"First Cow" leads the Gotham nominations

by Nathaniel R

This year's Gotham Awards have fully embraced the female gaze. In fact, the entire Best Feature nominee list is female-helmed films with First Cow leading with 4 nominations. Unfortunately that means Lee Isaac Chung's Minari was shut out for the top prize (it only received one acting nomination), which is a shame but you can't have everything. Though the Gotham Awards are not a traditional "precursor" to Oscar (they rarely align) we tend to like that kind of precursor best. Groups with their own personality are the only ones that have a reason to exist! 

Full nomination list with a few comments after the jump...

Best Feature

• The Assistant  (Bleecker Street)
• First Cow (A24)
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Features)
• Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) all over most people's Oscar predictions
• Relic (IFC Midnight) this one is also up for the AACTA Awards 

The Independent Spirit Awards often pull from a similar list. Will Minari, Miss Juneteenth, The Sound of Metal, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, The Nest, One Night in Miami and more do better there and score in their top category? 

Best Documentary

Fox and Rob Rich in a shot from the film

• 76 Days  (MTV Documentary Films)
• City Hall  (Zipporah Films) <--make sure to read Glenn's review
• Our Time Machine  (Passion River Films)
• A Thousand Cuts (PBS Distribution | Frontline) <--- make sure to read Glenn's review
• Time (Amazon Studios) <---make sure to read Murtada's interview

Best International Feature

• Bacurau (Brazil) Kino Lorber
• Beanpole (Russia) Kino Lorber
• Cuties (France) Netflix
• Identifying Features (Mexico) Kino Lorber
• Martin Eden (Italy) Kino Lorber
• Wolfwalkers (Ireland) Apple

An eclectic list. Only one of which (Cuties) might be eligible for Oscar's International Feature category. It made France's finalist list but we don't yet know if they'll submit it.

Breakthrough Director

 

• Radha Blank for The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
• Channing Godfrey Peoples for Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
• Alex Thompson for Saint Frances (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
• Carlo Mirabella-Davis for Swallow (IFC Films)
• Andrew Patterson for The Vast of Night (Amazon Studios)

Best Screenplay

• Bad Education, Mike Makowsky (HBO)
• First Cow, Jon Raymond, Kelly Reichardt (A24)
• The Forty-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank (Netflix)
• Fourteen, Dan Sallitt (Grasshopper Film)
• The Vast of Night, James Montague, Craig Sanger (Amazon Studios)

I really can't get over how much they seemed to dislike Minari. Perhaps it's too family friendly for the more edge-loving Gothams?  

Best Actor

 

• Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
• Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Jude Law in The Nest (IFC Films)
• John Magaro in First Cow (A24)
• Jesse Plemons in I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix)

Steven Yeun was right there in Minari. How did he miss? 

Best Actress

• Nicole Beharie in Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
• Jessie Buckley in I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix)
• Yuh-Jung Youn in Minari (A24)
• Carrie Coon in The Nest (IFC Films)
• Frances McDormand in Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)

Interesting that I'm Thinking of Ending Things and The Nest each scored in both leading actor categories but couldn't make it to Screenplay, Film, or Director.  

Breakthrough Actor

Saint Frances

 

• Jasmine Batchelor in The Surrogate (Monument Releasing)
• Kingsley Ben-Adir in One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
• Sidney Flanigan in Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Features)
• Orion Lee in First Cow (A24)
• Kelly O’Sullivan in Saint Frances (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

We keep hearing that Jasmine Batchelor is amazing in her film but we haven't yet seen it. Have you?

Breakthrough Series (Long Form)

• The Great  (Hulu)
• Immigration Nation  (Netflix)
• P-Valley (Starz)
• Unorthodox (Netflix)
• Watchmen (HBO)

Breakthrough Series (Short Form)

• Betty (HBO)
• Dave (FX Networks)
• I May Destroy You (HBO)
• Taste the Nation  (Hulu)
• Work in Progress (Showtime)

Comments

[Owl]

I'm here for Kelly Reichardt, Chloe Zhao, and Eliza Hittman -- I never thought I'd see their films nominated in Best Feature. Gotham is a new favorite then (they also awarded Huppert for Elle). And lovely to see the duet of John Magaro and Orion Lee rewarded with nominations. It doesn't matter if they win -- this recognition is sufficient proof that there are critics who consider subtle acting as worthy of nomination. May this be the start of awarding this type of cinematic performance. Happy for with Hittman's film and Sidney Flanigan's moving turn in Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Now, I can;t wajt to see Nomadland.

I haven't seen Minari yet but I have that along with Nomadland, Dear Comrades, Apples and Gaza Mon Amour as my must-sees.

[ken s]

The European Film Awards have also been announced. Corpus Christi and Another Round received the most nominations.

[Peggy Sue]

I hope France will pick Cuties.

[jules]

I don't think they disliked Minari, they just nominated other films and performances that may have been less lauded. It's been frustrating to read people bemoan the lack of good films this year when in fact there have been plenty of award-worthy films. I'm glad the Gothams have recognized such a diverse slate of nominees.

[Jess]

Must you complain about Minari missing for three different categories?

[Travis C]

I have seen NRSA and it's great. I wouldn't go so far to say that Batchelor is "amazing", but a breakthrough nomination is certainly deserved.

With NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, RELIC, MARTIN EDEN and THE VAST OF NIGHT all featuring in my personal "Best Of 2020" list, it's fair to say I am on board with these nominations (and will be seeking out/eagerly anticipating the ones I haven't seen yet).

[NATHANIEL R]

Jess -- yes.

[NewMoonSon]

Nicole Beharie. Awesomeness!!!

[Guenta]

Why didn't you complain about minari in breakthrough actor??

[Michael R]

Beharie was excellent in her episode of Black Mirror as Anthony Mackie's wife.

[harmodio]

Nicole Beharie! The competition has started.
Despite what many say this 2020 looks strong in Best Actress and perhaps Nicole Beharie's chances are not so strong but the film studio is going to start a campaign in her favor, she needs organizations like Gotham to nominate her and other organizations follow suit. So she will be considered and perhaps reach the ears of the voters of the Academy.

[Glenn Dunks]

THE VAST OF NIGHT for screenplay is an odd choice. I'd have nominated it in several places before screenplay. Nevertheless, happy it received something. I am not ready for critics groups to forget it exists for shinier objects.