What the Golden Globes Really Mean

Watching a shocked Taron Egerton deliver his acceptance speech for best actor in a musical or comedy for Rocketman, or seeing Sam Mendes return to the stage to accept a second award for 1917, it was tempting during last night’s Golden Globes to think the entire awards race had been upended. What happened to The Irishman vs. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood showdown we were all taught to expect? What about Eddie Murphy’s comeback—did the Hollywood Foreign Press even watch him on SNL?? But as Mark Harris writes today—and as we all remind ourselves year after year—the Golden Globes are decided by a small group of journalists, precisely none of whom are Academy voters. Their taste is by no means predictive. And with the Oscar-voting window closing incredibly early this year, on Tuesday, it may already be too late for any of these victories to make a bit of difference.
Elsewhere in HWD, Richard Lawson reviews the show, that opened with host Ricky Gervais questioning the entire purpose of an awards show and then never really came up with a compelling answer; and Anthony Breznican shares dispatches from behind the scenes of the Globes, including a tense moment between Joaquin Phoenix and the press. And as the first day of Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial begin, Maureen O’Connor profiles his attorney, Donna Rotunno, who has made her career defending men accused of sexual assault and rape.