'Hell or High Water' nominated for Golden Globes

A movie filmed in Portales and Clovis was recently nominated for three Golden Globe awards, much to the excitement of those instrumental in their communities' involvement.

"Hell or High Water," starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, received nominations Monday in the categories of best motion picture (drama), best supporting actor (Jeff Bridges) and best screenplay.

Production took place in the summer of 2015 in both Clovis and Portales.

The news didn't come as a surprise for Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry.

"When I saw the movie, I was pretty confident it would get nominated for lots of awards. I think this is just the beginning. I think they'll get some more nominations," he said. "It was just a well-done movie, and it was just kind of cool for Portales to be a part of it, and for us to be able to do that premiere at the Yam (Theatre) was really special."

The production's time in Portales was a test of perseverance for the community, Terry said.

"I think it speaks well for our community, how well we handled the idea of Hollywood coming to town. I think we stepped up, had fun with it, but didn't let it get under our skin," he said. "It's something that can tear a community apart sometimes, but we just took it in stride like Portales does. Hopefully, maybe something like that will come our way again."

For Curry County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ernie Kos, being involved in a movie that garnered three nominations is an honor.

"Three nominations at the Golden Globes is something to celebrate. A lot of people, in the last day or so, have been high-fiving. It just builds community excitement and pride that is also a great injection into the community," she said.

Curry County Film Liaison Nick Mondragon took part in scouting locations for "Hell or High Water," and sees the film as a pivotal point for productions in eastern New Mexico.

"It's actually really exciting, because film has been so big in New Mexico for so many years, and they gave us our first big film with big stars, a bigger distribution, that sort of thing," he said. "We don't get those very often. That usually happens in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and for us to get a film of this caliber, and for it to do so well with critics, and for it to be nominated for a Golden Globe, it's actually very exciting."

He added that the Golden Globes may be foreshadowing even more prestigious honors for the film.

"The Golden Globes are usually the precursor for the Academy Awards, so we're hoping that maybe this film will get recognized by the Oscars. Usually people who get nominated for Golden Globes get nominated - not necessarily all the time - but they get nominated for the Academy Awards," he said.

The 74th Golden Globe Awards will air Jan. 8 on NBC.