2011 Golden Globes Predictions

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kings Speech
The Social Network

It has to be Black Swan. I get all of the other nominations but this movie was so perfect, from the script to the score to the direction to the acting. Everything came together to create a truly remarkable movie-going experience: a fever dream of tension and sexuality and insecurity and obsession. I would actually say it’s one of my favorites of the last several years.


Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

The Kids Are All Right. Everything else in this category looks like filler.

Best Director - Motion Picture

Darren Aronofsky
Black Swan
David Fincher
The Social Network
Tom Hooper
The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan
Inception
David O. Russell
The Fighter

It’s going to be either Darren Aronofksy or Christopher Nolan. Both of these directors delivered pictures that were not only intensely cerebral but also stunningly visual. That takes skill. I think I personally preferred Black Swan because it had a much stronger emotional resonance to me, and I do think it has a slightly better chance for just that reason, but I wouldn’t begrudge an Inception win.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jesse Eisenberg
The Social Network
Colin Firth
The King's Speech
James Franco
127 Hours
Ryan Gosling
Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg
The Fighter

Oh Jesse Eisenberg, you were so good. And James Franco, you were so good and also so damn attractive. But it’s either going to be Ryan Gosling or Colin Firth. And I would put my money on Firth because I think Gosling needs a few more truly solid performances under his belt before critics and movie snobs will forgive him for The Notebook.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Halle Berry
Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman
Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence
Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman
Black Swan
Michelle Williams
Blue Valentine

This is a really tough call. Other than Halle Berry I think they all have real shot. I think I would have to eliminate Nicole Kidman, but only because the other performances were so incredibly strong. I personally am torn between Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman. Portman’s unforgettable performance seems like a logical culmination of an impressive career whereas Lawrence came out of left-field, and at such a young age, to truly inhabit such a fully realized character. And I’m not sure which of those I prefer.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy

Johnny Depp
Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp
The Tourist
Paul Giamatti
Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal
Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey
Casino Jack

I say meh to all of these.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Anne Hathaway
Love and Other Drugs
Julianne Moore
The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening
The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone
Easy A
Angelina Jolie
The Tourist

I love that Emma Stone was even nominated, but I don’t she think she any sort of chance. Even if the two ladies from The Kids Are All Right split that movie’s fans it will only go to either Angelina Jolie or Anne Hathaway. But a gal can dream…

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale
The Fighter
Michael Douglas
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield
The Social Network
Jeremy Renner
The Town
Geoffrey Rush
The King's Speech

Based on the buzz it could only be Christian Bale or Geoffrey Rush. And what the hell is Michael Douglas doing here? Oh yeah, he had cancer for a minute.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams
The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter
The King's Speech
Mila Kunis
Black Swan
Melissa Leo
The Fighter
Jacki Weaver
Animal Kingdom

I’ve heard so much talk about Melissa Leo in The Fighter. I’m a huge Amy Adams fan, plus the critics have only said great things about her performance. Mila Kunis was great, but her character was primarily there to act as an opposite of Natalie Portman. To me that takes away from the character and also the performance. But she has certainly shed her Jackie Burkhart persona, so kudos to her character for that!

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

127 Hours
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Inception

The Social Network. Everything in this category was fantastic, but the tight dialogue (as well as Jesse Eisenberg’s revelatory performance) is why we all still talk about this movie.

Best Animated Feature Film

Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Tangled

Toy Story 3. Anyone who says they didn’t cry at the end of the movie is a filthy liar. Plus it’s Pixar. Everyone loves Pixar. However, I do think How to Train Your Dragon is the dark horse in this category.

Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful
The Concert
The Edge
I Am Love
In a Better World

I’m absolutely terrible about catching foreign films in the theatre. I’m pretty finicky about what movies I’ll drop ten bucks on and I do tend to go for flash and bang of something big. I’ll defer guessing on this one.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Bound to You
Burlesque
Coming Home
Country Strong
I See the Light
Tangled
There's a Place for Us
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
You Haven't Seen the Last of Me
Burlesque

Having never seen any of the movies, and that is only a fact because Burlesque has not yet come to the Brew and View, my critique is based solely on out-of-context listening via You Tube. And based on that criteria I have to pull for “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” based solely on it being the least bull-shitty of the songs. And if the Burlesque vote is split then I guess I prefer the one from Tangled. I didn’t loathe that one either.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Alexandre Desplot
The King's Speech
Danny Elfman
Alice in Wonderland
A.R. Rahmin
127 Hours
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
The Social Network
Hans Zimmer
Inception

I am never good at judging the score. I very rarely even remember the music from a movie. As much as I love music I am a lyrics kinda gal so scores just tend to blend into the background. (Some would argue that is what a good score should do.) I always love Danny Elfman, but since I kind of sort of seem to remember the music in both The Social Network and Inception I’m going to put my money on one of those.

