The 81st Golden Globe Awards drew the biggest stars of stage and screen to the Beverly Hilton hotel Monday to see “Oppenheimer” celebrated while “Barbie” — the hit of the summer and the most nominated film — pretty much bombed.
The event was hosted by comedian Jo Koy, who opened the show with a zinger about Robert De Niro, 79, becoming a dad again in May. The “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor was nominated for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. That award went to “Oppenheimer” actor Robert Downey Jr.
It was a sign of things to come. “Oppenheimer” won Best Motion Picture in the drama category.
Christopher Nolan won Best Director for helming the three-hour epic about the inventors of the nuclear bomb. Star Cillian Murphy was named Best Male Actor in a Drama.
Moviegoers will remember 2023 as the year of “Barbenheimer” — a name given to the one-two punch of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which both opened to huge fanfare on July 29. “Barbie” made nearly $1.442 billion while “Oppenheimer” pulled in more than $952 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Downey noted the latter’s enormous earnings in his acceptance speech.
It appeared clear early on that “Barbie’s” box office success wasn’t going to be matched by Golden Globe trophies.
An hour into the night, the “Barbie” writing team of Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach lost the best movie screenplay award to the writers of Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, who penned “Anatomy of a Fall.” It followed a humorous introduction by actors Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya, and Shameik Moore that referenced the 148-day writers strike that shut down Hollywood for much of 2023. The trio pretended to read a stale and clumsy intro prepared by movie executives.
“Barbie” also failed to get on the board after Emma Stone beat out Margot Robbie for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. After two hours of waiting for hardware, “What Was I Made For?” scored a music award for “Barbie” and singer Billie Eilish.
The “Barbie” team, including Robbie and Gerwig, made it to the stage just a few minutes later when the film won the Golden Globes’ first-ever Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award. But they didn’t make it onstage to collect a the award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, which went to the Emma Stone vehicle “Poor Things.”
The night’s first award went to first-time Golden Globe winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was honored for Best Performance by a Female Actor for her role in “The Holdovers.” Her co-star Paul Giamatti was awarded Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
“Succession,” which captivated the nation with its fourth and final season in 2023, was well represented Sunday, particularly in the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television, where it produced three of the six nominees. That included winner Matthew Macfadyen.
The HBO show about a powerful media family also produced half of the male nominees for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series-Drama, including winner Kieran Culkin.“Succession” star Sarah Snook won best female actor in a television drama.
Not surprisingly, “Succession” won the top prize for a TV drama. It led all television shows with with nine Golden Globe nominations. “The Bear” was nominated five times and won three awards including Best Comedy.
“Flowers of the Killer Moon” didn’t net awards for De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio or director Martin Scorsese. The film’s lead actress, Lily Gladstone, was recognized as the top female actor in a drama, making her the first indigenous woman ever to win in the category.
Pop sensation Taylor Swift was in the house and seemingly not amused when Koy mentioned her presence in his opening monologue. She showed up without boyfriend Travis Kelce, whose Kansas City Chiefs were in Los Angeles Sunday to play the Chargers.
Swift seemed to be in better spirits as the show moved forward, even posing for photos at her table with the wife of actor Miles Teller, who’s the leading man in Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video.
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By: Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
