The Golden Globes of 'Schrödinger', when diversity is both dead and alive
Chinese-American director Chloe Zhao shined yesterday by winning Best Film and Best Director with the social film Nomadland. PHOTO: NBC.
Nomadland, the film starring a colossal Frances McDormand, won the night's top awards.
by Albert Gomez
The Golden Globes of 'Schrödinger',...
For weeks now, accusations of a complete lack of diversity at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have been swirling around. The privileged and common lobbying system now joins racism and the lack of black journalists at the Association.
The gala's hostesses had to come to the rescue on more than one occasion, trying to make fun of a serious matter. Although the awards were one of the most diverse, they didn't shine enough to cover up the aforementioned flaws or stop it from seeming like a very long video call. Hosted by comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the virtual event took place simultaneously between New York and Los Angeles.
The night ended up being like Schrödinger's famous quantum mechanics experiment. Like his cat, we never knew whether diversity at the Golden Globes was alive or dead.
Chinese-American director Chloe Zhao shone yesterday by winning Best Film and Best Director with the social film Nomadland. The film, starring a colossal Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), addresses the fluctuations of seasonal workers precisely when essential workers are the bone of contention in media.
Zhao (Beijing, 1982) is in charge of one of the future cosmic releases of the House of Ideas, Eternals, expected in 2021, and made her directorial debut at Sundance in 2015 with Songs My Brother Taught Me. Later, in 2017, she was awarded at Cannes for The Rider.
Chloé Zhao takes home the award for Best Motion Picture Director for Nomadland. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/YvPeTUvn1b
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) March 1, 2021
Another recognition of the evening went to Pixar Studios, which saw the excessive ambition of "Soul" awarded Best Animated Feature and Best Soundtrack.
Among the predictions was also the double recognition for Sacha Baron Cohen. With the second part of the adventures of his famous character, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Cohen triumphed as a comedian and actor — a mention that will surely not please Rudy Giuliani.
Controversy in a foreign language
Another diverse award of the evening was the Best Foreign Language Film category for Minari: A Tale of My Family, which had already triumphed at Sundance. Although it is an American film, Minari is mostly in Korean. This opens up a whole new debate: would an American film in Spanish count as a nominee in this category?
Lee Isaac Chung as writer and director, tells the story of a South Korean migrant family in rural Arkansas.
Opening Shrödinger's box at last: African-American honorees
The award for Best Dramatic Actress did, however, elude Frances McDormand and went unexpectedly to Andra Day, playing the diva in The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
The recently deceased actor, Chadwick Boseman, received a posthumous award for his role in Ma Raine's Black Bottom. His wife received the award in his honor, dedicating a word to great absent artists of the last decades. An emotional speech by Taylor Simone Ledward is making the rounds on social media. Also, Lee Isaac Chung delivered a heartfelt speech alongside his young daughter.
The awards may have worked like a Schrödinger's box, making us doubt whether the diversity of the award was really alive or zombified by media interpretations. Still, we can't help to point out, for example, the lack of Latino actors and screenwriters in the evening. Also, of course, the jury and the structure of the award will remain the very same.
Below there is the list of all the award winners:
Best film - drama
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Borat Subsequent Movie film
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Movie film
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Miniseries or TV Movie
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
John Boyega, Small Axe
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Minari (United States)
Best Television Series - Drama
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Josh O'Connor, The Crown
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Best television series - musical or comedy
Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek
Best Television Actor - Musical or Comedy
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Io Si (Seen) - The Life Ahead
Best Soundtrack - Motion Picture
Soul - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
Cecil B DeMille Honorary Award
Carol Burnett Honorary Award
Norman Lear
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