Golden Globes Reaction
Unlike usual years, this year the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to not host a Golden Globes ceremony. Instead, the winners were announced online. Although this did not give a chance for winners to give acceptance speeches, there were still many shocking winners.
Since Oscar nominations are coming out soon, these winners gave more clarity to 2021’s very interesting awards circuit. We now must ask the question. Here is an analysis of what these acting wins could mean for The Oscars.
Best Supporting Actress: Winner - Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”
Ariana DeBose is the clear front runner for this year's Oscars. DeBose played Anita in the recent remake of “West Side Story” directed by Steven Spielberg. DeBose has been nominated at every major awards ceremony so far such as the SAGs and the Critics’ Choice, and it appears like there is no one who can stop DeBose.
She delivered an incredible performance that everyone seems to respect, which is why it is no shocker that this win will not be her last.
Best Supporting Actor: Winner - Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
Unlike the Supporting Actress award, this win was a bit more shocking. McPhee’s name has been around the awards circuit this year, yet he hasn’t won many major awards until now.
This win has significantly increased his momentum and has made his chances at winning the Oscar way greater. However, it is important to still keep an eye out for Troy Kotsur for his incredible supporting performance in “CODA”.
Best Actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical: Winner - Rachel Zegler “West Side Story”
A unique aspect of the Golden Globes is that they offer two categories for actors and actresses, allowing them to showcase dramatic roles, as well as more comedic ones. This year, both comedy or musical acting awards went to actors appearing in musicals, however, unlike Andrew Garfield, it appears that this is all the love Rachel Zegler will get.
Even with this win, the chances of her being nominated for an Oscar are very slim, let alone winning. For a debut role it is very impressive how she won a Golden Globe, however this will most likely be the only major award she wins this year.
Best Actor in a motion picture, comedy or musical: Winner - Andrew Garfield “Tick, Tick, Boom”
Andrew Garfield delivered many incredible performances in 2021 and this is without a doubt his best. Unlike Zegler he has continued to be nominated for many awards and has won a handful of them.
His win at the Golden Globes confirms that he will be nominated for the Oscar, however since the acting categories this year are filled with many incredible performances, Garfield’s chances of winning the Oscar are slim.
Best Actress in a motion picture drama: Winner - Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”
Without a doubt the most shocking win of the night, Nicole Kidman felt like the fifth-place option, however this win gave the actress the momentum she needed. Both Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) and Olivia Coleman (“The Lost Daughter”) seemed like obvious winners of the Golden Globe since the Globes tend to choose the fan-favorite to win it.
But with Kidman’s win and Kristen Stewart’s (“Spencer”) snub at the SAG awards, her odds of winning the Oscar keep getting better and better. Although it is still anybody’s game, if Kidman can pull off another big upset, she may be able to confirm her win at the Oscars.
Best Actor in a motion picture drama: Winner - Will Smith, “King Richard”
Will Smith has been the clear front-runner from the beginning, and this win has increased his odds quite a bit. Although Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick Boom) or Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”) still hold out some hope, Smith’s continuous winning streak proves that he is quite dominant and almost impossible to beat. This may change however if Smith cannot win the Critic’s Choice or the SAG Awards.
Jack Freiser is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.
