Like most awards shows, the Golden Globes are a highly contested event in my house. Usually, I am thrilled about any awards show and want to have a mini-party with my husband, the cats, and the dog. My husband, on the other hand, tends to fall on the “I can’t stand this five hour long self-congratulatory crock of hooey” side of the fence. Inevitably, I become bored about three presentations in, and we are left with a bunch of party foods to snack on for the remainder of the week. This particular year was fraught with controversy over the Golden Globes. The second the nominations were announced, I “saved the date” in my calendar. However, a few weeks later, my husband scheduled a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons that same night. Neither one of us would give in and the house was tense for several hours. Then, I realized that the double Gs start early here on the West Coast; allowing time for both geeky endeavors. Phew.
Excited that I would still be able to celebrate the award show vicariously through the celebrities I saw on the boob tube, I went about creating a few menu options. I came up with buffalo wings, pigs in a blanket, devils on horseback, and basically any other snack idea with an animal in the name. Hey, don’t all the fancy party planners tell you to stick with a theme?
As I looked through the list of nominations, I realized that I haven’t seen the majority of the titles. Sure, that is a bit problematic in trying to predict the winners, but here goes nothing. And for the record, I wouldn’t bet money on my selections.
And the Golden Globe Nominations Are…. (my picks are in bold and underlined, because one just wasn’t enough).
Best Motion Picture- Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
** If the commercials are correct, this film has won every award known to man. Is there any reason for it to stop now?
Best Performance by an 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
**I think Portman will probably take this statue home. Black Swan is, coincidentally, the only film I have seen in this category. However, the woman grew feathers and put in freaky contacts– doesn’t that usually mean she should win an award?
Best Performance by an 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
**Period piece + overcoming a physical/mental issue + any war = award (right?). I am pretty sure Colin Firth has this one—and he probably deserves it (hey, the film is in my queue, ok?). I probably wouldn’t be upset if long shot James Franco took this category, as I would guess that a good chunk of 127 Hours is just him acting by himself (I am pretty sure he didn’t even have a Wilson like Tom Hanks did).
Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids are All Right
Red
The Tourist
**I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see both Burlesque and The Tourist on this list (with Rotten Tomatoes ratings of 37% and 20% respectively). I mean these are movies that even I didn’t put on my queue—and I just added My Best Friend is a Vampire to it the other day.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Annette Benning- The Kids are All Right
Anne Hathaway- Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie- The Tourist
Julianne Moore- The Kids are All Right
Emma Stone- Easy A
**I’m going out on a limb here and pick Annette Benning. Yes, I realize this is risky because Julianne Moore is nominated for the same film and this may split the vote, but I like to live life on the wild side (do do-do, do do do-do, I said, “Hey child, take a walk on the wild side”).
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp- Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp- The Tourist
Paul Giamatti- Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal- Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey- Casino Jack
**Can I take a “pass” on this category? No? Then I guess I will just choose the Mad Hatter—but not because I want to, but because I really don’t have much of a choice.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams- The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter- The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis- The Black Swan
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
Jacki Weaver- Animal Kingdom
**I am fairly certain Mila Kunis won’t win this one (most likely it will be Adams or Bonham Carter), but I just want to hear Meg Griffin give an acceptance speech.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 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
**I am going to go out on a limb here and pick Andrew Garfield because I, too, hate Mondays and love lasagna.
Best Animated Feature Film
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
**Man, I really don’t see what many people saw in Despicable Me. Personally, I think this category comes down to How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3. But, because Dragon has my cat in it, I will throw my lot with that film. Go Moody…er Toothless!
Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
The Concert
The Edge
I am Love
In a Better World
**I don’t know much about this film, but I do know that Javier Bardem is in it. This usually means the critics will love it. Also, sometimes it’s nice to have a one word title—like Cher.
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
**Yes, I still haven’t seen Inception, but I hear it’s cool (and I know all about the ending by now, so I guess people were not so good about the “spoiler alerts”). Whatevs. I chose Nolan because from the trailers, it appears that this film has a decent amount of stylized effects and it looked pretty.
