Angelina Jolie has been nominated at the Golden Globes for her work on “Changeling,” “Gia,” and “The Tourist,” part of a half-dozen noms over the years for the A-list star. The group even nominated her directorial debut “In the Land of Blood and Honey” for best foreign film.
But when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association unveiled their 2014 short list on Thursday, Jolie and her movies were nowhere to be found: not a single nod for her WWII-era directorial effort “Unbroken” and nothing for her turn as the lead in fairy-tale hit “Maleficent” either.
It was part of a group of snubs and surprises among voters during the annual rite from Beverly Hills, where the outliers and surprises are often as interesting as the mainline nods.
Director Clint Eastwood was also absent from the Globes list, with his upcoming military drama “American Sniper” garnering no noms. Eastwood has gotten plenty of love as a director — over the years, he received nods in the category for “Invictus,” “Flags of Our Fathers,” “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “Million Dollar Baby,” among a slew of others, though notably hasn’t picked up any directing nods in the five years since “Invictus.”
Among other top-tier filmmakers, Christopher Nolan saw his “Interstellar” get only one minor nomination, for original score, but nothing else. Nolan has been a favorite of the association of late, with “Inception” landing best picture-drama, director and screenplay nods, but the omission of “Interstellar” from major categories all but seals its awards fate.
And as she was at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Laura Dern was snubbed for her supporting actress turn as an ethereal mother in the outdoors drama “Wild,” putting a dent into her chances for an Oscar nomination next month. Jessica Chastain, on the other hand, landed a slot in the category for her turn as a cool customer in the gritty street tale “A Most Violent Year,” taking her from dark-horse status and boosting her chances for an Oscar.
Also on the acting side of the ledger, Julianne Moore was able to snag a rare twofer for lead acting — for her dramatic turn as an Alzheimer’s patient in “Still Alice” and as a washed-up actress in “Maps to the Stars” for comedy. The first was expected but the latter a surprise, with a number of other comedic and musical leading ladies in the running.
When the ceremony rolls around on Jan. 11, Moore will try to become only the fourth actress to win two Globes in the same year (Sigourney Weaver, Joan Plowright and Kate Winslet are the others.)
The association, meanwhile, continued its trend for favoring a commercial play, selecting Quvenzhane Wallis for best actress in a comedy or musical for her turn as the lead character in “Annie.”
The snubs and surprises cause a re-alignment of sorts. The “Unbroken” omission in best drama cleared the way for “Foxcatcher” to land a slot; the movie, a bubble contender for an Oscar best picture, has now solidified its candidacy heading into that balloting period.
“Foxcatcher” director Bennett Miller did not land a director nod, which itself cleared the way for “Gone Girl’s” David Fincher, who was considered far from a lock for director. The association has shown him some respect in the past, nominating him in the director category for “The Social Network” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
