The minute-by-minute commentary has been moved to the end of this post. The Golden Globes made a lot of choices that upended current wisdom, making races tighter or more interesting as a result. They gave Shape of Water the most nominations, but gave the most awards to Three Billboards. In the future, anything by Martin McDonagh has to be considered a major contender for these awards, even if it isn’t elsewhere.

Award Tallies

(4) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(2) Lady Bird, The Shape of Water
(1) Coco, Darkest Hour, The Disaster Artist, The Greatest Showman, I, Tonya, In the Fade

The Awards

Best Picture, Drama

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Picture, Comedy/Musical

Lady Bird (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)

Best Picture, Animated

Coco (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)

Best Director

Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water (Wesley, Peter, Thomas, RU:Tripp)

Best Actor, Drama

Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Peter)

Best Actress, Drama

Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Peter, Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)

Best Actor, Comedy/Musical

James Franco – The Disaster Artist (Peter, Tripp, Thomas)

Best Actress, Comedy/Musical

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)

Best Supporting Actor

Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Wesley, Thomas)

Best Supporting Actress

Allison Janney – I, Tonya (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Best Screenplay

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Best Original Score

The Shape of Water (Wesley, Peter, Thomas)

Best Song

This Is Me – The Greatest Showman (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Best Foreign Language Film

In the Fade (RU:Peter)

Golden Globe Data

Year Founded: 1943
First Awards: 1943 (75)

10:06pm – So, the Globes punted on the award, giving it to a film that has little chance at the Oscars. This has happened a lot with the Globes, so we can’t read too much into it.

10:01pm – They really loved Three Billboards. Will this be the prelude to Frances McDormand winning a second Oscar? Not necessarily. The Globes ignored McDormand for Fargo, so this is something of a makeup award. Of course, after that speech, she might still do it. Let’s see how the Screen Actors Guild does.

9:52pm – If even the HFPA can let bygones be bygones, then Gary Oldman is truly the frontrunner.

9:44pm – No one said the HFPA had taste. I love Lady Bird, but Get Out is the film of our time. That they put it in comedy pretty much shows their disdain for it, so I’m not that surprised.

9:35pm – What surprises me most about this win is not that it happened, but that such a subtle performance could be recognized. Of course, this is the only award Lady Bird may win tonight, so that could be the reason.

9:18pm – Is this the beginning a string of victories that lasts through the Oscars? I’m beginning to think it might be. This would be the final of the trio of Mexican filmmakers who have re-molded cinema. Alfonso Cuaron was first. Alejandro Inarritu was second. Del Toro could be the third.

9:17pm – Their time is up. Oprah Winfrey gives the speech of a generation and there should be no one who doubts that we are at the dawn of a new day.

8:42pm – Now this is a bit of a shocker. The film, which has received mild reviews, beat out several better-reviewed films to win. Clearly Angelina Jolie wasn’t the factor many of us thought she would be.

8:35pm – It sounds like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association really loves Martin McDonagh’s film. While I can’t say this is a surprise, it’s definitely a disappointment.

8:20pm – In the first real upset of the night, Laurie Metcalf, the current frontrunner for the Oscar, gets taken down by Allison Janney. Could be the first in a long line of victories that upset the standard? Will quirky win out over traditional? It might just after a speech like that.

8:21pm – Was there any doubt? Not any reasonable one.

8:09pm – James Franco isn’t an unexpected winner and this probably gives him a boost towards an Oscar nomination. It also probably means that Get Out isn’t winning.

8:00pm – The song, which many didn’t think would win, is very much in the moment about being who you are regardless of who you are or what society tells you should be. That’s an inspirational song and that resonates even if the film does not.

7:58pm – Desplat had trouble securing his first Oscar nomination, now it seems likely that he might go on a streak of wins that could one day rival John Williams.

7:19pm – In the first upset of the night (not really an upset since some of us predicted it) with Willem Dafoe going home empty-handed and beginning a potential new chapter in the precursor season with Sam Rockwell moving towards an Oscar nomination.

7:00pm – Here we go.