Trying to make scents of it all. Nocturnal Animals director Tom Ford’s attempt to butter up the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Golden Globe Award consideration was thwarted by the organization, the Hollywood Reporter says.
According to the outlet, Focus Features, which distributed the film starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, sent two bottles of the designer’s colognes (one for men and one for women) to each HFPA member. While the designer/filmmaker (he also wrote the adapted screenplay) presumably meant well, the gift violates a rule prohibiting members from accepting gifts valued at more than $95.
“The HFPA, which has about 90 members, has had a checkered history when it comes to accepting gifts,” Hollywood Reporter explained in a December 10 story. “In one of the most notorious examples, the group nominated Sharon Stone for 1999’s The Muse after USA Films sent each member a Coach watch worth about $400, which Stone herself reportedly paid for. After the press caught wind of the largesse, the HFPA’s leadership ordered members to return the gift — and Stone may have paid a price, since she didn’t go on to win the best comedy actress trophy.”
Because of the fragrance’s hefty price tag, the organization’s president, Lorenzo Soria, emailed members requesting them to return one bottle to the HFPA, who’ll return them to Focus Features.
“The policy is a little hard to police because you have both retail and discount prices, but we keep an eye on it as much as possible and that was the only clear violation we had this season,” Soria confirmed to THR. He also has a gripe regarding product packaging. “A lot of trees are being cut down unnecessarily,” he continued. “I can also guarantee that nobody knows who sent what. It’s a wasted effort and doesn’t sway our opinions.”
