Golden Globes Reaction
After two years of virtual and private ceremonies, the Golden Globes returned to NBC for their 80th ceremony honoring the best in film and television. The show took place on Jan. 10, and The Beverly Hilton Hotel was as star-studded as ever.
After traditionally being hosted by well-established comedians such as Ricky Gervais, Seth Meyers, and the iconic duo of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, the Globes took a different angle this year and chose Jerrod Carmichael, who has more producing than acting credits.
In his opening monologue, he remarked “I’m here because I’m black,” in reference to the shocking news last year that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (that votes for every award) did not include a single black member until 2020.
An issue that was not addressed last night was the absence of Best Actor nominee Brendan Fraser, who has received heavy praise for his performance in “The Whale.” In 2018, Fraser spoke publicly about former HFPA president, Philip Berk, allegedly sexually abusing him at a 2003 luncheon.
Berk denied this claim, but Fraser was of course justified in his decision not to attend the ceremony.
Other than that, the Golden Globes ceremony was an overall drama-free environment, and it’s time to get into some of the surprises, snubs and other notable moments from the night.
Surprise- “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” winning Best Original Song
It’s hard to believe that “Naatu Naatu” pulled out the win for Best Original Song when it was nominated alongside songs from the best in the music industry right now– Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna.
Lady Gaga took home an Oscar in 2019 for “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” and it was looking like she’d be a frontrunner again this year for “Hold my Hand” from the box office hit, “Top Gun Maverick.” Rihanna made her comeback to the music industry with “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” so a win for her would have been warranted as well.
And well, Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift.
It’s great to see a foreign language film getting recognition in a main category like this one, but this definitely surprised some of the CommRadio members on the live stream.
Snub- “Elvis” for Drama Best Picture
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that “Elvis” was one of the most impressive films of 2022.
Austin Butler did take home the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Elvis, which did not come as a surprise. He embodied the King of Rock ‘n Roll in every era of his life, from when he first came onto the music scene to his final performance before passing.
That being said, the movie itself was a brilliant ode to not only Elvis, the greatest artist of all time, but Elvis the man.
It was expertly acted, directed, and fully supported by Elvis’s widow, Priscilla Presley, who was in the Golden Globe audience.
Most Deserved– Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan both winning for “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” has been widely named one of the best films of the year, but it was championed by the career-best performances given by Michelle Yeoh (Best Musical/Comedy Actress) and Ke Huy Quan (Best Musical/Comedy Supporting Actor).
Shockingly, this was Michelle Yeoh’s first Golden Globe nomination and win, even after she delivered outstanding performances in films such as the critically acclaimed “Crazy Rich Asians” and the Marvel hit “Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Her role as Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” not only required Yeoh to tap into the emotions of an Asian American mother discontent with her life, but also an action star, opera singer, and many more variants of her character.
Ke Huy Quan’s triumphant return to Hollywood after practically 30 years of no work was definitely the most inspirational moment of the ceremony. He delivered a beautifully vulnerable performance in “EEAAO,” and it’s clear that he is just as genuine in real life.
Both awards were incredibly well deserved.
Biggest Sweep- “Abbott Elementary”
ABC workplace comedy “Abbott Elementary” went home with three Golden Globe Awards when the night was through, for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical/Comedy, and Best Television Series Musical/Comedy.
Creator/Leading Actress of the series, Quinta Brunson, has another incredibly inspiring story. She started out her career making videos on Buzzfeed, became an internet meme and performed stand-up all before pitching the concept of “Abbott” to ABC.
Now here she is, accepting the Best Actress and Best Musical/Comedy Show at the Golden Globes. Her story has inspired creators everywhere and proves that character-driven workplace comedies are far from dead.
Most Historical Win- Angela Bassett for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Angela Bassett became the first actor to win a major acting award for a Marvel film, thanks to her incredible supporting performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
While comic book movies have seen some awards in the past, Angela Bassett just proved that Marvel actors should be taken seriously on appropriate occasions, and should not be deemed “unworthy” of critical acclaim.
Bassett of course mentioned the late Chadwick Boseman in her acceptance speech, as the film was a love letter to the actor that inspired millions of people around the world who had never seen the representation of their culture in a big-budget superhero film.
Biggest Shock- “The Banshees of Inisherin” beating “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
It was the upset that sent shockwaves through the CommRadio studio– Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” beating frontrunner “Everything Everywhere All At Once” for Best Picture- Musical/Comedy.
Two completely different films, but both undeniably deserving of the award.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” takes on a subtle, darker form of comedy, following a lighthearted Irishman (Colin Farrell- winner of Best Actor Musical/Comedy) who was completely shut out by his best friend of decades.
Farrell’s character Pàdraic slowly grows restless and feels utterly purposeless by the end of the film, making the audience question if the film even fits in the comedy category.
It’s a brilliant piece of work and it was exciting to see it receive the Globe.
Kaitlyn Murphy is a first-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email kvm6255@psu.edu.
