Golden Globes review: Women triumphant
In retrospect, I’m almost surprised Seth Meyers didn’t volunteer a month ago to forsake his role as host of the 75th Golden Globes Awards and hand it off to Amy Poehler and/or Tina Fey or any number of other funny women. This Globes turned out to be the #TimesUp Globes, the #MeToo Globes, and the awards show that served as the test case for how the entertainment world is going to proceed in public showcases in the post-Harvey Weinstein era. And it turned out to also be the Globes that gave some of its biggest awards to three of the best women-led projects: TV’s Big Little Lies (best limited series; Nicole Kidman, best actress in a limited series or movie; Laura Dern, best supporting) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (best TV comedy; Rachel Brosnahan, best comedy actress) and the movies’ Lady Bird (best movie comedy; Saoirse Ronan, best comedy actress).
Meyers delivered a carefully crafted monologue that took well-phrased shots at Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Woody Allen, while also making room for Poehler, talking from her seat, to deliver the biggest laughs of the segment with a couple of raucous, mansplaining jabs. Significantly for a week that saw the publication of a book that reports shockingly negative opinions of everyone who works closely with President President Trump, there was none of the sort of Trump material Meyers usually delivers on his late-night show. I’m glad: It’s 2018 — let’s stop treating this president as someone so harmless we can afford to joke about him.
The night was book-ended by the framework erected by the #TimesUp movement. The usually banal red-carpet coverage on NBC and E! was largely consumed by black attire and celebrities talking about the social and political issues of the day. Sure, some of the chatter was a little bit tedious because of sheer repetition, but it was a higher class of tedium — nobler and more heartfelt, and effective in its fervor and sincerity. Later in the evening, Oprah Winfrey turned her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award into a stirring talk about race and class and history. It was a world-class speech.
I was most cheered by the wins for Amy Sherman-Palladino’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which won for best comedy/musical, and for its star, Rachel Brosnahan. The Globes have a fine tradition of rewarding new shows before the Emmys do. (Just think of its surprising, unlikely awards to Mozart in the Jungle!) Maisel’s wins are special for a number of reasons. First, it’s great that Brosnahan was recognized for her star-making turn. Second, this show has given Sherman-Palladino the true artistic success she has deserved post-Gilmore Girls. Third, maybe the awards will raise the show’s profile a little in an insanely crowded TV landscape and give it a boost as it continues to be discovered streaming on Amazon Prime, and goes into its second season.
Finally, I’ll close out with the only crushing disappointment of the night: HOW COULD KYLE MACLACHLAN NOT WIN FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN? No justice, no peace.
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