Golden Globes Nominations: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The nominations for the 72nd Golden Globe Awards were announced early Thursday morning. While some of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association picks were predictable and safe, others managed to truly surprise movie and TV lovers everywhere (not all in a bad way, thank God!). See below who made the cut and read my snappy thoughts on the subject.

MOVIES

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Boyhood
Selma
The Imitation Game
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Birdman>
The Grand Budapest Hotel
St. Vincent
Into the Woods
Pride

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler 
Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything 
David Oyelowo for Selma

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Jennifer Aniston for Cake 
Julianne Moore for Still Alice 
Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl 
Reese Witherspoon for Wild 
Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything 

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

Michael Keaton for Birdman 
Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel 
Christoph Waltz for Big Eyes
Bill Murray for St. Vincent 
Joaquin Phoenix for Inherent Vice 

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

Amy Adams for Big Eyes
Emily Blunt for Into the Woods
Julianne Moore for Maps to the Stars
Helen Mirren for The Hundred-Foot Journey
Quvenzhané Wallis for Annie 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher 
Ethan Hawke for Boyhood 
J.K. Simmons for Whiplash 
Robert Duvall for The Judge
Edward Norton for Birdman<

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Patricia Arquette for Boyhood 
Keira Knightley for The Imitation Game 
Emma Stone for Birdman
Meryl Streep for Into the Woods 
Jessica Chastain for A Most Violent Year 

Best Director – Motion Picture

Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman 
Richard Linklater for Boyhood 
Ava DuVernay for Selma 
David Fincher for Gone Girl 
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Boyhood 
Birdman 
Gone Girl 
The Imitation Game 
The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

Big Eyes: Lana Del Ray (Big Eyes)
Selma: John Legend, Common (Glory)
Noah: Patty Smith, Lenny Kaye (Mercy Is)
Annie: Sia (Opportunity)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: Lorde (Yellow Flicker Beat)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

The Imitation Game: Alexandre Desplat
The Theory of Everything: Yohan Yohanson
Gone Girl: Trent Reznor
Birdman: Antonio Sanchez
Interstellar: Hans Zimmer

Best Animated Film

The Book of Life 
The Boxtrolls 
Big Hero 6 
How to Train Your Dragon 2 
The Lego Movie 

Best Foreign Language Film

Ida
Leviafan 
Turist
Gett 
Mandariinid 

Conclusion?

The good:

Happy for all the nods Boyhood got. Let’s give this movie all the awards possible and call it a day, ok?
Jennifer Aniston being nominated for Best Actress was a pleasant surprise. She does a great role in Cake, showing that even though an actress is known mostly for her comedic roles, it doesn’t mean she can’t do drama. Sandra Bullock surprised everyone with Crash back in 2014, after roles in numerous romantic comedies. She went on to win an Oscar five years later for The Blind Side. Really hope Aniston follows the same path.
Everyone nominated in the the Best Actor in a Drama category: I love you all. Too bad you can’t all win.

The bad:

Angelina Jolie was completely shut out for Unbroken. That was unexpected. Especially since she was nominated even for her role in The Tourist, which, let’s face it, is no masterpiece. The HFPA works in mysterious ways.
No love for Laura Dern and her great role in Wild? Why? Just why?
In the same note, no love for Marion Cotillard. Two Days, One Night, was in competition in Cannes after all. A little weird.

The ugly:

Begin Again should have made it to the Best Musical/Comedy category. At least Ruffalo was nominated for both Foxcatcher and The Normal Heart. Scanty consolation prize, but still.

TELEVISION

Best Television Series – Drama

Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Game of Thrones
The Affair

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Girls
Orange Is the New Black
Transparent
Silicon Valley
Jane the Virgin

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Olive Kitteridge
True Detective
Fargo
The Missing
The Normal Heart  (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Kevin Spacey for House of Cards
Liev Schreiber for Ray Donovan
James Spader for The Blacklist
Dominic West for The Affair
Clive Owen for The Knick

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Robin Wright for House of Cards
Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife
Viola Davis for How to Get Away with Murder
Claire Danes for Homeland
Ruth Wilson for The Affair

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Don Cheadle for House of Lies
Ricky Gervais for Derek
Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent
William H. Macy for Shameless

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Lena Dunham for Girls
Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep
Taylor Schilling for Orange Is the New Black
Gina Rodriguez for Jane the Virgin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Martin Freeman for Fargo
Billy Bob Thornton for Fargo
Matthew McConaughey for True Detective
Woody Harrelson for True Detective
Mark Ruffalo for The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange for American Horror Story
Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Honourable Woman
Frances McDormand for Olive Kitteridge
Frances O’Connor for The Missing
Allison Tolman for Fargo

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jon Voight for Ray Donovan
Alan Cumming for The Good Wife
Bill Murray for Olive Kitteridge
Colin Hanks for Fargo
Matt Bomer for The Normal Heart 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Allison Janney for Mom
Uzo Aduba for Orange Is the New Black
Kathy Bates for American Horror Story
Michelle Monaghan for True Detective
Joanne Froggatt for Downton Abbey

Conclusion?

The good:

The Good Wife is the best drama on network television, and I’m happy the HFPA agrees. I think it’s comfortable for writers to stick with a format once they notice that viewers keep tuning in. But Michelle and Robert King like to experiment, and TGW keeps reinventing itself, enchanting us with compelling storylines and twists season after season.
Jane the Virgin managed to finally break the CW into Golden Globes territory. Yay!
Viola Davis enters the best actress race. Beware! The competition just got fiercer.
All the love for Transparent. It just made history for Amazon.
Game of Thrones for the win. It’s only the second time the show has been nominated.

The bad:

Very sad not to see The Big Bang Theory anywhere on the list of nominations. I in no way believe that the quality of the show decreased in the previous year; plus, Jim Parsons is still brilliantly amazing. The same goes for Modern Family.
Maybe Homeland should have been nominated for Best Drama instead of Downton Abbey? The show really got its groove back this season. Or, you know, at least show Mad Men some recognition.
I get why Alan Cumming was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but no Matt Czuchry?
As happy as I am for Viola Davis, I’m equally sad for Kerry Washington. She’s a gladiator in a suit. She deserved a second nomination for playing Olivia Pope.
No nomination for Julia Roberts? I’m a little shocked. I loved everything about The Normal Heart and it’s just weird not seeing her name on the list.
Apparently Orange Is the New Black is still considered a comedy. Do you people even watch this show?

The ugly:

Tatiana Maslany got snubbed again. Not cool. Give this woman an award already! She’s awesome.
Where is Sherlock? No Sherlock? I don’t understand what’s happening.

The Golden Globe Awards will air on January 11 on NBC, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

Who are you favorite contenders? Let us know in the comments!