typical award show usually can’t. I don’t want it to continue this way, but for the time being, these scraped together shows are doing what they can to entertain us.

Sierra: These Golden Globes were deeply boring. It wasn’t because of the online video format either. It was more that a lot of depressing things were nominated: James Corden, Mank, Hillbilly Elegy, Emily in Paris, the list goes on. The awards seem to hold even less weight than normal, with the yearly backlash of the Hollywood Foriegn Press. Honestly with the decision to make Amy and Tina hosts...these are two women whom I think we as a public don’t care much about anymore. I’ve never been a Tina fan, so I know I’m biased, but I truly think their brush with superstardom in comedy and beyond is over. It’s not a middle aged woman in Hollywood problem, it’s that their comedy, their jokes have stayed at a mid 2000s level and they don’t develop or grow with the times. Award shows need to get with the program and have up-and-comers host; no need for seasoned vets unless it’s Rosie with the Kid’s Choice Awards (or even John Cena, two time KCA host). With that said, the break-out rooms before commercials truly brought me so much joy. Either one person talking over the awkward silence, no one paying attention, or just yelling over each other. I love to watch celebs interact.

Daniel: I actually enjoyed them, chaos and all! It was way less seamless as the Emmys last September, but it was also a little more audacious, with its heavier blend of in-person and virtual. Plus, all the screwups and lags and wide-ranging getups and backgrounds made it feel a little more relatable. I thought Fey and Poehler's monologue was surprisingly well done, and they kept the show flowing by not adding too much needless filler.

Who or what was the biggest surprise winner on the night?

Sierra: I was legitimately shocked with Jason Sudeikis won for Ted Lasso! This was the final chance for the Schitt’s Creek crew and at the Emmys they won them all, so I figured it'd be the same, but congrats Jason!! Ted Lasso is my religion so it was the biggest, most welcome shock to me.

Daniel: It's gotta be Andra Day, right? That was the only winner on the night that seemed like a real shock. I had heard good things about her performance in The United States vs. Billie Holliday, but it seemed like the 4 other nominated actresses all had spent time as the perceived frontrunner in this race. (Unrelated, pretty wild that we now have 3 consecutive years of a Best Actor and/or Actress award going to someone portraying a famous singer: Day for Holliday, Renee Zellweger portraying Judy Garland and Taron Egerton portraying Elton John last year, and Rami Malek portraying Freddy Mercury in 2019.)

What was the worst snub, either in terms of not winning or of not being nominated?

Daniel: Can I answer "the entire Best Picture - Drama field"? I was happy to see Nomadland nominated, and okay with Promising Young Woman getting a nod, though I thought it could have been considered a Comedy, albeit a dark one. But the lack of respect for ANY ofThe Sound of Metal, One Night In Miami, Minari, Judas and the Black Messiah or Ma Rainey's Black Bottom astounded me.

Christian: Maria Bakalova losing to Rosamund Pike. I saw I Care A Lot and really REALLY liked Pike in it, but I was more impressed with the challenges that Bakalova had to face in being a newcomer having to keep up with all the crazy and ever-changing Borat antics. Also just seems cruel that they would award the movie itself and Sacha Baron Cohen, but not her.

Sierra: Second to the 'Minari as an international film' bullshit rule, the worst snub was Sound of Metal for Best Picture - Drama.

Keeping with the negative, who or what was your LEAST favorite winner on the night?

Christian: Minari in best Foreign Language film. Nothing against Minari itself. Just a little salty that it was even placed in this category to begin with. It’s an American-produced production, but just because characters speak in another language for most of it the HFPA considered it a foreign film. Great to see it win something, but it should have been competing with the other big awards.

Sierra: Queen’s Gambit beating Small Axe. Need I say more.

Daniel: Sacha Baron Cohen and Borat in the Comedy awards. Admittedly, I have yet to see it, but considering the public Rudy Giuliani snafu, it reeks of craving political points to merely award a sequel film with (I'm assuming) virtually the same premise as the first. Especially when you have a delightful, creative and heartfelt nominee in Palm Springs.

On a more positive note: your favorite winner on the night?

Sierra: Chloé Zhao obviously! Second woman to win Best Director ever and truly one of my favorite filmmakers working today. No one makes a movie like Chloé. Marvel here we come!

Daniel: Jason Sudeikis!!! Bleary-eyed, confused, hoodie-wearing Jason Sudeikis!!! I was fully expecting the Globes to go the Emmy route and honor Eugene Levy, which would have been fine, but Sudeikis was so deserving as the titular character in Ted Lasso.

Christian: Yeah, Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso. Ted Lasso has been one of the most joyous things of any medium I’ve seen in a very long time. Seeing the show awarded in this way warmed my heart.

Looking forward, obviously the Golden Globes tend to have very little bearing on Oscar winners, but considering its role as the taste-whetter for other awards shows, which Golden Globe winner(s) do you see being now set up for a big night at the Academy Awards?

Daniel: For as much as 'Oscar bait' is referenced, it seems to me that the Oscars have started to trend towards awarding more inventive films and filmmakers over the last decade or so, whereas the Globes tend to be more traditionalist. So I feel like it bodes very well for Nomadland's Oscar odds that the abnormal pseudo-documentary drama edged out the favored-- and more formulaic --Trial of the Chicago 7 for Best Drama AND Best Director.

Christian: Nomandland and Chloé Zhao. Nomadland has been considered the frontrunner by many for a long time because of its numerous credit prize wins over the past couple of months. But this Best Picture/Best Director combo win has pretty much gone and solidified it as the one to beat come Oscar night.

Sierra: Sacha Baron Cohen is 100% getting a Best Actor nomination. I’m calling it now.