In short, the answer to the question in this article’s headline is no. Yet, perception is sometimes quite the unknown entity in Hollywood. See, even more than a nomination can help someone’s chances at winning an Academy Award, not getting a Golden Globe can actually hurt someone’s chances of hearing their name when those Oscar nominations are revealed in January.
DEPP DISS
Proof of that arrives in the form of the snub for Johnny Depp for Black Mass. Although the critical consensus was that Depp turned in his best performance in years, and thus worthy of an Oscar nod, that fact was completely missed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (who puts on the Golden Globes).
In this case, the snub will hurt Depp because it is such a crowded field for Best Actor and the superstar needed any kind of push towards keeping his name in the race and this did not help one bit.
MAD MAX MANIA
Mad Max: Fury Road did quite well with the Golden Globe nominations, scoring one for Best Picture, Drama and one for its director, George Miller. Both are well deserved and surely will help the May release when it comes to the upcoming Academy Awards voting.
Mad Max: Fury Road also scored a Best Picture win from the National Board of Review and has been at least the runner-up in many other critics groups. Miller has also won a few of those coveted critics prize and should be a lock to score one of those five places in the Oscar Best Director roll when those nominations are announced in January.
But, there was one snub and we think it was a huge one. Charlize Theron has been notably absent from any kind of Best Actress talk for her turn as Furiosa. That’s a shame, half the reason that Mad Max: Fury Road is as good and as powerful as it is is because of its lead actress.
MARTIAN EQUALS HILARITY?
We are still puzzled, hours after the Golden Globe nominations were announced, that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated The Martian for Best Picture, Comedy or Musical.
Yes, the Ridley Scott directed flick is worth of a Best Picture nod, it is one of the best films of the year. But, it is in no way and in any universe, a comedy. Hopefully Oscar, with its lack of a “comedy” category, will right this wrong and anoint The Martian one of the Best Pictures of the year.
I SPY A TRAINWRECK
What is nice about the comedy category is fantastic films that don’t stand a chance at earning Oscar love, because of their perceived disdain for laughter.
Specifically, two fine films from the summer got a whole lotta love at the Golden Globes this morning, Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck and Melissa McCarthy’s Spy.
CATEGORY CONFUSION
The people behind Carol are pushing Rooney Mara for Best Supporting Actress to Cate Blanchett’s Best Actress for their Oscar campaign. That is a mistake. Both performers are leads in this astounding picture and it’s nice to see the HFPA actually get something right here. Mara scored a Best Actress nod alongside Blanchett as both are worthy and neither clearly produced their performance in a vacuum.
Although the HFPA did nominate two stars for The Big Short for Lead Actor, Christian Bale and Steve Carell. The Big Short is an ensemble piece, yes, but Bale is clearly a Best Actor nominee and Carell should be a Best Supporting nominee. Perhaps Oscar will correct this error as well.
DANO DOES IT
Paul Dano turned in one of the best performances of the year for his work as troubled Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy. His name has been largely absent from all award conversations. To see him get a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is pure joy for this fan of the film.
The moment the film came out, we thought Dano was a lock for an Oscar nomination. Hopefully his Golden Globes nod will garner some momentum for the performer who richly deserves the attention.
A SLY FOX
The moment Creed hit theaters and became a hit movie, talk started amongst fans that Sylvester Stallone deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his seventh time out as Rocky Balboa. That is looking like more and more of a reality as the legend who first played the prize fighter decades ago scored a Golden Globes nod.
Let’s just say his chances of Oscar gold are ever increasing.