2020 Golden Globe Predictions and Hopes

The Golden Globes are the silliest award show on the planet.

If you don’t know why, here is an easy way to sum it up. The Oscars, obviously the most “important” annual award show for film, is voted on by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which consists of a voting body of about 8,000 members. The Globes, on the other hand, are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association which consists of a voting body of about 90 members, who happen to really like being around famous people.

As silly as they are, and as wrong as their choices are often, they have come to be seen as the second biggest award show involving film because honestly they make great television out of it and people enjoy watching it.

I’m going to focus primarily on the film awards but before that let me get some of my TV hopes out of the way.

Some things I would like to see in TV:

• Bill Hader, Barry, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series- Musical or Comedy.
• Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series- Musical or Comedy.
• Barry for Best Television Series- Musical or Comedy.
• Succession for Best Television Series- Drama.

Now to the important stuff (sorry TV):

Best Motion Picture- Animated

• Frozen 2
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
• The Lion King
• Missing Link
• Toy Story 4

Prediction: Toy Story 4. Hope: Toy Story 4.

(Fun Fact: The Lion King was not submitted for “Best Motion Picture- Animated” for the Oscars but the Globes said “Fuck it, we’re nominating it anyways.”)

Best Motion Picture- Foreign Language

• The Farewell
• Les Miserables
• Pain and Glory
• Parasite
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Prediction: Parasite. Hope: Parasite.

(Don’t fuck this up, do the right thing.)

Best Performance by An Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

• Margot Robbie, Bombshell
• Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
• Annette Bening, The Report
• Laura Dern, Marriage Story
• Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

Prediction: Jennifer Lopez. Hope: Laura Dern.

(I have no real problem with this going to Lopez here, she was really good in Hustlers. I just happen to prefer Dern’s performance. I also think Robbie has a real shot but ultimately my prediction is Lopez.)

Best Performance by An Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

• Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
• Al Pacino, The Irishman
• Joe Pesci, The Irishman
• Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Prediction: Brad Pitt. Hope: Brad Pitt.

(I think Pesci and Pacino cancel each other out here in one of the more stacked races of the night. Hanks and Hopkins were great but this has felt like Pitt’s award since Once Upon A Time was released in July.)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy

• Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
• Emma Thompson, Late Night
• Ana de Armas, Knives Out
• Awkwafina, The Farewell
• Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Prediction: Awkwafina. Hope: Beanie Feldstein.

(One of the stranger categories of the night because it is filled with films that are not receiving a ton of attention across other categories. Awkafina will most likely win but I loved Booksmart more so fuck it, let’s go Beanie.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy

• Taron Egerton, Rocketman
• Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
• Daniel Craig, Knives Out
• Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Prediction: Eddie Murphy. Hope: Leonardo Dicaprio.

(There is an Eddie Murphy comeback movement that may be even too strong for Leo to stop. Egerton is probably the person campaigning the hardest here so there is always an outside shot he takes it, but if we’re going to the merits of the performance alone I have to prefer Leo.)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama

• Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
• Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
• Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
• Charlize Theron, Bombshell
• Renee Zellweger, Judy

Prediction: Renee Zellweger. Hope: Saoirse Ronan.

(I’ll be upset if Ronan does not win and I’m very much prepared to be upset.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama

• Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
• Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
• Adam Driver, Marriage Story
• Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
• Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Prediction: Joaquin Phoenix. Hope: Adam Driver.

(Phoenix’s performance in Joker is stunning and his physical transformation is equally as impressive. However, I still hold the belief that Driver had the performance of the year in Marriage Story.)

Best Screenplay- Motion Picture

• Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
• Bong Joon-Ho, Han Jin Won, Parasite
• Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
• Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
• Steven Zaillian, The Irishman

Prediction: Noah Baumbach. Hope: Noah Baumbach

(I think this is where they award Baumbach, because he was not nominated in the Best Director category, and I think it would be a well earned win. Marriage Story was the most impressive script of this bunch and the movie that felt like the script was most essential to its success.

Best Director- Motion Picture

• Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite
• Sam Mendes, 1917
• Todd Phillips, Joker
• Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
• Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Prediction: Martin Scorsese. Hope: Martin Scorsese.

(I think I’d be alright with any of these nominees winning. I’d especially love to see Bong Joon-Ho take it, but I’m predicting a sort-of legacy win for Scorsese seeing that this may be one of the last, if not the last, times we see him make a film of this magnitude with these actors.)

Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy

• Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
• Knives Out
• Dolemite Is My Name
• Jojo Rabbit
• Rocketman

Prediction: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Hope: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

(This is another category where I’m just hoping they make the right choice and ultimately think they will but am slightly scared they do something weird.)

Best Motion Picture- Drama

• The Irishman
• Joker
• The Two Popes
• Marriage Story
• 1917

Prediction: The Irishman. Hope: Marriage Story.

(Joker has a very very real chance. 1917 could definitely win. I don’t really know where to go with this to be honest so I’m closing my eyes and prediction Irishman, but Marriage Story remains my number one film of the year.)