The 83rd Annual Golden Globe nominations, announced Monday, Dec. 8, exposed a shocking oversight. While director Jon M. Chu’s film, “Wicked: For Good,” received nominations for four categories, Chu was, once again, robbed of his nomination in the Best Director – Motion Picture category.
Even though “Wicked: For Good” was nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Cynthia Erivo), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Ariana Grande), Best Original Song – Motion Picture (nominated twice) and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, Chu was given no credit for any of his efforts in bettering the movie.
Chu’s absence stands out strongly against “Wicked: For Good.” The film is a global phenomenon; it has made a huge impact on the film industry, being one of this year’s highest-grossing films with a growing global intake of more than $400 million.
But Chu’s role goes beyond ticket sales. Chu was the person who executed the faithful adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical and oversaw the mass amount of choreography, complex visual effects and detailed sets. When the Golden Globes praised actors Erivo and Grande, whose performances were essential to the film’s success, they were directly rewarding the work done by Chu, the person responsible for unifying the elements the Golden Globes chose to celebrate.
This disinclusion is not the first time Chu has been mistakenly left out; it is the latest reoccurrence of an ongoing pattern of Chu’s overlooked achievements. In the past, he has delivered other directorial successes, notably with “Crazy Rich Asians,” a massive commercial and cultural phenomenon, “Wicked,” the first part of the duology of “Wicked,” and “In the Heights,” another major musical adaptation, but recognition for his achievements remain overlooked by Golden Globes voters.
The snub is not a judgement of the quality of Chu’s great work, but of the inconsistency of the 83rd Golden Globe nominations. The oversight can also be tied to favoritism of specific genres and themes. Prestigious awards often rank films categorized as drama or movies with serious historical and social themes higher than those in the musical or comedy category with more wholesome themes, especially over films that happen to become smash hits.
Nominations for Best Director were awarded to directors Chloé Zhao for “Hamnet,” Guillermo del Toro for “Frankenstein,” Jafar Panahi for “It Was Just an Accident,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle After Another,” and Ryan Coogler for “Sinners.” Those who were nominated for the category were all, uncoincidentally, films with heavier themes.
Chu has repeatedly been penalized for becoming great in the musical and comedy genres, and is seen as less valuable in his category. The voters are glad to celebrate the amazing end product, but refuse to credit the director whose genre of choice is of little value to them.
