Golden Globe Predictions: ‘Marriage Story’, Tarantino & Scorsese Set To Dominate

We’ve been talking about the Academy Awards race for quite some time, but it’s time to turn our attention to the big precursor, the Golden Globes. The HFPA often pick a more diverse line-up compared to AMPAS, however there are still three films that are expected to dominate this years awards: ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’, ‘The Irishman’ and ‘Marriage Story’.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

1. Marriage Story
2. The Irishman
3. 1917
4. A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
5. Ford v Ferrari
6. The Two Popes
7. Joker
8. Judy
9. Downton Abbey
10. A Hidden Life

Looking at the Motion Picture Drama race compared to the Oscars, it is quite clear at the moment it is a two-horse race between ‘The Irishman’ and ‘Marriage Story’, and, quite frankly, a win for either of them would be a massive boost in their quest for the Best Picture Oscar in the race against Tarantino.

‘1917’ is looking good for a nomination however the Hollywood Foreign Press Association don’t tend to go for war films when it comes to their big prizes – just look at ‘Dunkirk’.

Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood’ looks like it might just sneak in depending on its stateside box office results in November, whilst ‘Ford v Ferrari’ and ‘The Two Popes’ are fighting over the final spot.

Currently ‘Joker’ isn’t in the top five, however as more and more of these films debut, ‘Joker’ is already validated as a commercial and critical success.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical

1. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
2. JoJo Rabbit
3. Knives Out
4. Dolemite Is My Name
5. Rocketman
6. Booksmart
7. Uncut Gems
8. Aladdin
9. Yesterday
10. The Peanut Butter Falcon

Can Tarantino really lose? That is the question, and whilst ‘Jojo Rabbit’ could be a contender, ironically it is the Tarantino flick that is the least controversial, and due to this, I don’t see it not winning. Meanwhile ‘Rocketman’ looks to make it into the selection after being released more than half a year ago, with Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ poised to be the surprise contender with excellent reviews.

Best Director

1. Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
2. Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
3. James Mangold – Ford v Ferrari
4. Joon-Bo Hong – Parasite
5. Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
6. Sam Mendes – 1917
7. Fernando Meirelles – The Two Popes
8. Marielle Heller – A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
9. Lulu Wang – The Farewell
10. Taika Waititi – JoJo Rabbit

Joe Pesci , Robert DeNiro filming Martin Scoreses’s “The Irishman”. 21 Sep 2017 Pictured: Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese.

It’s not quite at the point where it is a two-horse race, but can anyone defeat Scorsese or Tarantino? Seriously? Outside of those two, we have James Mangold in third place, who has never been nominated for a Golden Globe… somehow.

Rounding out the top five are Joon-Bo Hong and Noah Baumbach, but Sam Mendes is right behind with a lot more competition fighting for the final spots.

Best Lead Actor – Drama

1. Adam Driver – Marriage Story
2. Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
3. Antonio Banderas – Pain & Glory
4. Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
5. Robert De Niro – The Irishman
6. Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari
7. Brad Pitt – Ad Astra
8. Mark Ruffalo – Dark Waters
9. Matthew Rhys – A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
10. Ian McKellen, The Good Liar

Adam Driver or Joaquin Phoenix? That is the question. Two actors who have been underused and underestimated, with the duo having the two best years of their careers in acting.

Meanwhile Antonio Banderas, a four-time nominee at the Golden Globes is looking good for a fifth whilst Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro and Christian Bale fight for the final two spots.

Best Lead Actress – Drama

1. Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
2. Rene Zellweger, Judy
3. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
4. Awkwafina, The Farewell
5. Alfre Woodward, Clemency
6. Lupita N’yongo, Us
7. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
8. Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen & Slim
9. Helen Mirren, The Good Liar
10. Charlize Theron, Bombshell

It’s a very wide open category, that’s all that is really needed to be said. Anyone in the fop four could realistically win it at this point, with fifth spot all the way down to tenth still serious contenders for a nomination at the very least.

Best Lead Actor – Comedy Or Musical

1. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
2. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
3. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
4. Taron Edgerton, Rocketman
5. Daniel Craig, Knives Out
6. Himesh Patel, Yesterday
7. Will Smith, Aladdin
8. Seth Rogen, Long Shot
9. Roman Griffin Davis, JoJo Rabbit
10. Antonio Banderas, The Laundromat
11. Shia LaBeouf, The Peanut Butter Falcon

Talk about a comeback. Could Eddie Murphy take home his second Golden Globe and his fifth nomination? The answer may surprise you, but Leonardo DiCaprio may have something to say about that, as he, and Adam Sandler, are the trio of actors who could win the GG at this time in a pretty weak category after you get outside the top five.

Best Lead Actress – Comedy Or Musical

1. Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
2. Julianne More, Gloria Bell
3. Emma Thompson, Late Night
4. Florence Pugh, Fighting With My Family
5. Constance Wu, Hustlers

This is without a doubt the weakest category of the year, with no clear frontrunner nor actress who is a contender for a nomination at the Academy Awards. This often happens, but it is also a great opportunity to highlight some of the performances that slipped under our noses, like Bernie Feldstein in ‘Booksmart’ or Julianne More in ‘Gloria Bell’.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
2. Al Pacino, The Irishman
3. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
4. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
5. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Brad Pitt in Columbia Pictures “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Just look at that line-up, and tell me that this isn’t the tightest category of the year. Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Joe Pesci and Anthony Hopkins. Wow. And there is even more class outside the top five trying to get in.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
2. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
3. Annette Bening, The Report
4. Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
5. Margot Robbie, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Laura Dern will aim to make it three out of three for the actors in ‘Marriage Story’, and interestingly enough she is the most secure out of the three, with a good amount of competition in Jennifer Lopez, Annette Bening and Maggie Smith. Though Margot Robbie currently makes the top five, she faces tough competition from Zhao Shuzhen in ‘The Farewell’ to say the least.

Best Screenplay

1. The Two Popes
2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
3. Parasite
4. JoJo Rabbit
5. The Report
6. The Irishman
7. Joker
8. Us
9. Marriage Story
10. Waves

This is always tight as at the Golden Globes there is only one category for Screenplay rather than the Original/Adapted split at the Academy Awards. Due to this, there will be some big names being left out. Currently Anthony McCarten is favourite for his work on Fernando Meirelles’s ‘The Two Popes’, but Quentin Tarantino will be looking for his third Golden Globe for Best Screenplay after ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Django Unchained’. ‘Parasite’ currently takes third place, with Taika Waititi and Scott Z. Burns rounding out the top five, however ‘The Irishman’ and ‘Joker’ could also make the cut.

Best Original Score

1. Marco Beltrami, Ford v Ferrari
2. Max Richter, Ad Astra
3. Randy Newman, Marriage Story
4. Thomas Newman, 1917
5. Terence Blanchard, Harriet

This is a tough one, but Marco Beltrami is leading this one at the Golden Globes, but not at the Academy Awards. I’ve heard some very good things about his score for James Mangold. Max Richter has somehow never been nominated for a Golden Globe and whilst ‘Ad Astra’ might miss out on the big ones, he is looking good for a nod.

TOTAL NOMINATIONS

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – 6
Marriage Story – 6
The Irishman – 5
The Two Popes – 3
Ford v Ferrari – 3
Rocketman – 3
Parasite – 3
1917 – 2
A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood – 2
The Report – 2
JoJo Rabbit – 2
Knives Out – 2
Dolemite Is My Name – 2
Pain & Glory – 2
The Farewell – 2