Golden Globes 2009

Here are my predictions/thoughts/opinions for tonight's Golden Globe awards. I haven't gotten around to seeing every movie yet (Frost/Nixon, Doubt, Gran Torino and The Wrestler have still alluded me) but I'll give it a shot anyways. The Golden Globes aren't even that important anyways, and I'll have seen all these films by the superior Oscar awards show.

-
FILM:


Drama:




The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire (winner)

I'll be rooting hard for Slumdog Millionaire (which was SO INCREDIBLE) but I can't see the voters making that gutsy call over these other "serious" pictures. Revolutionary Road was beautiful, but WAY too depressing to win this award. So I'm predicting that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will win tonight. It has everything these safe award shows love... huge, talented stars in a Forrest Gump-like historical journey dealing with mortality and the fragile beauty of life. Button has Best Picture all over it.
My wild-card is Frost/Nixon, which could strike a nerve with the voters who see the parallels between Nixon and our similarly disgraced president, Dubya. They could see it as an important topical picture and it could win as an artistic bookend to the Bush era.


-
Musical or Comedy:




Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (winner)

I'm not really liking any of these nominations. Pineapple Express should of probably been nominated, and Mamma Mia... seriously? Burn After Reading was fun, Happy-Go-Lucky was overrated, and I didn't even bother with In Bruges. So I'm going with Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was a really great, entertaining movie and will rank as one of Woody Allen's best films.


-
Director:




Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire (winner)
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

There are some great directors in this category. Sam Mendes has been one of my favorite directors since American Beauty, and his Revolutionary Road was really great, but I believe it's too depressing for the more traditional voters. I think Danny Boyle should win for his amazing Slumdog Millionaire, but I'm going to predict a win for David Fincher. I just think that his film is perfect for the mainstream Golden Globes, and he did a great job with the epic story and the special effects that made this film so special.


-
Actor in a Drama:




Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (winner)

I think Brad Pitt was great in Button, but he was a little too wooden onscreen. Leonardo DiCaprio was incredible, but I can see some voters being turned off by all the fighting and shouting throughout the film. So I'm going with Mickey Rourke, who is supposedly magnificent in his comeback role. Although his film is not yet playing here and I haven't seen it, it looks fantastic and I predict he'll win... Hollywood loves a happy ending.
My dark horse is Sean Penn, who was fantastic in Milk. His film is so politically important (especially after Prop 8), and I can see Hollywood supporting the gay rights struggle by awarding Penn for his moving, topical performance. However, as we learned from Brokeback Mountain, there is a large contingent of old-Hollywood homophobes, and Milk's in-your-face homosexuality might turn off many traditional voters.


-
Actress in a Drama:




Meryl Streep, Doubt
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road (winner)

I think this years' field is considerably weaker than their male counterparts, and it's a shame that there hasn't been as many great female roles this year. Kate Winslet was amazing, her role floored me and made my heart hurt for her. This award is all Anne Hathaway's though... her portrayal of car-crash fresh out of rehab was magnetic and perhaps the most powerful performance of any actress this decade. And it looks like she's a sure thing, because the Golden Globes website accidentaly leaked that she had won a couple days ago. Here's the screenshot.





-
Actor in a Musical or Comedy:




Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell, In Bruges (winner)
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

James Franco should win this! His performance was really great and funny... he owned that role. I predict this award will go to Dustin Hoffman though... his film looks pretty safe and screams "faux-important performance of an older man ruminating on his life and regrets" and these voters will probably slurp it up.
My dark horse is Javier Bardem, who won awards last year for No Country For Old Men and then did a complete 180 in his intimate performance in this year's Vicky Cristina Barcelona.


-
Actress in a Musical or Comedy:




Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky (winner)
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Rebecca Hall should win this one, her performance was perfect and she held her own with the acting heavyweights who she shared the screen with. I think that Sally Hawkins will win though. I think her sappy, quircky, strangely-optimistic performance will be this year's Juno and these voters won't resist her pseudo-charms.


