The status of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln’’ biopic as the Oscar front-runner was confirmed by its seven Golden Globe nominations yesterday — including best drama, best director and acting nods for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.
Trailing with five nods apiece in the drama category are Ben Affleck’s political thriller “Argo’’ and Quentin Tarantino’s controversial Civil War action picture, “Django Unchained’’ — Tarantino’s film was snubbed in Wednesday’s nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The other dramatic best picture nominees are Ang Lee’s fantasy adventure “Life of Pi,’’ also snubbed by SAG, and the manhunt thriller “Zero Dark Thirty.’’
I’d argue that “Django Unchained’’ is more of a comedy than the quirky romance “Silver Linings Playbook,’’ which is in the separate best picture race for comedies and musicals, up against “Les Misérables,’’ the coming-of-age tale “Moonrise Kingdom’’ and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,’’ which centers on the adventures of British retirees in India.
The biggest surprise came in this category, where the low-profile romantic comedy “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’’ (stars Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor earned nods) edged out the more popular “Magic Mike’’ (whose Matthew McConaughey also got snubbed) and “Ted,’’ as well as the upcoming “This Is 40.’’
The Globes made up for the SAG snub of Joaquin Phoenix for “The Master’’ in the dramatic best actor race, where he joins Day-Lewis, Richard Gere (“Arbitrage’’), John Hawkes (“The Sessions’’) and Denzel Washington (“Flight’’).
The dramatic best actress race pits Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty’’) against Marion Cotillard (“Rust and Bone’’), Helen Mirren (“Hitchcock’’), Naomi Watts (“The Impossible’’) and Rachel Weisz (“The Deep Blue Sea’’).
Jennifer Lawrence, Chastain’s main rival for the Best Actress Oscar, should easily triumph over Blunt, Judy Dench (“Marigold Hotel’’), Maggie Smith (“Quartet’’) and Meryl Streep (“Hope Springs’’) in the comedies and musicals category.
Hugh Jackman (“Les Misérables’’) is the top contender in the Globe race for a lead actor in a comedy or musical, facing McGregor, Bradley Cooper (“Playbook’’), Jack Black (“Bernie’’) and Bill Murray (“Hyde Park on Hudson’’).
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Globes, has one director category, and for the first time in recent memory, the contenders match up exactly with the best picture nominees on the drama side. That means snubs for Tom Hooper (“Les Misérables’’) and David O. Russell (“Playbook’’), though Russell scored a screenplay nod.
Robert De Niro, considered by some experts to be a lock for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for “Playbook,’’ was shut out.
He just may have gone a little too far in mocking the HFPA — a shadowy group of about 90 mostly part-time journalists — in his acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award earlier this year for the 2011 Globes.
“I’m sorry more members of the foreign press aren’t with us tonight, but many were deported right before the show along with most of the waiters,’’ he cracked in a jab that may have drawn blood.