'Shape of Water,' 'Big Little Lies' lead Golden Globes
NEW YORK - Guillermo del Toro's Cold War-era fairytale "The Shape of Water" swam away with a leading seven nominations from the Golden Globes, while the HBO drama "Big Little Lies" led the television nominees with six nods.
In what is seen as a wide-open Oscar race so far, several films followed closely behind "The Shape of Water," including Steven Spielberg's Pentagon Papers drama "The Post," with six nominations including best actress for Meryl Streep and best actor for Tom Hanks. Martin McDonagh's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" also got a major boost with six nominations, including best actress for Frances McDormand.
But as the most prominent platform yet in Hollywood's awards season to confront the post-Harvey Weinstein landscape, the Globes also enthusiastically supported Ridley Scott's J. Paul Getty drama "All the Money in the World." Christopher Plummer, who has replaced Kevin Spacey in the film, was nominated for best supporting actor. Scott was also nominated for best director and Michelle Williams for best supporting actress.
A rough cut of the film was screened for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the Globes. Scott is quickly reediting the movie to eradicate Spacey, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous men.
The nominees for best picture drama are: "Call Me By Your Name," ''Dunkirk," ''The Post," The Shape of Water" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
The nominees for best picture comedy or musical are: "The Disaster Artist," ''Get Out," ''Lady Bird," ''The Greatest Showman," and "I, Tonya."
The awards were announced from Beverly Hills, California, after a week of still-burning fires have ravaged Southern California. The Thomas Fire has destroyed some 790 structures and forced thousands to evacuate their homes, with the blazes even entering the nearby neighborhood of Bel Air.
The Globes haven't traditionally predicted the Oscars, but they did last January. The Globes best-picture winners - "Moonlight" and "La La Land" - both ultimately ended up on the stage for the final award of the Oscars, with "Moonlight" emerging victorious only after the infamous envelope flub. The press association, which has worked in recent years to curtail its reputation for oddball choices, is composed of approximately 90 freelance international journalists.
The last Globes broadcast, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, averaged 20 million viewers, an upswing of 8 percent, according to Nielsen. This year, Fallon's NBC late-night partner, Seth Meyers, will host the January 7 ceremony.
No Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement recipient has yet been chosen. Last year's honoree, Streep, spoke forcefully against the then President-elect Donald Trump, shortly before his inauguration, leading him to criticize the actress as "overrated." This year, she - along with Spielberg and Hanks - return with a pointed and timely drama, "The Post," about the power of the press to counter lies emanating from the White House.