'Birdman' tops Golden Globes with 7 nominations
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "Birdman" squawked loudest in the Golden Globes nominations, flying away with a leading seven nods including best picture in the comedy or musical category.
In nominations for the 72 annual Golden Globes announced Thursday morning by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, "Boyhood" and "The Imitation Game" trailed with five nods apiece. Those two films led a best drama category that also included "Foxcatcher," "Selma" and "The Theory of Everything."
In the best picture, comedy or musical, category, "Birdman" was joined by "St. Vincent," "Grand Budapest Hotel," "Into the Woods" and - in a surprise - the independent British film "Pride."
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue or Ignorance)," about a Hollywood star trying to mount a serious drama on Broadway, earned nods for its star, Michael Keaton, supporting players Edward Norton and Emma Stone, as well as for its direction, screenplay and score.
Richard Linklater's long-in-the-making coming-of-age drama "Boyhood," thus far the critical darling and the perceived front-runner of Hollywood's awards season, added nominations for Linklater's direction and script, and supporting actors Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette.
The World War II code breaker drama "The Imitation Game," starring Benedict Cumberbatch as mathematician Alan Turing, also went over well with the HFPA. In addition to its best picture nod, the Weinstein Co. release nominated Cumberbatch for best actor, Keira Knightley for best supporting actress, Graham Moore for best screenplay and Alexandre Desplat for best score.
The other nominees for best actor in a drama were Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher"), David Oyelowo ("Selma"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory of Everything") and Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nightcrawler").
In the best actress category, the young Quvenzhane Wallis ("Annie") joined a battery of veteran performers in Julianne Moore ("Maps to the Stars"), Helen Mirren ("The Hundred-Foot Journey"), Amy Adams ("Big Eyes") and Emily Blunt ("Into the Woods").
On the dramatic side, the best actress category was notable for two stars in notably less adorned performances: Reese Witherspoon in the hiking drama "Wild" and Jennifer Aniston for "Cake." Also nominated were Moore (her second, for "Still Alice"), Felicity Jones ("The Theory of Everything") and Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl").
One of the surprise winners of the day was "Grand Budapest Hotel." Along with a best picture nod in comedy, it earned nominations for Ralph Fiennes as best actor, and Wes Anderson for screenplay and director.
Fiennes and Keaton were joined in best actor, comedy or musical, by Bill Murray ("St. Vincent") and in a few less expected choices, Joaquin Phoenix for "Inherent Vice" and Christoph Waltz for "Big Eyes."
The Globes are known for sometimes idiosyncratic choices that help populate its flashy red carpet with celebrities, but there weren't many odd picks in the style of its infamous attention for "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" and "The Tourist" in years past.
In the TV categories, the best drama series nominations went to "The Affair," "Downton Abbey," "Game of Thrones," "The Good Wife" and "House of Cards."
The nominees for best TV comedy series are: "Girls," "Jane the Virgin," "Orange is the New Black," "Silicon Valley," and "Transparent."
For the third time in a row, the Globes telecast will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The show will air live from the Beverly Hills Hotel in California on Sunday, Jan. 11. Last year's awards drew 20.9 million viewers, marking it the most-watched Globes since 2004.
Going into Thursday's nominations, Boyhood" had emerged as the unlikely favorite in Hollywood's awards season, taking top honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
But support has also been strong for "Birdman," which topped the Gotham Independent Awards. On Wednesday, the Screen Actors Guild - a strong predictor of the Academy Awards since its memberships overlap a lot - nominated the ensemble casts of "Birdman," "Boyhood," "The Imitation Game," "The Theory of Everything" and "Grand Budapest Hotel."
Last year, the Globes chose the eventual Academy Awards best-picture winner, "12 Years a Slave," as its best drama. Best comedy or musical went to "American Hustle."
Here's a partial list of the nominees:
Best dramatic film: "Boyhood," "Foxcatcher," "Selma," "The Imitation Game" and "The Theory of Everything."
Best actress in a motion picture - drama: Jennifer Aniston in "Cake," Felicity Jones in "The Theory of Everything," Julianne Moore in "Still Alice," Rosamund Pike in "Gone Girl" and Reese Witherspoon in "Wild."
Best actor in a motion picture - drama: Steve Carell in "Foxcatcher," Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game," Jake Gyllenhaal in "Nightcrawler," David Oyelowo in "Selma" and Eddie Redmayne in "The Theory Of Everything."
Best actress in a musical or comedy film: Amy Adams, "Big Eyes"; Emily Blunt, "Into the Woods"; Helen Mirren, "The Hundred Foot Journey"; Julianne Moore, "Maps to the Stars"; and Quvenzhane Wallis, "Annie."
Best actor in a musical or comedy film: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"; Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"; Bill Murray, "St. Vincent"; Joaquin Phoenix, "Inherent Vice"; Christolph Waltz, "Big Eyes."
Best television drama series: "The Affair," "Downton Abbey," "Game of Thrones," "The Good Wife" and "House of Cards."
Best actress in a television comedy series: Lena Dunham, "Girls"; Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"; Gina Rodriguez, "Jane the Virgin"; and Taylor Schilling, "Orange is the New Black."
Best television comedy series: "Girls," "Jane the Virgin," "Orange is the New Black," "Silicon Valley," and "Transparent."
Best television movie or limited series: "Fargo," "The Missing," "The Normal Heart," "Olive Kitteridge," and "True Detective."
Best actor in a television comedy series: Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"; Louis CK, "Louie"; Ricky Gervais, "Derek"; William H. Macy, "Shameless"; and Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent."
Best animated film: "Big Hero 6," "The Book of Life," "The Boxtrolls," "How To Train Your Dragon 2" and "The Lego Movie."