23 Golden Globe Snubs And Surprises!

The Butler got nothing, but Philomena dominated. Plus, no Homeland, Game of Thrones, or Mad Men.

1. No Butler. 2. And especially no Oprah!

The Weinstein Company

If you're shaking your head that, say, Fruitvale Station wasn't nominated for a Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama, do remember that Beasts of the Southern Wild got nothing from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association last year.

What is a surprise, however, is the blanking of Lee Daniels' The Butler. Nothing for the movie, nothing for Forest Whitaker.

And nothing for Oprah Winfrey!

That's one day after the movie dominated the SAG nominations.

3. Nebraska, 4. Her, and 5. August: Osage County are comedies. 6. But The Heat is not.

Paramount

Fox

Nebraska and Her were both nominated in the Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical category; and Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts' acting nominations for August: Osage County (Best Actress and Best Supporting, respectively) also put the movie in the comedy category.

Which is pretty funny in itself! You'd think that these movies were gaming the system somehow, but all of their inclusions — and pitting themselves against the formidable American Hustle, which is emerging as a front-runner — have actually made the Comedy category more competitive than the Drama one (where 12 Years a Slave and Gravity are really the only contenders).

As far as The Heat's exclusion goes, there usually is one actual comedy at the Globes. Not this year! Only family tragedies. Oh, and Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock were also snubbed in the acting category (perhaps Greta Gerwig of Frances Ha took one of their spots).

7. Tatiana Maslany was nominated for Orphan Black!

BBC America

This nomination is just so exciting, I can't even tell you! She played 108 people on one show. That is an exaggeration. But really, there wasn't a better performance by any actor this year. Including Maslany is exactly the deliberate F-you the HFPA loves to deliver to the stodgier TV Academy, which should have nominated her for an Emmy last summer. Also, the BBC America show itself is terrific and everyone should watch it.

8. Lots of Philomena.

The Weinstein Company

Philomena was nominated for Best Drama and Best Screenplay, and Judi Dench was nominated for Best Actress. If it seemed like a lot more than that when they were reading the lists — I especially loved hearing Zoe Saldana say Philomena — perhaps that's because this little movie edged out some bigger ones in the screenplay and drama categories. For instance, Tracy Letts, who adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning play August: Osage County and wasn't nominated for a screenplay slot here. Nor Terence Winter, who wrote The Wolf of Wall Street. (For Best Screenplay, the Globes consolidates comedy and drama.) And for Best Drama, Blue Jasmine was shut out as were, as previously mentioned, The Butler and Fruitvale Station.

Philomena, everyone! It's still less weird than last year's Salmon Fishing in the Yemen dominance.

9. Rush was nominated for Best Drama; 10. Blue Jasmine was not.

Working Title/Imagine Ent.

Sony Pictures Classics

It's worth mentioning again that it's weird that Blue Jasmine wasn't nominated. Cate Blanchett, who is an Oscars front-runner, was, of course. And in a surprise, Sally Hawkins was too in the Supporting Actress category. Does the HFPA care so much about stars showing up that they would rather see Ron Howard and the Rush crew than save empty seats for Woody Allen? That would be very them!

11. Not as much Orange Is the New Black as anticipated.

Netflix

Taylor Schilling was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama. But the show itself was not, and none of the supporting actresses (especially Laura Prepon) were either. Considering how loved Orange Is the New Black is, that it's considered an Emmys shoo-in, and the surprise of it being Netflix's most popular original series so far, one nomination seems a bit wan.

Netflix, which is one of the entertainment success stories of the year, did very well on the whole, with six in total. Its nominations were spread out, though, among House of Cards, Arrested Development, and OITNB. (I can see Kevin Spacey winning in the Best Actor category even though he's up against Bryan Cranston.)

12. Yes, Monica Potter for Parenthood!

NBC

Another hilarious slap in the face of the TV Academy, which in July overlooked one of the best performances on television in 2012–2013 when it did not nominate Monica Potter for an Emmy. Potter plays Kristina Braverman on NBC's beautiful family drama. And last season, Kristina had breast cancer, making the show's audience weep constantly. Not just when they were watching Parenthood! All the time! That's how powerful Potter was.

Anyway, good for the weirdos at the HFPA for this one.

13. No James Gandolfini for Enough Said.

Fox Searchlight

Gandolfini was so movingly great in Nicole Holofcener's terrific movie. Months ago, Entertainment Weekly quoted an anonymous HFPA member saying that since Gandolfini wouldn't be able to attend, he probably wouldn't be nominated. You know, because he's dead and all. It's a shame that prediction came true. (It's also a shame that prediction occurred in the first place.)

14. No Monsters University for Best Animated Feature Film.

Pixar

My colleague Adam B. Vary tells me that Pixar has won this category nearly every year since the 2007 Golden Globes when it was invented. The Adventures of Tintin won in 2011, but other than that, all Pixar, always. So it's very strange that Monsters University wasn't even nominated this year! Especially because it was lovely and great.

15–18. No Homeland (and no Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and Scandal)!

Showtime

Believe me, I am all for Homeland not being nominated. If you don't agree that the show is actively bad at this point, surely you would nod if I said it's post-good. Still, I'm surprised that not only was Homeland not nominated for Best Drama, but neither were any of its actors. Especially Claire Danes, who is a Globes perennial. She won for her portrayal of Carrie for the past two years, and now isn't even nominated. It's interesting!

As for Mad Men and Game of Thrones being shut out, both are ridiculous. And happened last year too. It's clear that the Globes are over Mad Men. I guess I get that fatigue? But Game of Thrones had its breakout season this year.

Speaking of breakouts, I'm also surprised that the Globes aren't getting on the Scandal train. (Scandal bus? Whatever Scandal would take.) Kerry Washington was nominated, but not the show, which has Golden Globes written all over it. (Because it's crazy. In a good way.)

In summary! There's a lot of strangeness in the Best Drama category. But I'm happy to see The Good Wife make a very well-deserved return.

19. Not much Saving Mr. Banks.

Walt Disney Pictures

Emma Thompson was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama. And Tom Hanks got a lead actor nomination for Captain Phillips, so perhaps they felt that was enough Hanks? The movie didn't get anything.

20. It's a White Queen landslide for Starz!

Starz

Well, the miniseries got three nominations. That's a lot for a series that zero human beings watched.

21. No Robin Williams. But yes to 22. Andy Samberg and 23. Michael J. Fox.

CBS

I did not think that the HFPA would be able to resist nominating Robin Williams for his return to television in The Crazy Ones. Weren't you picturing him standing on the stage doing his Robin Williams thing? I'm going to have to readjust. Or he'll show up anyway.

The newbies who presumably took his spot were Samberg for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Michael J. Fox for The Michael J. Fox Show. That's qualitatively a fine choice, which makes this category even more confusing.

Love you, Golden Globes!