Golden Globes predict Oscars
The Golden Globe nominations are in and it looks like this could finally be Leonardo DiCaprio’s year.
The 32-year-old actor earned an almost unheard of two Golden Globe nominations in the same category. He was recognized for his work in “Blood Diamond” as Danny Archer, the amoral smuggler who finds redemption, and for his role as Billy Costigan, the Irish mafia turncoat in “The Departed.”
After 14 years in the filmmaking business and one Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor, DiCaprio may finally take home the coveted statue for Best Actor. With two of the five nominations in the Best Actor category for the Golden Globes, Peter O’Toole (Maurice in “Venus”), Will Smith (Chris Gardner in “The Pursuit of Happiness) and Forest Whitaker (Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”) would be hard pressed to snag the Oscar from DiCaprio this year.
The young actor was previously nominated for an Oscar for the role of Arnie Grape — Gilbert Grape’s mentally handicapped brother — in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” However, the veteran actor Tommy Lee Jones’ beat out the 19-year-old in 1993 for his role as Marshal Samuel Gerard, who hunted the escaped Dr. Richard Kimble played by Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive.”
Who knows? Despite DiCaprio’s unwillingness or inability to play the Hollywood game, it may simply be his time this year and there can be no denying his talent. With two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor, the Academy cannot write off his performances as a rookie fluke this year.
It is also a shame that Rudy Youngblood was not included among the contestants for Best Actor. His portrayal of Jaguar Paw in “Apocalypto” was one of this year’s best. However, Hollywood is known for snubbing newcomers, expecting rookies to pay their dues before earning the businesses’ highest awards.
This could also be Clint Eastwood’s year once again. The actor turned director picked up two Golden Globe nominations for Best Director for his films “Letter from Iwo Jima” and “Flags of Our Fathers.” Again, with two nominations in the same category Martin Scorsese (“The Departed), Stephen Frears (“The Queen”) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will have a tough time defeating one of Hollywood’s favorites.
Eastwood’s double nomination in the Golden Globes also makes him a shoe in for an Oscar nomination. Should he take the coveted statue home this year he will become one of Hollywood’s most “winningest” directors, joining the likes of John Ford, William Wyler and Frank Capra.
There was also a small Golden Globe surprise in the area of Best Picture. Not only were the likely candidates present — the critically acclaimed “Babel,” “Little Children” and “The Queen,” as well as Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” with its high-profile cast — but the critically lukewarm “Bobby” also made it into the top five films of 2006.
Director Emilio Estevez’s drama about a day in the life of 22 people surrounding Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination deserved a place in this year’s top films. It was emotionally powerful with its well-crafted script, which used an interesting roundabout storytelling method to capture the importance of Kennedy’s place in the world in 1968.
Estevez’s story spoke volumes about the United States in 1968 and he could not have selected a better time to tell it in today’s age of an unsatisfactory war, disillusionment and political hopelessness. His story proved timeless and relevant, trademarks of a film deserving of Hollywood’s highest award.
You also could not ask for a better cast headed by legendary greats Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, William H. Macy and Laurence Fishburne right on down to stellar newcomers, such as Elijah Wood and Shia LaBeouf.
Facing such stiff competition, “Bobby” may not take home the Golden Globe for Best Picture, but its nomination makes it a candidate for at least an Oscar nod. However, its name is likely to be substituted for either “Apocalypto” (which earned a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film) or Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers” may yet sneak its way in.
The category for Best Supporting Actor also contained a few Golden Globe surprises. Eddie Murphy and Mark Whalberg both earned their first nominations for their roles in “Dreamgirls” and “The Departed,” respectively. An even bigger surprise was Ben Affleck’s inclusion on the list for his portrayal of George Reeves in “Hollywoodland.” Old standbys Jack Nicholson for the mafia boss Bobby Costigan in “The Departed” and Brad Pitt for Richard in “Babel” also made the list. However, Hollywood loves characterizations of real people and Affleck’s portrayal of one of its own just might earn him a Golden Globe. He would certainly deserve the victory and with a little luck, his name might at least be included on Oscar night.
One name that was left off of the list and should have been included was Adam Beach for his role as Ira Hayes in “Flags of Our Fathers.” Beach’s performance stole the show and ended up being the heart of the film. His name deserved a place on the Golden Globe list for Best Supporting Actor. However, breakout performances are rarely recognized by Hollywood, which appreciates one surviving the test of time, but perhaps Beach’s name may yet sneak its way onto the Oscar list.
Some other apt selections included Annette Bening’s nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role as the selfish, glory-seeking mother of Augusten Burroughs in “Running with Scissors;” Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi’s nomination for Best Supporting Actress for their roles in “Babel” as the Mexican housekeeper and the deaf-mute Japanese teenager, respectively and Will Ferrell as Harold Crick in “Stranger than Fiction” and Johnny Depp once again for his unique characterization of the wacky Captain Jack Sparrow, both earned nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
If the Golden Globes are any indication of the outcome of Oscar night, and they usually are, then Leonardo DiCaprio and Clint Eastwood should have very good nights. The films “Babel,” “The Departed,” and “Little Children” should also experience great success. However, the campaigning is far from over and there may yet be some surprises.