The bizarre reason 'The Martian' will be eligible for a Golden Globes comedy nomination
According to the Los Angeles Times, the eligibility committee of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which votes on Globes winners, decided to keep "The Martian" and fellow 20th Century Fox film "Joy" in the comedy category, where the studio hoped to land them (though the paper does report "The Martian" made it into the category by one vote).
The Golden Globes, which will air on NBC on January 10, have always been known for their puzzling decisions.
In the Comedy/Musical category alone, films that could be considered "dramedies" by the slimmest margin have found themselves part of the lot. Recently, that's included "Nebraska," about an aging father and estranged son's journey to claim a million-dollar prize, and "My Week with Marilyn," which starred Michelle Williams as the legendary star.
And it seems the Globes like to throw "Joy" director David O. Russell in the category. His previous two films, "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" (which won the Globe in 2013), have been placed there.
"Joy" looks at a family over the course of four generations and particularly focuses on the daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) who builds a wealthy business from the ground up. If it's like Russell's previous films, there will be some laughs, but it certainly can't be categorized as a comedy.
Though "The Martian" star Matt Damon, who plays an astronaut stranded on Mars, has some funny moments as he talks to cameras set up throughout his base with a sarcastic tone about his situation and often complains that disco is the only music he has, again, you don't think comedy when you think "The Martian."
In awards season, what gives a film the best chance of winning is what dictates how a studio enters it for consideration. This comes up often when a studio behind an awards-worthy movie with an ensemble cast must decide which actors will vie for the Best Lead categories and which will try for Best Supporting (it will be interesting to see how Open Road Films does this for "Spotlight," the journalist drama with Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams, among many others).
But the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's category flexibility isn't appreciated by some in the comedy world.
Judd Apatow, who will certainly be in contention for a Best Comedy/Musical Globe nomination with his film "Trainwreck," tweeted this recently.