Newsletter: Gold Standard: Golden Globes don’t think twice about ‘Vice’
Hollywood figuratively crashed the funeral Thursday.
Even as President George H.W. Bush was being laid to rest in Texas following a final service and several days of heartfelt eulogies, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. celebrated the movie “Vice,” a scathing biopic that blames former Vice President Dick Cheney — and the man who empowered him, George W. Bush — for much of the modern world’s problems.
Welcome to the Gold Standard, the newsletter from the Los Angeles Times that helps guide you through the ins and outs of the awards season leading up to the Oscars.
I’m Glenn Whipp, The Times’ awards columnist and your newsletter host.
‘Vice’ earns six Globes noms, the most of any film
Although it has yet to be released, or even reviewed, “Vice” led all movies with six Golden Globes nominations — best picture comedy, nods for Adam McKay’s direction and screenplay, and acting recognition for Christian Bale, who plays Cheney, Amy Adams, who plays his wife, Lynne, and Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush.
“I really think the movie in some ways mirrors the times that we live in, and half the time I can’t decide if we’re living in an absurdist comedy or a Greek tragedy,” “Vice” writer-director Adam McKay told The Times in a phone interview. “And that’s kind of the way the movie is; there are parts that are very tragic and dark and there are parts that are very absurd.”
Times film writer Josh Rottenberg rounded up the Oscar implications for the Globes noms. Company Town reporter Ryan Faughnder wrote about how the nominations for “Vice” boost the fortunes of its distributor, Annapurna Pictures, which has had a rough year. And staffer Ashley Lee looks at the day’s snubs and surprises, including a best picture drama nomination for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Globes nominees talk to The Times
Nicole Kidman had just landed at LAX after a long flight from her native Australia, just in time to offer her youngest daughter advice on braiding her hair. Rami Malek was cuing up some Queen. Michelle Yeoh made plans to wear her “Crazy Rich Asians” ring to the ceremony.
These and other reactions to yesterday’s exciting news can be found at The Times’ Golden Globes hub, where you can read all of our coverage of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s doings.
Here are your Oscar acting nominees
Meanwhile, back on the Oscar front, I looked at the four acting categories for this season’s races. Lead actress remains the toughest race to call. It would have been heartening to see the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. nominate Yalitza Aparicio, the graceful star of “Roma.” I guess I’ll have to prod my voting group, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., along those lines when we meet on Sunday.
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