Golden Globe Predictions

The Globes announce their nominations tomorrow, but it's going to be a busy day, so I have to put these up as soon as possible. It's sure to be one of those years, one in which I see absolutely non of the nominees until the week before the awards ceremonies start. I find that annoying. Last year, I got to see Daniel Day-Lewis win the BFCA, Globe, and SAG Awards before his movie came out in my area. What is the point of limited releases? Why outright tell a certain percentage of the movie-going public that they just won't "get" your movie? It's so irritating.

Anyway.

DRAMA
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
There is always a chance that they nominate a sixth (Revolutionary Road), or even a seventh (Doubt), but I have a feeling these five are the definites. There's the expected winner, the crowd-pleaser, the biopic, the historical drama, and the Clint Eastwood movie. All the elements are in play.

COMEDY/MUSICAL
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
Last Chance Harvey
Mamma Mia!
Tropic Thunder
The first two are beloved by critics, the latter two were money-making crowd-pleasers. I've seen four of these, by the way, so I can vouch for their worthiness. As for that middle slot, it could go anywhere (Cadillac Records, perhaps?), but I have the feeling the pedigree of Last Chance Harvey is enough to earn it a place at the Globes.

ACTOR – DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
And this, I expect, will also be the Oscar lineup. SAG may replace Leo with Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, but the rest I feel safe with this prediction.

ACTRESS – DRAMA
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Keira Knightley, The Duchess
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Keira gets in to add a bit of youth and beauty. I know, I know: Angie, Anne, and Kate, and Meryl's young at heart. Still, I do believe this is sound reasoning, and besides, I had to fill a fifth slot.

ACTOR – COMEDY
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
George Clooney, Burn After Reading
Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man
Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey
Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Slim pickings for this category. George, for all I know, could get it for Leatherheads. He'll be there either way. Javier is a shot in the dark. I'm confident in the rest.

ACTRESS – COMEDY
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey
I say this is it, no doubt. Frances McDormand may get a surprise nod for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,but I doubt it. One of these actresses will, inevitably, be in the Oscar lineup. I say Hawkins.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
Once again, this should be the Oscar lineup, but with Josh Brolin instead of Brad Pitt. They'll want to honor him, but won't give him the slot in Actor, so here he is, giving Brangelina his-and-hers Globe nominations..

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Yeah, that looks pretty convincing.

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Clint Eastwood
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk
It doesn't matter for what film, Eastwood's getting in. They LOVE him. Boyle, Nolan, and Van Sant make up this year's trifecta, I think. As for Demme...well, okay, there's nothing to warrant that, but a man can dream.

SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
They mix adapted and original, so it's anyone's game here. Edge goes to the original screenplays, since there are more of them in play this year. And yes, I am predicting an almost complete shut-out of Benjamin Button, but I don't know why...