-
Supporting Actor:




Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight (winner)

This is the easiest acting award of the night... Heath Ledger will win and this will be Hollywood's chance to honor him and his tragic death. His performance was just so incredible too... he will be missed.
And TOM CRUISE? That performance was crap... what a joke!


-
Supporting Actress:




Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader (winner)

This award has to go to Penelope Cruz. She burned up the screen the moment she appeared halfway through the film, and she just basically owned it although her screen time was modest at best. She's dynamite.


-
Animated Film:




Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E (winner)

Wall-E was the best film of the year and should of been nominated for best picture. IF THESE CRAP GOLDEN GLOBES HAD ANY GUTS AT ALL. Hopefully the Oscars get it right. NEXT.


-
Screenplay:




Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire (winner)
David Hare, The Reader
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

I can see this one going to the deserving Slumdog Millionaire. It's screenplay was just so incredible and unique... the way the game show moved the story along was ingenious and the story was just so beautiful and moving. I hope the Golden Globes realize that.


-
Original Score:




Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
James Newton Howard, Defiance
Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire (winner)

M.I.A. was on the Slumdog score, so I'm hoping that Slumdog wins.


-
TELEVISION:

Dramatic Series:




Dexter
House
In Treatment
Mad Men (winner)
True Blood

I've only seen Mad Men, and it's great, so I'm predicting Mad Men. Mad Men is the balls.



-
Musical or Comedy:




Californication
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock (winner)
Weeds

I love The Office, but it's fallen off recently. So I'm going with 30 Rock, which I seriously believe is the funniest sitcom since Seinfeld and just might be the greatest sitcom of all time. 30 Rock will win for sure.


-
Actor in a Drama:




Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment (winner)
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

Jon Hamm will win this. Mad Men is the balls.


-
Actress in a Drama:




Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
January Jones, Mad Men
Anna Paquin, True Blood (winner)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

January Jones for sure. Mad Men is the balls.


-
Actor in Musical or Comedy:




Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (winner)
Steve Carell, The Office
Kevin Connolly, Entourage
David Duchovny, Californication
Tony Shalhoub, Monk

It pains me because I love Steve Carell so much, but Alec Baldwin is SO GREAT in 30 Rock. It's almost incredible. Alec Baldwin will take this.


-
Actress in a Musical or Comedy:




Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (winner)
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Umm, seriously... if Tina Fey doesn't win this, I'll eat my poo. Beep Beep Ribby Ribby!


-
Miniseries or Made for TV Movie:




Cranford
Bernard and Doris
John Adams (winner)
A Raisin in the Sun
Recount

John Adams was so special and moving. It's probably the greatest miniseries ever.


-
Actor Miniseries or Made for TV Movie:




Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
Paul Giammatti, John Adams (winner)
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Keifer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

Paul Giammatti has got this one. John Adams was so awesome.


-
Actress Miniseries or Made for TV Movie:




Judi Dench, Cranford
Laura Linney, John Adams (winner)
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

Laura Linney. John Adams. For seriously.


-
Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Made for TV Movie:




Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Denis Leary, Recount
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Blair Underwood, In Treatment
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams span s(winner)

Tom Wilkinson. Ben Franklin from John Adams. For realsies, no liesies.


-
Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Made for TV Movie:




Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Laura Dern, Recount (winner)
Melissa George, In Treatment
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

What... there's no John Adams nominee in this one? Crap... I'll go with Dianne Wiest. She's pretty great.


UPDATE

I was hoping that Slumdog Millionaire would win all the awards tonight, but I didn't think the Golden Globes had the balls and would instead award a more mainstream film. But, I forgot that the voters who decide the Golden Globes is called the Hollywood Foreign Press. FOREIGN. So I should of seen them awarding a "foreign" film like Slumdog, as well as a lot of foreign actors tonight. I won't make the same mistake next time. But I'm so glad to see Slumdog taking all these awards tonight... hopefully we get some Oscar love now!

I predicted 15 out of 23 though... not too bad.