By Jack Howorth
Arts Editor
Every year at this time a wave of award shows appears that blend together and start to sound the same. However, the 2015 Golden Globes was a major improvement by focusing around actually engaging presentations and speeches.
The most anticipated category, Best Motion Picture Drama, went to Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood.” Also winning Best Director, Linklater’s daring film was fully deserving of Best Picture. Filmed over the course of 12 years, “Boyhood” is unlike anything else in film as the audience gets to see actors actually aging, creating an unmatched sense of authenticity. This film also has high expectations for the Oscars with multiple expected wins.
One of the bigger disappointments of the night was that “The Lego Movie” lost to “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” Although “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is a solid animated film overall, it is just that: solid. It is yet another sequel that, despite being a crowd pleaser, does not touch upon anything new and noteworthy that makes it deserving of the award.
Meanwhile, “The Lego Movie” is a revolutionary animated film, using actual individually sculpted computer-generated images of Lego blocks to create both incredibly detailed and surprisingly realistic settings and characters. Not only is it innovative in its animation, it is also beyond entertaining.
Separating this year’s Golden Globes from every other generic awards show is the fact that the winners’ speeches all proved to be topical and have legitimate content.
Touching upon issues such as the poor race relations in America or the shootings surrounding Charlie Hebdo, winners expanded on the usual slew of “I’d like to thank my mom and dad.” While the actors’ intentions could still be for publicity and image, their messages can reach such a vast audience that they have the potential to make an impact.
Perhaps the biggest controversy of the night comes from its two hostesses, acclaimed comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. As part of their routine, they decided to have female comedian Margaret Cho play a militant North Korean character and come on stage to make jokes and impersonate Koreans. While many felt this was racist, Cho convincingly defended herself by saying that she believes comedy about the conflict in North Korea should be promoted.
Audiences now look to the Oscars in hopes that they will correct the few mistakes made in the Golden Globes and live up to the new standard of speeches. While “Boyhood” still appears as though it will come out on top, many other Oscar categories remain contested.
Overall, sparing a few disappointing results, the 2015 Golden Globes is a refreshing start to award season.
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