Best Television Series, Drama

Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead

Please be The Walking Dead. Please be The Walking Dead. For the love of Jeebus, please be The Walking Dead. Do I really think so? Not really. I think it’s going to be The Good Wife. People like to talk about how great Boardwalk Empire is but that’s just because they don’t want to admit how boring it is to their other high-faluting friends.

Best Televison Series, Comedy or Musical

30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie

This is a really tight race and I think there a weird chance of the more populist voters splitting their votes between The Big Bang Theory, Glee and Modern Family. If that happens the statuette has to go to The Big C with Nurse Jackie as the real dark horse. But the question is why the fuck wasn’t Community nominated?!?! Or, at the bare minimum, Parks and Recreation?

Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Steve Buscemi
Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston
Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall
Dexter
Jon Hamm
Mad Men
Hugh Laurie
House

Bryan Cranston has been on a real streak lately so even though I want him to win it is probably someone else’s turn. And the fact that last season of Breaking Bad belonged to Jesse means I think his odds are slim. Steve Buscemi is the new one in a field of former winners so my money is on him.

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Julianna Margulies
The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss
Mad Men
Piper Perabo
Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal
Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick
The Closer

I don’t watch any of these shows regularly, unless having The Closer playing in the background while I write counts, so I can only guess based on the buzz I’ve read on these here intertubes. I’ve seen several episodes of The Good Wife and thought Julianna Margulies was pretty fantastic. But I’ve heard a lot of critics talking about Covert Affairs. I can’t seem to remember either what they said about it or if they even mentioned Ms. Perabo but I am confident they talked about the show. What all of this information has to say about who is going to win? Your guess is as good as mine. Next year though, Kyra Sedgwick is going to win for the last season of The Closer.

Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Alec Baldwin
30 Rock
Steve Carell
The Office
Thomas Jane
Hung
Matthew Morrison
Glee
Jim Parsons
Big Bang Theory

Everyone is in total lurve with The Big Bang Theory so Jim Parsons has some excellent odds. I’m undecided on what Steve Carell’s chances are; much I feel about Kyra Sedgwick, I’m convinced that next year when he gets nominated for his final season on The Office he will definitely win but this year may not be his. I personally adore Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock so I’m pulling for him but I’m not actually convinced he’ll really win. So let’s go for Tom Jane. He just wants his kids back!

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hope Davis
Special Relationship
Jane Lynch
Glee
Kelly McDonald
Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles
Dexter
Sofia Vergara
Modern Family

This has to be Jane Lynch. Hollywood is in total lurve with her right now.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Scott Caan
Hawaii Five-0
Chris Noth
The Good Wife
David Straithairn
Temple Grandin
Eric Stonestreet
Modern Family
Chris Colfer
Glee

I’ve already given myself away as a pretty serious Sex and the City fan, the last movie notwithstanding, plus I don’t really watch any of these shows so I don’t have a vested interest in any of these shows or nominees. Because I don’t care I will just arbitrarily throw my vote in for Mr. Big.

Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Toni Collette
United States of Tara
Edie Falco
Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey
30 Rock
Laura Linney
The Big C
Lea Michelle
Glee

I’m personally pulling for Tina Fey because she can do no wrong, but my money is on Toni Collette or Laura Linney. Why? Because that’s what I hear.

Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

The Pacific
Carlos
Temple Grandin
You Don't Know Jack
The Pillars of the Earth

I never really watch the miniseries specials. But the critics were all going apeshit over The Pacific, and since that and You Don’t Know Jack are the only ones I’ve even heard of, I’m going to have to go with the epic retelling of the lesser televised front of World War II.

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Dennis Quaid
The Special Relationship
Ian McShane
The Pillars of the Earth
ɤgar Ram
Carlos
Al Pacino
You Don't Know Jack
Idris Elba
Luther

I am such a huge fan of The Wire that I can only root for Idris Elba. Stringer Bell in 2012! He’ll put Palin in her place.

Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

Claire Danes
Temple Grandin
Hayley Atwell
The Pillars of the Earth
Jennifer Love Hewitt
The Client List
Judi Dench
Return to Cranford
Romola Gara
Emma

Another category I have real knowledge of, so I’m going to root for Claire Danes just because I still love My So-Called Life.