There was both vindication and disappointment for Disney/Pixar when the nominations for the 66th Annual Golden Globes were announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
WALL-E received a not-unexpected nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. It goes up against DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda and Disney Animation's Bolt. Not surprisingly, WALL-E is seen as the film to beat in this category.
The Andrew Stanton film also received a nomination for Best Original song: "Down to Earth" written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman. It competes against Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens, Clint Eastwood and Jamie Cullum's song "Gran Torino" (Gran Torino), Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele's "I Thought I Lost You" (Bolt), Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street's "Once in a Lifetime" (Cadillac Records), and Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler," from the film of the same name.
Another animated film, Ari Folman's Waltz With Bashir, is representing Israel in the Best Foreign Film category.
WALL-E Shut Out of Best Film
However – in a move that could be a portent of things to come at the Oscar telecast – Disney/Pixar did not receive a nomination in either of the Golden Globes' Best Film categories.
The Best Film - Drama nominees are: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures), Frost/Nixon (Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures), The Reader (Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company), Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks Pictures, BBC Films and Paramount Vantage), and Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.).
The Best Film - Comedy nominees are: Burn After Reading (Working Title/Releasing, Focus Features, Studio Canal), Happy-Go-Lucky (Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films), In Bruges (Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features), Mamma Mia! (Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Mediapro; The Weinstein Company).
Awarded each year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – a group of 85 critics and journalists from foreign press organizations – the Golden Globes are seen as the little brother for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar ceremony, which occurs on February 22, 2009.
However, the Golden Globes have one major advantage over the Oscars in that they recognize comedic films and performances. AMPAS tends to disregard comedies and musicals (despite the ancient actors' adage: "Dying is easy, comedy is hard"), preferring to honour dramatic films and performances. It also explains why comedic actors like Jim Carrey or Robin Williams take high-profile dramatic roles; hoping to pull Oscar honours.
Last year, the Golden Globes ceremony was replaced by a hasty press conference when many actors refused to come, citing their support for the Writers' Guild of America strike. A looming strike vote by the Screen Actors Guild will come too late to affect this year's broadcast.
The Golden Globes ceremony happens on January 11, 2009.
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