The 75th Golden Globes, what many consider the most important indicator of Oscar, is now over, but will it predict what happens on March 4th? Only time will tell. What we do know is that women were the focus of the Golden Globes ceremony from Seth Meyers and his sometimes jarring jokes and his heartfelt words of encouragement to the remarkably powerful speeches from Oprah Winfrey and Elizabeth Moss. The tides have turned and it is evident that not only Hollywood has changed, but our entire nation is looking at gender equality…for the first time in a long time.
Although there were no female directors nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) this year, hopefully, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will be a bit more open to looking at front-runner female-lead films for these nominations. The world of film was filled with amazing female-written and directed films that film critic organizations around the country have recognized. Last night, the FHPA did award “Lady Bird,” directed by Greta Gerwig, for the Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, and the star of this film, Saiorse Ronan for Best Actress in this category as well, but unfortunately, this outstanding film was snubbed for the Best Director.
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” was the big winner last night with 4 wins followed by 2 wins apiece for “The Shape of Water”and “Lady Bird.” Allison Janney took home her award for playing Tonya Harding’s mom in “I, Tonya,” and both Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) and James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) had the pleasure of accepting an award.
The films that were recognized last night and the nominations of all are certainly going to be on the Oscar list when the nominations are announced on Tuesday, Jan. 23rd, but given the strength and power of last night’s show, I believe we are going to see a few more women on the list. Dee Rees, Greta Gerwig, Agnes Varda, Alice Birch, Petra Biondina Volpe, Patty Jenkins and many more have been the buzz of the town and this critic will be shocked and disappointed if we don’t see these women on that list.