Golden Globes 2010

Golden Globes 2010

The Golden Globes kick off the movie awards season, so they are noteworthy only because most of the major players turn out to be repeats, and there are so many categories that the awards actually tend to be given out at a reasonable pace. Ricky Gervais is hosting and it will certainly be an entertaining three hours of television.

That said, I haven’t gotten the chance to see many of the year’s biggest pictures. Case in point, I missed: “Up,” “Up In the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Lovely Bones,” “An Education,” “A Single Man” and probably more that will rightfully get noticed.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: I saw only “Basterds” and “Avatar,” and am not rooting for either. I think “Hurt Locker” is a frontrunner.
• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker: Probable
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA:I missed every single one of these performances and the movies that go with them.
• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education: Probable
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: Again, I didn’t see a single one of these.
• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man: Probable
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers
BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Strangely, I’ve seen all but “It’s Complicated,” which I plan on seeing soon. I had a lighthearted year.
• (500) Days of Summer: Preferable?
• The Hangover: Probable
• It's Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: A weird category. Streep may be hurt by the double nomination. Cotillard returned to form after the lackluster “Public Enemies” and gave an impossibly good performance in a flawed movie.
• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine: Preferable
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia: Probable
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: This was a great year for classic Hollywood leading men in very unexpected parts. George Clooney belongs here, not on the “Drama” side.
• Matt Damon, The Informant!: Probable
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer: Preferable
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: No contest. Pixar always wins. A great set of nominees.
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: Preferable
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up: Probable
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: I haven’t heard much American buzz about any of these, but it is the Hollywood Foreign Press.
• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)
• The White Ribbon (Germany): Possible?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: the “Up in the Air” ladies will split the vote. Mo’Nique has the sort of balls to the wall, disgustingly go for broke performance that generally wins things.
• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique, Precious: Probable
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: it will be most disappointing if Waltz loses because of the insanity of the movie—his performance was quite refined; elegant, in a way.
• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger: Probable
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST DIRECTOR: Here it’s a toss-up between Bigelow, whose movie has gotten nothing but good press, and Cameron, who worked tirelessly for years to get “Avatar’s” technical achievements perfect.
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar: Probable
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
BEST SCREENPLAY: Maybe here is where “District 9” is appeased?
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9: Probable
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: the “Up” score was brilliantly expressive, and hopefully Giacchino will be recognized as the best composer of the year, also creating a strong hook for “Star Trek” last spring.
• Michael Giacchino, Up: Probable and very preferable
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: I hope no one wins.
• "Cinema Italiano," Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine)
• "I Want to Come Home," Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney (Everybody's Fine)
• "I Will See You," Music by James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell (Avatar)
• "The Weary Kind," Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)
• "Winter," Music by U2; Lyrics by Bono (Brothers)
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Mad Men had an incredible season, while the other four shows coasted.
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• Mad Men: Preferable and Probable
• True Blood
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Sedgwick and Jones, the two seeming shoo-ins, did not thrill this year.
• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men: Probable
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men: Probable
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Here there is possibility a surprise. “Glee” was the smash hit of the season. “30 Rock” is being judged for a poor season while a superior one airs, and “Modern Family” must have been nominated for a reason, right? Meanwhile, “Entourage” is approaching self-parody, and “The Office” had a series of bumpy episodes in a lukewarm season.
• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Glee: Possible
• Modern Family: Preferable
• The Office
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Tina Fey’s popularity, while not waning, is hardly rising after the Palin afterglow has worn off. Collette won the Emmy but the enthusiasm about her show has not sustained.
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara: Probable
• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock: Preferable
• Lea Michele, Glee
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: “30 Rock” may be losing some steam, but Baldwin seems to be the last remaining solid double the series has.
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock: Preferable and Probable
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee
BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: “Grey Gardens” got a lot of attention when it premiered. Pay attention. It’s good for you.
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Grey Gardens: Probable
• Into the Storm
• Little Dorrit
• Taking Chance
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: It’s difficult to tell because I haven’t seen a single one.
• Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keefe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler: Possible?
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: I wouldn’t know.
• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiewetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm: Possible?
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O'Keefe
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: Jane Lynch was the breakout star of “Glee,” which featured otherwise bland (and sometimes bad) casting choices.
• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee: Preferable and Probable
• Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
• Chloë Sevigny, Big Love
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: NPH has been ignored for so long it seems silly to predict he’ll get any love now.
• Michael Emerson, Lost: Probable?
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother: Preferable
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Granted, this list is flawed. I have “Avatar” all but shut out, and “30 Rock” as well. But that said, the Golden Globes exist only to set our watches to the town clock and feel what the people that matter seem to be feeling.