Best Screenplay- Motion Picture
127 Hours
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
**Did you not read my review of Studio 60? Of course I will choose the screenplay that Sorkin wrote in this category.
Best Original Score- Motion Picture
The King’s Speech
Alice in Wonderland
127 Hours
The Social Network
Inception
**127 Hours. Just ‘cuz.
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 Last Dawn Treader
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”- Burlesque
**Let’s be clear here. Unless it is the mouse singing the song in Chronicles of Narnia, I won’t vote for it. Apparently I am biased against Burlesque, and just don’t like the title of the movie: Country Strong. And the winner is: Tangled!
INTERMISSION
Man, this was a lot more fun when I started writing this. Now it is beginning to wear on me and suck my will to live. Someone better wear a risqué outfit Sunday (any bets on whether it will be Cher or Steve Buscemi?) to keep my attention during the broadcast. OK, I am going to take a deep breath and finish this puppy.
(*lights flicker on and off to indicate to the audience that they should return to their seats*)
Best Television Series- Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
**Wouldn’t it be sweet for a zombie show to win this? Braaaains. Hmmm, maybe that could be on the appetizer menu.
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Drama
Juliana Marguiles- The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss- Mad Men
Piper Perabo- Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal- Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedwick- The Closer
**I have doubts if she will actually win this, but I would like to see Sagal take home the prize.
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Drama
Steve Buscemi- Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston- Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall- Dexter
Jon Hamm- Mad Men
Hugh Laurie- House
**Everybody is talking about Boardwalk Empire. I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD so I can talk about it too (I’m a little behind the times). Although I’m predicting Buscemi to win, I absolutely love Cranston and Hall in their roles and wouldn’t be upset if they grabbed the statue.
Best TV Series- Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
**There was a time where I would have been rooting for Glee, but that time has passed. I am kind of over that show because it doesn’t have the same feel as the first season (mostly I hate how everything is basically wrapped up in a neat bow at the end of each episode). There was also a time when I would have had my Flash t-shirt on and my Big Bang Theory banner flying high. But alas, Modern Family makes me laugh quite a bit more than most shows on TV (with the exception of Raising Hope), so I predict a win for them.
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series- Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette- United States of Tara
Edie Falco- Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey- 30 Rock
Laura Linney- The Big C
Lea Michele- Glee
**Multiple personalities always make good TV, right?
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series- Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin- 30 Rock
Steve Carell- The Office
Thomas Jane- Hung
Matthew Morrison- Glee
Jim Parsons- The Big Bang Theory
**This year is his last year on The Office. I am sure that sentimentality will sway voters.
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
Carlos
The Pacific
Pillars of the Earth
Temple Grandin
You Don’t Know Jack
**The Pacific is on my queue and comes highly recommended. I loved Pillars of the Earth (review to come in the upcoming days), but awards shows tend to have a thing about ole WWII (pronounced “doubba-ya, doubba-ya two”).
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
Hayley Atwell- Pillars of the Earth
Claire Danes- Temple Grandin
Judi Dench- Return to Cranford
Romola Garai- Emma
Jennifer Love Hewitt- The Client List
**Danes won the Emmy for her role in this film, so she may be the front runner in this category.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
Idris Elba- Luther
Ian McShane- Pillars of the Earth
Al Pacino- You Don’t Know Jack
Dennis Quaid- The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez- Carlos
**McShane was creepy and manipulative in his role as the Bishop. Bishop takes knight? Or is it Bishop takes Globe? Sorry, that was a bad one. The enormity of this list is wearing on me.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Roll in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture made for TV
Hope Davis- The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch- Glee
Kelly MacDonald- Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles- Dexter
Sofia Vergara- Modern Family
**Although fan favorites don’t always earn critical acclaim, Lynch won the Emmy last year and may just win on Sunday as well.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Roll in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture made for TV
Scott Caan- Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer- Glee
Chris Noth- The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet- Modern Family
David Strathairn- Temple Grandin
**I really wanted to pick Chris Colfer for this category as he is awesome in Glee. However, Stonestreet cracked me the frick up on Wednesday. Since I have a short memory, I will place my allegiance squarely in his corner.
Yay! I made it through the list. Wish me luck on making it through the ceremony Sunday night!
Have an amazing weekend! 
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