We’re really rolling now! Award nominations are flooding in. Yesterday it was the SAGs, today the Golden Globes. Things are shaping up rather nicely for a few movies that you just know are going to be on the big Oscar list, and there may be a couple of noms doled out by the Golden Globes that the SAGs obviously missed (Ryan Gosling), so take that Actors! The Globes are in your face!
Okay, it doesn’t really go down like that, but I can always dream.
Let’s get into it. Are there any stunners? Well, maybe. I have two words for you — Matt LeBlanc.
Best Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse
Best Comedy/Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Best Animated Film
Rango
The Adventures of Tintin
Puss in Boots
Winnie the Pooh
Arthur Christmas
Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Best Actor in a Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Best Supporting Actor?
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Best Director?
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants
Steve Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis, Moneyball
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Best TV Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Best TV Comedy or Musical
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail
Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie?
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce
Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness
Let’s Get Our Analysis On, Shall We?
The Help. I wasn’t worried so much about it with regard to the SAGs, because yawr, it seems like something Actors would love, and it does showcase some winning performances. Viola Davis is literally to die for, but you guys know that. However, despite the controversy about the book and its origins, this does seem a bit of a knee-jerk addition into the award field. The critics mostly said the movie was just meh, so why is it in Best Picture contention? I’m thinking it’s this year’s “Did You See” movie, meaning that most every year there’s a movie that generates the coffee klatch, yoga group, Sister-in-Law DVD gift film that everyone, just everyone OMG! has got to see. So it doesn’t matter if the film is a great film, it’s almost grandfathered into the award season strictly based on the fact that everyone’s cousin, even the one in Witchita, saw this particular movie. Last year I’m naming the horrible, Black Swan as the “Did You See” movie of 2010. I’d like my eleven dollars back retro actively, please.
In the Best Actor/Best Actress categories, I’m happy to see Ryan Gosling nominated not once but twice here. He probably doesn’t have a shot in the Best Actor category going up against a Clooney/Pitt/DiCaprio trifecta, but it’s good to have the recognition, right? Right. Pats on the back aside, this will probably be Pitt’s or DiCaprio’s year. Not because either are able to truly transport themselves out of their respective characters, and get lost in the acting until they reach that place where you don’t see the wires, but well, because it’s time. Neither has the Oscar, both have been chasing it since the mid nineties, and there are times when the Foreign Press or the Academy just gives these things out partly because of the current year’s performance, and partly for a complete body of work. See Denzel Washington’s 2002 Best Actor win for Malcom X Training Day (Oh, the snubbing this man suffered up until that point!)This will probably be one of those years for Pitt-DiCaprio.
Other good things — it’s nice to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the list of nominees, and Jonah Hill is still hanging on. The inclusion of Michael Fassbender proves the Foreign Press isn’t a bunch of prudes like all those old Actors living on the prairie farm! Golden Globes – SAG Fight! Fight! Fight! No? Okay, nevermind. The perennial ambassadors, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, and Kate Winslet are pretty much showing Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, and Kristen Wiig where the powder rooms are, but sadly Melissa McCarthy won’t be there to tell Kristen that she has her dress tucked into her pantyhose. That’s a bummer, because McCarthy pretty much stole every scene in Bridesmaids and made gentle love to it. Get off of teevee, Melissa! Do more movies soon! You’ve got to constantly feed the Academy and Hollywood Foreign Press once that iron is red hot, gworl!
That brings us to television, and oh, boy there’s some interesting stuff here!
Well, now I can’t boast that I’ve watched more than a couple episodes of American Horror Story since it conflicts with Revenge, and really, who’s missing that — I’m glad to see risqué, creeptastic horror has gotten some recognition. From what we’ve seen, Jessica Lange’s character scares the poop out of everyone on the show, and us schmoes at home, so she’s been nominated here, rightfully so. Boardwalk Empire has just shot itself in the foot by killing off Michael Pitt’s character — yeah, I said it, so good luck with the nomination. Game of Thrones and Homeland are both solid choices, many of you will be happy about the latter. And now for Boss — this is a fantastic show, so now I feel like there’s a Sophie’s Choice thing happening. I love both Boss and Game of Thrones equally. How could I choose? CAN’T I SAVE THEM BOTH! Urgh. Anyway, that Enlightened show is a strange one, and Laura Dern’s character makes me want to call Human Resources. I’d like to punch Glee in the face at this point, Modern Family will probably win again, and New Girl isn’t much without Zooey Deschanel, so there’s that. They’re also being nice to that show Joey, that’s now named Episodes.
Lastly, about those TV nominees — could this whole airplane debacle stop Alec Baldwin from looking at David Duchovny like he’s Kenneth with his wang out, probably not. He’ll likely still win, but it’s good that they’ve included a variety of dudes in this category, from finally letting Johnny Galecki’s “Leonard” take The Big Bang Theory back from the android Jim Parson’s built, to someone from Friends whose name isn’t Aniston being mentioned for their acting — these are nice things. Even though Matt LeBlanc is probably looking at Zooey Deschanel and saying “How You Doin?” to which Deschanel, flustered, naturally, sings about cotton and shoes, and then trips over a unicorn and lands in Peter Dinklage’s lap. This will absolutely happen during the telecast. Should be fun times there at the Golden Globe’s wonderfully placed table and chair set-up that always seems so tight and needlessly intrusive! Regardless, I fully expect Revenge‘s Madeleine Stowe to give us witchy eyebrow, The Killing‘s Mireille Enos to chew gum while looking pensive, and Homeland‘s Claire Danes to do that incredulous thing she does with her face, while random newcomer Callie Thorne from USA’s Necessary Roughness (This is a show?), just says, “I’m so happy to be here! Squeeee!”
So what do you think? Any snubs? Can we hope for a Michael Fassbender and Ryan Gosling strip-off for the Best Actor in a Drama category? No. Okay. I had to ask. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
