We have movies not available at Redbox or NetflixWe have movies not available at Redbox or Netflix

'Slave' and 'Hustle' lead Golden Globe noms; 'Butler' shut out

Posted Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 1:17 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 5:06 PM Central

by John Couture

In a year when there was very few front-runners and automatic nominations, you just sort of had a feeling that the real news would be about those films and performances not nominated than the ones that did secure a coveted nod. When the 2014 Golden Globe nominations were released this morning, the word snub reared its ugly head.

Despite landing a total of three Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations yesterday, Lee Daniels' The Butler was shut out completely by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). While the HFPA has been known to follow the beat of their own drummer, it's very unusual that such a heralded performance, such as the one turned in by Oprah Winfrey, would be left in the cold completely.

Director Martin Scorsese is also feeling the sting of the HFPA's naughty list this morning as he was not extended a nomination for Best Director for this upcoming film The Wolf of Wall Street. While many are lauding Scorsese with accolades and calling it his finest work since Goodfellas, the HFPA didn't bite. The film itself did garner two nominations for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy and Best Actor, Musical or Comedy for Leonardo DiCaprio.

What the Golden Globe nominations did do was to anoint two front-runners as Awards Season kicks into high gear. Both 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle led the way with seven nominations each, but don't expect the actual awards to clear anything. Thanks to the HFPA's fast and loose rule in determining what actually constitutes a "Musical or Comedy." Personally, I wouldn't consider American Hustle a comedy, but hey it's not the Cooter Foreign Press Association, now is it?

Among other noteworthy HFPA squirrelly moves, they went completely off the board to nominate Rush not once, but twice. It secured a nomination for Best Picture, Drama and also actor Daniel Bruhl received a Best Supporting Actor nod.

All in all thought, aside from the Oprah snub, it would appear that they nailed the acting categories with all of the usual suspects sprinkled throughout including Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix, Sandra Bullock, DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Judi Dench, etc. Robert Redford did get a Best Actor, Drama nomination despite getting a snub from the SAG yesterday.

The 70th Annual Golden Globes will be handed out in Beverly Hills on January 12 and televised live on NBC. The full list of nominations is below.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Best Animated Feature Film

Best Foreign Language Film

Best Director - Motion Picture

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Best Television Series, Drama

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Source: HFPA