Golden Globes 2024: Oppy's Big Night

After a lot of turbulence and a year where they weren’t even aired, the globes were on in a primetime CBS slot last night. It’s worth noting that the once-Superbowl-hopeful Eagles lost in soul-crushing fashion to the Giants just before showtime, and that certainly put me in a rough mood for these often-extra-silly awards. A brutally unfunny opening monologue had me (and apparently every single guest) not feeling much better, so at least my misery was shared by many.

Then the booze kicked in, and some of the winners got announced, and my mood improved, at least a little. I liked a lot of the winners here, but remember feeling the same way last year and the winners didn't translate to Oscars night - will this year be the same?

Best Supporting Actress – Any Motion Picture

• Winner: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

• Do I Agree? For sure! She's a delightful and touching part of a delightful and touching movie and my favorite performance I've seen in this category so far.

• Does It Mean Anything? For sure, but what it might mean is that this race is over - she's been cruising through the Critics' groups awards with little to no turbulence.

Best Supporting Actor – Any Motion Picture

• Winner: Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer

• Do I Agree? This category is absolutely loaded, so there are multiple ways for me to be happy here, but I think De Niro is the best of the bunch. That said, Downey kills it and makes the most of his return to serious moviemaking.

• Does It Mean Anything? Big time, but this is far from a wrap. Charles Melton has been surging with Critics' groups recently, so for Downey to score a big, televised, win is important for the race; he remains in pole position.

Best Screenplay – Any Motion Picture

• Winner: Anatomy of a Fall

• Do I Agree? This movie is fantastic, so yes! Yet again, a category that is blessed with a ton of good stuff that will likely remain competitive.

• Does It Mean Anything? Big time - it's really something for the Golden Globes, in a category loaded with recognizable names, to go with a French/English/German film about a woman on trial for her husband's death that *might* have been a murder.

Best International Feature

• Winner: Anatomy of a Fall

• Do I Agree? For sure, this movie rules! I haven't seen Zone of Interest yet, which does promise to be even more powerful, but this is not a bad win at all.

• Does It Mean Anything? This feels like more of a confirmation of this film's standing rather than a huge shock, but if this is what we end up with on Oscar night it'll be a great pick.

Best Director – Any Motion Picture

• Winner: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

• Do I Agree? Without a doubt, but he is in fine company in this category - it's his first win and he's one of my favorites.

• Does It Mean Anything? For sure! He had been tabbed as the favorite here, and he's taken a big step towards getting that Oscar he should have gotten in 2017.

Best Actress – Musical/Comedy

• Winner: Emma Stone, Poor Things

• Do I Agree? Haven't seen it yet so I can't properly weigh in, but I guess I'd better soon!

• Does It Mean Anything? It does! Lots of people who predict stuff like this for a living have said that the only obstacle to her winning the Oscar is that she already has one, her performance is THAT good.

Best Actor - Drama

• Winner: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

• Do I Agree? Yes I do, and I was really worried that he wouldn't win because of his going for specific subtlety in his performance rather than something a bit more traditionally showy, but he's amazing.

• Does It Mean Anything? Absolutely, and we can call him the current favorite due to this movie's overall strength.

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement (?)

• Winner: Barbie

• Do I Agree? I'm still not sure what this category means, but this year it went to the movie that made the most money, so congrats on making all that money? A win for John Wick 4 would have been sick though.

• Does It Mean Anything? I like to think if this movie wasn't also pretty good, it wouldn't have won this award, but it's the second thing (besides song) that Barbie won tonight so it keeps Barbie relevant in the race moving forward.

Best Actor – Musical/Comedy

• Winner: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

• Do I Agree? Absolutely, he's fantastic and this movie is maybe the easiest great movie of the year to recommend to a broad audience.

• Does It Mean Anything? He's been a major threat all season, and maybe because he's been nominated before it means he's the favorite over Cillian Murphy? TBD.

Best Picture – Musical/Comedy

• Winner: Poor Things

• Do I Agree? Plenty of critics do, and I'll have an informed opinion soon!

• Does It Mean Anything? I mean this movie did just beat Barbie in a category they were both nominated in, but how far this movie can go is still up in the air. It's a real contender, and not too weird for mainstream awards bodies apparently.

Best Actress - Drama

• Winner: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

• Do I Agree? She, and this movie, are extraordinary.

• Does It Mean Anything? Big time.

Best Picture - Drama

• Winner: Oppenheimer

• Do I Agree? I think I'd prefer Killers of the Flower Moon or Past Lives, but this movie is right there with them in my favorites of the year. It is stunning enthralling, powerful, entertaining, and expertly made.

• Does It Mean Anything? We've got a favorite - this thing won in the vast majority of categories that it was nominated in.

The Big Winners: Oppenheimer and anyone involved, Anatomy of a Fall, Poor Things, Lily Gladstone, The Holdovers.

The Big Losers: Jo Koy and everyone who had to listen to him, Maestro and anyone involved, and perhaps the great master Martin Scorsese.