Since this is only my reaction to the nominations, I will be combining them. Once I have had time to consider what could win I will do an individual post for each. The Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAGs) will air on January 25, while the Golden Globes will be on January 11. But let’s get down to it and see what was snubbed, what the shockers are, and what is obviously a nom.

SAGs:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:

Boyhood

Birdman

Grand Budapest Hotel

Imitation Game

The Theory of Everything

Reaction: If you saw Birdman it should have been abundantly clear it would be nominated. The surprise here in what was nominated was Boyhood, which I absolutely adored, because while it was a fantastic movie, it wasn’t a powerhouse of acting like the rest of these films. The Imitation Game could come as a surprise too because of it has pretty much been sneaking in everywhere and not had a huge release. The Grand Budapest Hotel is also a bit of a surprise maybe because it has been so long since its first release (way back in March). What wasn’t nominated shouldn’t be much call for concern. Selma, which is getting a lot of buzz now and appears to be a tour-de-force for performances, got nothing at the SAGs. Also, no Gone Girl, no Unbroken, or no Foxcatcher despite Carrell and Ruffalo being nominated for acting.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

Steve Carrell-Foxcatcher

Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game

Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything

Michael Keaton- Birdman

Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

Reaction: No big surprises here other than the Selma situation. Channing Tatum did not get one though he had huge buzz a couple months ago for his Foxcatcher performance. Eller Coltrane, the star of Boyhood, is missing probably because he is so new to all of these heavyweight performances. The Grand Budapest Hotel is also lacking though it was nominated for the whole cast. My biggest qualm is the snub of Miles Teller in Whiplash, whose performance should be launching him to stardom; good thing J.K. Simmons is nominated. Again, no Unbroken and people are really surprised that American Snipers’ Bradley Cooper is not nominated, but that movie has had hardly any marketing thus far so I am not surprised.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jennifer Aniston-Cake

Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore-Still Alice

Reese Witherspoon-Wild

Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl

Reaction: Seeing Jennifer Aniston up there is pretty surprising, especially when the movie is pretty unknown and still getting mixed reviews. But all in all, this year has not been exceptionally strong in powerful lead female performances. I would have liked to have seen Scarlett Johansson up for Under the Skin, but that movie is pretty under the radar for most, or perhaps Keira Knightley in Begin Again.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

Robert Duvall-The Judge

Edward Norton-Birdman

Ethan Hawke-Boyhood

Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons-Whiplash

Reaction: The two big surprises in this category are Robert Duvall and Ethan Hawke. The Judge was not exactly a huge success, nor was it entirely well received, so for it to get this nomination Duvall must have been a huge standout or there just wasn’t anything else to nominate. Boyhood, as I have said before, was not about the performances, so seeing him up here is a little surprising but it is a welcome nomination for such a fantastic movie.

Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Supporting Role:

Patricia Arquette-Boyhood

Keira Knightley-The Imitation Game

Emma Stone- Birdman

Meryl Streep- Into the Woods

Naomi Watts- St. Vincent

Reaction: Biggest surprise for me here is that Watts was not nominated for Birdman, but instead the critically mixed St. Vincent. She was great in Birdman, but apparently also good in St. Vincent. Patricia Arquette would be the only actor from Boyhood that I would have expected a nomination from, so I am glad she got one. Keira Knightley is no surprise either because she is getting good reviews. Meryl Streep, I feel like, is nominated because she is Meryl Streep. The movie has not come out yet, so I guess we will see what happens.

 

Golden Globes:

 

Best Motion Picture-Drama

Boyhood

Selma

Imitation Game

Foxcatcher

Theory of Everything

Reaction: No Interstellar, Nightcrawler, Whiplash, Unbroken, or American Sniper. Selma is a bigger hit for the Globes, but it won’t be fully released until January. This year is full of films that have not even been completely released yet. I have yet to see Foxcatcher and Imitation Game because they haven’t come to Seattle yet, and we have about a dozen theaters spotlighting these types of films. It’ll be an interesting battle, but my money is on Boyhood.

Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical

Birdman

Grand Budapest Hotel

St. Vincent

Into the Woods

Pride

Reaction: Again, a lot of weird movies. Birdman is by far the best film out of all of these. Pride, which I am not afraid to admit I have never heard of, is a British film that I doubt nobody on this side of the Atlantic has heard of. Into the Woods and St. Vincent also seem like random picks, but I guess the category is pretty empty this year. I am always happy to see Wes Anderson getting nominations, but I am upset that the other Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, did not get anything for Inherent Vice other than for Acting.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama

Steve Carrell- Foxcatcher

Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game

Jake Gyllenhaal- Nightcrawler

Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything

David Oyelowo- Selma

Reaction: This is essentially the SAG nominations except you replace Keaton with Oyelowo. The same snubs and surprises go here too.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama

Jennifer Aniston-Cake

Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore-Still Alice

Reese Witherspoon-Wild

Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl

Reaction: The exact same thing as the SAGs, which means that they too felt that there were no other top-notch performances.

