Another campaign season got underway on Monday night.
“We’re the Iowa Caucuses of the film awards season,” said Jeffrey Sharp, the executive director of the Independent Filmmaker Project, which hosted the Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street.
“This is the kickoff of awards season, and it is a marathon,” said Aldis Hodge, a best actor nominee for “Clemency.” “You have to sleep. If you’re too tired, you’re not going to get through it.”
Alfre Woodard, his co-star, added: “They have taken my sleep away from me. I’ve had nine round trips to New York and the U.K. in two months. I get on the plane and I slather up in moisturizer and I drink tons of water, and make people get up so I can go to the loo.”
Inside the marble-columned room, Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Constance Wu, Djimon Hounsou, Jason Sudeikis, Jim Gaffigan, Julia Stiles, Natasha Lyonne, Greta Gerwig, Vera Farmiga, Beanie Feldstein and Will Ferrell mingled like they were at a Hollywood high school reunion.
There were some newbies in the mix. “This is my first experience being thrust into awards season and I am still confused by it all,” said Olivia Wilde, who was nominated for breakthrough director for “Booksmart.” “In terms of the workings of the politics, it’s a fascinating world of which I understand very little.”
Over a meal of braised short ribs, Laura Dern, Sam Rockwell, Ava DuVernay and Glen Basner received lifetime honors. In the competitive categories, “Marriage Story” took four wins including best feature; Adam Driver for best actor, and Noah Baumbach for best director.
The two-hour show ran only 20 minutes late, which probably itself deserves an award. “We’re almost out of this,” said Daveed Diggs at about 10 p.m., as he presented the award for best actress.
In a minor upset, it went to Awkwafina, star of “The Farewell,” besting Elisabeth Moss, Mary Kay Place and Ms. Woodard.
“I never won anything,” Awkwafina said, clutching her brick-shaped award. “I can’t even win an argument in the Instagram comments.”
Mrs. Maisel’s Shindig
Amazon is known for its grueling warehouse jobs; a gig platform that pays poverty-level wages; and paying no federal taxes. But it sure can host a party!
Following a pink-carpet premiere at the Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Amazon transformed the Plaza’s lobby into the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, where much of the third season’s action takes place.
Many guests donned ’50s-inspired fashion as a band performed period hits like “Mack the Knife” and “Mambo Italiano,” and servers carved slices of roast suckling pig.
Rachel Brosnahan, the titular star, glittered in a double-breasted metallic pantsuit by Christian Siriano. But she did not grant interviews with print outlets.
So it fell to her co-stars to talk about how they reconcile Amazon’s business practices with churning out a hit show for its studio. Or not.
Jane Lynch said: “They’re my boss, so I have to decline on that.”
Tony Shalhoub played it cool: “I’m not really familiar with that.”
Marin Hinkle was more willing to engage. “Every job that I’ve ever had has had complications,” she said. “I can only hope that those on top are hearing what the criticisms are and taking them seriously.”
So was Alex Borstein. “It’s hard for me to imagine on a daily basis that this giant conglomerate is our boss,” she said. “I also am a consumer of Amazon, so of course I’d love for people to be treated well, and paid fairly.”
Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show’s creator, walked the carpet in a tomato-red ensemble by the Row, topped with a pink Borsalino fedora. “Corporations are corporations,” she said. “They’re big; they’re strong; they do good things; there’s problems. Frankly, the TV entertainment part is nothing to do with the other stuff, so we don’t even run up against it.”
Would she like Amazon to do better by its employees?
“I would like everybody to have a lovely work environment and to be safe and happy and healthy,” Ms. Sherman-Palladino added. “So I’ll be there with a sandwich, and if they need some help, I’ll lift a box. I’m good for that.”
