'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' and 'Soul' Also Win Two Awards Each
'Minari' Director Jeong Isaac: "Language Does Not Matter. I Hope Everyone Is Happy..."
Director Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" won two awards at the Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture (Drama). Director Lee Isaac Chung's "Minari" received the Best Foreign Language Film award.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) selected "Nomadland" as the Best Motion Picture in the Drama category at the 78th Golden Globe Awards on the 28th (local time). It was rated higher than Emerald Fennell's "Promising Young Woman," David Fincher's "Mank," Florian Zeller's "The Father," and Aaron Sorkin's "The Trial of the Chicago 7."
Director Zhao, who helmed the film, also won the Best Director award, beating out formidable directors such as Fennell, Fincher, Sorkin, and Regina King (for "One Night in Miami"). "Nomadland" depicts the journey of a woman who leaves an economically collapsed town to seek a new life. The film stars Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, and Linda May, among others.
Jason Woliner's "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" won two awards in the Musical or Comedy category, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen). Pete Docter's "Soul" also took home two trophies for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, John Batiste).
The Best Actress awards were shared by Andra Day for "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" (Drama) and Rosamund Pike for "I Care a Lot" (Musical or Comedy). The Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy went to Chadwick Boseman for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
"Minari" won the Best Foreign Language Film award, beating Denmark's "Another Round," France/Guatemala's "La Llorona," Italy's "Life Ahead," and the U.S./France's "Two of Us." Director Chung appeared in a video with his daughter and expressed gratitude, saying, "I thank my family and all the cast." He added, "'Minari' is a family film. Language does not matter," and hoped "everyone will be happy."
The mention of language seems to stem from the controversy over "Minari" being classified as a foreign language film at this awards ceremony. The film is an American production by Brad Pitt's Plan B. However, according to HFPA rules, a film is classified as foreign language if more than half of its dialogue is not in English, which led to its nomination in the foreign language category.
The film's content is American, based on Director Chung's autobiographical experiences. It portrays the life and hardships of a Korean-American family who migrated to Arkansas in the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Ye-ri), chasing the American Dream, settle on a farm in Arkansas with the determination to cultivate fertile land. To care for David (Alan Kim), who has heart issues, and Anne (Noel Kate Cho), their mother Soon-ja also comes from Korea.
The story of overcoming hardships and trials by relying on each other delivers deep emotional impact, even beyond the immigrant experience. The exquisite ensemble of actors has helped the film sweep numerous awards at various film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award).
Particularly, actress Youn Yuh-jung, who brought both vitality and tension to the film, has received twenty-six Best Supporting Actress awards. She is also a strong contender for the Best Supporting Actress award at next month's Academy Awards. Last year, "Parasite," which was the first Korean film to win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, won four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Original Screenplay (Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won).
Meanwhile, Jodie Foster for "The Mauritanian" and Daniel Kaluuya for "Judas and the Black Messiah" won supporting acting awards. The Best Screenplay award went to Aaron Sorkin, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award was given to actress Jane Fonda.
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