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy

Joaquin Phoenix-Inherent Vice

Michael Keaton- Birdman

Bill Murray- St. Vincent

Christoph Waltz- Big Eyes

Ralph Fiennes- Grand Budapest Hotel

Reaction: Some surprises here. Bill Murray picking up recognition for St. Vincent again reminds us that this movie is supposedly good despite some mixed ratings. Some love for Inherent Vice, though we know Paul Thomas Anderson usually gets snubbed and passed over “cough” There Will be Blood “cough.” It’s also nice to see Ralph Fiennes getting nominated because he really did make that movie. Michael Keaton is the obvious nomination and Christoph Waltz is kind of the random pick.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy

Amy Adams- Big Eyes

Emily Blunt- Into the Woods

Julianne Moore- Map to the Stars

Helen Mirren- The Hundred-Foot Journey

Quvenzhane Wallis- Annie

Reaction: A lot of unknown, unreleased, and random picks here. This is a pretty unappetizing category this year when we had Amy Adams last year, along with Meryl Streep and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. This year it seems like they’re having a hard time to choose from, but perhaps once these movies come out they will get more buzz than they do now.

Best Performance by a Supporting Male Actor

Ethan Hawke- Boyhood

Mark Ruffalo- Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons- Whiplash

Edward Norton- Birdman

Robert Duvall- The Judge

Reaction: Two different movies with a singular nomination (The Judge and Whiplash). As I have said before, The Judge has gotten plenty of mixed reviews but I guess Duvall was a standout. Whiplash should be getting more, but due to its independent status it is hardly in any theaters. No nom for Channing Tatum either, though he might be considered leading actor.

Best Performance by a Supporting Female Actress

Patricia Arquette- Boyhood

Keira Knightley- The Imitation Game

Emma Stone- Birdman

Meryl Streep- Into the Woods

Jessica Chastain- A Most Violent Year

Reaction: Biggest surprise here is Chastain. The movie won film of the year by the National Board of Review, but it only got one Golden Globe nom. It has yet to be released, but it is getting rave reviews. Perhaps when the Oscars come around it’ll have stronger buzz. Meryl Streep is also a shoe-in for a nom, she always gets nominated.

Best Director for a Motion Picture

Richard Linklater- Boyhood

David Fincher- Gone Girl

Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu- Birdman

Ava DuVarney- Selma

Reaction: Big surprises are Fincher and DuVarney. Fincher because Gone Girl isn’t even nominated for best picture, and DuVarney because she is so unknown. Gone Girl was good but nowhere near the previous work of Fincher so its surprising he gets a nom for it. I would replace him and DuVarney with perhaps James Marsh (The Theory of Everything) or Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) because those two directors got extraordinary performances out of their actors and they are nominated as well.  Also, no Nolan, Eastwood, or Jolie.

Best Screenplay

Boyhood

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Gone Girl

The Imitation Game

Reaction: This year is pretty weird when it comes to screenplays. One you have an adaptation of a best-selling novel, two you have one that probably was improvised over 12 years, three you have a plain bizarre one about a super hero, and then you have a quirky hotel and a period piece. There’s no talking computers or anything like last year. I would like to have seen the screenplay for Whiplash up merely based on the dialogue and pure stress-inducing story.

Best Original Song

Big Eyes-Lana Del Ray (Big Eyes)

Selma-John Legend and Common (Glory)

Noah- Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye (Mercy is)

Annie-Sia (Opportunity)

Mockingjay Part 1- Lorde (Yellow Flicker Beast)

Reaction: No “Everything is Awesome” from the Lego Movie is quite possibly the biggest snub this year (only partial sarcasm). It was such a catchy and fun song that completely made the movie. Also, nothing from Begin Again, the little indie music-flick from the summer, which is surprising because it was loaded with great songs.

Best Original Score-

Interstellar- Hans Zimmer

Birdman- Antonio Sanchez

Gone Girl- Trent Reznor

The Imitation Game- Alexandre Desplat

The Theory of Everything- Johann Johannsson

Reaction: Hans Zimmer netting Interstellar its only nom is pretty shocking considering it got no love anywhere else. It did have a fantastic score and it is good it is getting recognized. No Whiplash either, even though it was driven by music.

Best Animated Film

The Boxtrolls

Big Hero 6

The Lego Movie

How to Train Your Dragon 2

The Book of Life

Reaction: No surprises here. It’ll be an interesting battle though because you have three crowd-pleasing, and well- received films in Big Hero 6, HtTYD2, and The Lego Movie. I’m hoping for The Lego Movie because of its pure originality. No Pixar this year means other movies stand a chance.

Best Foreign Film

Ida

Leviathan

Force Majeure

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Tangerines

Reaction: I have seen none of these movies and have hardly heard anything about them. Hopefully they’ll be put into a larger market now that they’re getting recognition.

 

 

So there we have it. The winners will be announced in the coming month. This year has been full of excellent films, both known and unknown, and it will be a really interesting season. Hopefully the Academy Awards has a little more love for some of the stuff that is completely absent from here like Inherent Vice, Foxcatcher, and Unbroken. But then again, these movies are not fully out yet. Only time will tell. As always, stay tuned here for the biggest updates on everything Awards Season.