Golden Globe Awards Reflect on Sunday Traditions
Last night, the Golden Globe Awards seemed to honor the age-old tradition of using Sunday as a day of rest.
Honestly, I was feeling it. Just a few minutes into the show celebrating the best in film and TV, I could’ve easily drifted off to sleep.
Instead of counting sheep, I found myself counting stars—mostly because I was bored.
It felt like everyone’s expressions mirrored my own. For the first time, I really felt “seen.”
Nikki Glazer hosted the Golden Globe Awards again this year. Despite some routine hiccups, it wasn’t her fault that the energy felt lacking. Remember the Jo Koy incident? Well, at least it wasn’t that bad. But hey, chamomile tea and melatonin can only help so much.
Glazer did her best; she was witty, touching, and genuinely likable. CBS really should keep her around for as long as she wants.
Her opening monologue delivered some sharp humor, including a reference to Jeffrey Epstein that proved controversial.
“There are a lot of A-listers here,” she remarked, adding, “And when I say A-list, I mean A-list. It’s been heavily edited.”
And, predictably, she poked fun at One Battle After Another star Leonardo DiCaprio, teasing about his younger girlfriend and his seemingly endless collection of accolades.
There was a layer to her humor, though. “I’m sorry for joking,” she seemed to say. “It was very cheap. But seriously, we really don’t know much about you, dude!”
Hilarious, yes. But, honestly, that was about 10 minutes of laughter in a program that lasted over three hours. Once the actual awards began, the excitement seemed to flatline.
You could feel the weight of the long awards season on the winners. They spoke like zombies, almost as if they were preparing for a battle in Westeros.
Who can really blame them?
Television recipients like Jean Smart from “The Hux,” Noah Wyle from “The Pit,” and Owen Cooper from “Adolescence” scoop up major awards month after month. “The Studio” and “The Pit” took home more prizes again.
In a ceremony once known for wild drinking, everyone seemed just a bit jet-lagged, even as producers played upbeat songs from various genres that felt oddly out of place.
The performers treated us to songs like “Shake Your Groove Thing” and “So Fresh, So Clean.”
But let’s be honest: it was slow—really slow.
The sense of predictability kicked in right away as Paul Thomas Anderson’s action-packed “One Battle After Another” snatched Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor and Best Original Screenplay. Anyone could see it was on track for more wins.
And they weren’t wrong. “One Battle” also claimed Best Film, Best Musical, Best Comedy, and Best Director. It seems the path to an Academy Award is just about showing up.
The night’s dramatic winner, “Hamnet,” was a surprise, but it doesn’t stand a chance against that momentum.
Incredibly, just 90 minutes into the show, the anticipated Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy award was already announced.
First-time winner Timothee Chalamet for ‘Marty Supreme’ beat out big names like DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, George Clooney, and Michael B. Jordan. Chalamet is sure to be in the Oscar conversation too.
The same goes for Jessie Buckley, who snagged the Best Actress in a Drama award for portraying a grieving mother in “Hamnet.” Rose Byrne was great in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” but it’s a bit too offbeat for the Academy.
And during “Hamnet,” where children appeared, winners of the Best Drama Award were found singing “Celebration” energetically.
Another quirky choice in the telecast saw Variety’s Marc Malkin and ET’s Kevin Frazier chatting excessively between categories and while stars were on stage. Can we please mute them?
It’s clear the cycle of awards isn’t done yet, with upcoming ceremonies like the SAG Awards, the British Academy Awards, and, of course, the Oscars. I can already feel myself dozing off one by one.
