Golden Globes: why A Star Is Born is not the big winner

Actually, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga had already made ample space in their closet for their new awards. Five nominations, a true box office hit, rave reviews worldwide: that couldn't possibly be missed, could it?

Well, yes. A Star Is Born is unexpectedly a bit of the big loser of the Golden Globes. Not really a loser, of course, but that's undoubtedly how it felt. A bit like the silver medal, that idea. It feels extra painful that you just aren't first. And while they were tipped as a strong contender. But competitor Bohemian Rhapsody took home the big honor and is officially the best film of the year. Plus... It wasn't Gaga, but Glenn Close who won the award for best actress for her role in the film The Wife. And the best actor in a film is Rami Malek, yes, the one who plays Bohemian Rhapsody Freddie Mercury. Ouch.

The only Globe that the Star is Born cast could take home is that of best original song, for Shallow of course. And that's a bit less than they had hoped for. And how is that? Here in the Netherlands, we've all been crying for weeks because that film is so incredibly good, and then this disappointment... Have we been too swept away by Bradley's charms? Oh well, at least we still have Shallow. It's the song that Ally sings for the first time in front of a large audience, encouraged by Jackson (Bradley, haven't you seen it yet? Goodness). Also so beautiful it makes you cry. Well, in our hearts, Gaga and Brad have won a bit, you know.

It even has a name in psychology: ‘the underdog phenomenon’. Women often feel more empathy for ‘the lesser one’ and want this ‘loser’ to win, not that big, tough screamer who has actually already won a bit. It has been researched. The ultimate example: team A plays a match against team B. Team A is the absolute favorite. Who are you for, you are asked. ‘For team B’, answers over 80 percent. That's how things go. We root for the underdogs. All in all, not so crazy that the sneaky underdog of the Globes walks away with the win. A good lesson for all filmmakers: don't try too hard next year. Do a little... Half. A bit pathetic. A bit silly. Suddenly your chance is huge that you still win.