I can’t be the only one shocked Emilia Pérez won “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” over Wicked at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.
On January 5, 2025, the annual Golden Globe Awards took place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Just like every year, the awards show was adorned with both seasoned and up-and-coming actors and actresses. Some standout names include Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldaña, and Kieran Culkin.
Every person involved in the nominated films and series worked their butt off, and I enjoyed several works that were nominated. However, there was one winning film that didn’t sit right with me: Emilia Pérez took home the trophy for “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” when Wicked, an adaptation of the beloved Broadway film, was nominated in the same category. It is just NOT making sense to me, and here’s why.
Wicked should have won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes over Emilia Pérez
Right off the bat, Wicked seemed poised to win “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” at the Golden Globes. From the moment the film was announced, many were eager to see how the beloved Broadway classic would look onscreen and how Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande would tackle the iconic roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
Besides some controversy over color grading and the poster, Wicked was (and is) undoubtedly a success. Several critics claimed the film was a musical masterpiece, with Erivo and Grande receiving fanfare for their vocal prowess and comedy chops. From start to finish, Wicked had viewers at the edge of their seats. It received resounding applause for its mix of musical comedy with darker themes such as authoritarianism when Elphaba and Glinda uncover the lies of The Wizard.
The same cannot be said for Emilia Pérez. I can give it props for trying to showcase a trans story, but it did so in a way that so heavily leans on Mexican stereotypes that it takes away from the LGBTQ+ exposure. Critic Reanna Cruz told NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour that the film painted trans women “as liars,” while GLAAD deemed it “a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.” While the film received positive reviews in the United States and Europe, I think it’s more important to place the spotlight on how Mexico felt about Emilia Pérez; after all, the majority of the film is set there.
Mexican audiences did not appreciate Emilia Pérez. This is partly due to how the French director of the film, Jacques Audiard, claimed he did not research Mexico in-depth because he already knew enough about it. His lack of research was evident; scenes often leaned on stereotypes and lacked any cultural sensitivity and context. Many were also peeved about the lack of Mexican representation, as Emilia Pérez featured a predominantly non-Mexican cast. In short, Emilia Pérez paints a completely inauthentic picture of Mexico. How can a film that does not do its due diligence in researching its setting win a Golden Globe? How can a film that harms trans representation bag a trophy at such an esteemed awards show? In the big year of 2025?
And now we head over to the most important part of a musical: the music. Wicked‘s “Defying Gravity” went viral and is considered one of the best movie scenes of 2024 by Variety. The song received love online, in part due to the pairing of Erivo and Grande’s voices. But it’s not just “Defying Gravity” that went viral. Many loved Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) as he sang “Dancing Through Life,” which led to the Ozdust scene. “Popular” was also loved, gaining popularity (see what I did there?) even before the film was released when the Wicked team teased the song early.
Meanwhile, the songs on Emilia Pérez did not receive the same fanfare online. In fact, if I hadn’t watched the film, I wouldn’t have even heard a single one; why is no one talking about the music from Emilia Pérez, a movie that is meant to be a musical comedy? The only song I saw online from the film is “La vaginoplastia,” and it’s because people were poking fun at the, er, strange lyrics. The song features Rito Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) meeting with doctors in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss gender-affirming surgery for Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofia Gascón).
With all of this in mind, I can say one thing confidently: Wicked was robbed at the Golden Globes. All I can hope is that they are vindicated at the Oscars in March (though the nominees have yet to be released). Until then, I will be streaming the Wicked soundtrack and counting the days until Wicked: For Good is released.
Published: Jan 7, 2025 02:24 pm