Why film awards are a sham not to be taken seriously

Film awards are a fool’s game at the best of times. So, at the worst of times – and that means any time the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) stages the Golden Globes – the biggest fools are the ones who take them seriously.

As a result, it comes as no surprise to me as a veteran film critic that the Golden Globes have finally been exposed as a fraud. I railed against the quality, integrity and sham power of these awards for years – and I was never alone.

What I did not expect is that, during these supercharged times of social change and human rights debates, that one of the HFPA members would document his racist views in public.

Arcane rules

First, though, the whole association came under pressure for arcane rules that denied Lee Isaac Chung’s acclaimed American drama Minari from competing in the best picture category. When accused of anti-Asian sentiments, the reaction from the HFPA was, as usual, reactionary bluster.

But 88-year-old Philip Berk, a former association president, broadened the scandal by attacking the Black Lives Matter movement because the Golden Globes were also marginalizing black films. Berk was forced to resign, but it was too little too late.

NBC-TV immediately cancelled its 2022 broadcast, leaving the Golden Globes in limbo. Good riddance if they never make it back to the big time. For decades, Hollywood studios used the Golden Globes as a shameless public relations tool to hype films they were positioning for the “real” awards – the Oscars. The studios will just adjust and find another promotional tool.

It is also worth noting that having a Golden Globe in your trophy case is no longer a good thing. Tom Cruise made a public show of renouncing and returning his two Golden Globes, which he won for his work in Jerry Maguire and Magnolia.

Now, let’s get back to my contention that film awards are a fool’s game. The Academy Awards have their own problems with credibility. It has been a struggle to get the membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to take people of colour seriously as creators and performers. While there have been improvements in recent years, especially for black directors and actors, the Asian community has been frustrated. Note: This year’s nominations were better for Asian-Americans, including six nominations for Minari and one Oscar win.

Equal opportunity

Why does it matter? Awards are meaningless unless there is an equal opportunity and a fair playing field. I do not trust large organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to get it right all the time. Its members have too many vested interests. Studios have been known to “require” their staff to vote for in-house productions.

Among the small groups handing out awards, there are credible ones who do not indulge in the corrupt practices of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Critics groups in New York, Los Angeles and other big cities often nail it. As a co-founder of the Toronto Film Critics Association, I like to think we do, too.

But, the best advice I can give to film fans is simple: Celebrate the films you like, and take other people’s opinions merely as advice.