Now we get to the good stuff. Not that we don’t appreciate the SAG awards and the back-patting that goes on with regard to the “It means so much because this was awarded by my peers” notion, but the Golden Globes is where we may see some nominees pull away from the pack. We also get a more nuanced view of the field as it stands. And while there are still some non-surprises, at least we feel they’re starting to get what we were saying yesterday about Modern Family, as well as making up for some of SAG’s baffling snubs — but not the one regarding Game of Thrones!
We found out late yesterday that perhaps SAG didn’t receive Django Unchained screeners on time (Thanks for the Intel, HV!) so that may be the reason why it seemed there was a huge snub with regard to the entire movie gaining no noms. No so with the Globes. It landed on the Best Motion Picture, Drama list with a few others that are ripe for contention, Life of Pi, Moonrise Kingdom, and smallish film, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. However, using our totally unscientific barometer, we’re still going to say that Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty are the ones to beat.
Will this also be the year for comeback kid, Ben Affleck to finally grab some gold for his directing efforts? Could be. He really has a good chance. We’re rooting for him. Yet, he’s up against some stiff competition with Lincoln’s Steven Spielberg and Zero Dark Thirty’s Kathryn Bigelow serving as front runners. Lincoln also boasts individual noms for heavy-hitters Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones, which could be hard to overlook. For his part, grumbling, grouchy, wanton award shit-stirrer, Joaquin Phoenix, who was snubbed by SAG, is nominated for Best Actor for his unhinged portrayal in The Master. We wonder if that guy will show up, sheepishly, or defensively, or with food in his beard. We’re betting on a combination of the second and third option. If he wins, be prepared for an odd speech about the soulless nature of the entertainment industry as he gets played off by the Golden Globe orchestra and booed by Tom Hanks.
This year in television there were indeed a couple surprises. For the Best TV Series, Comedy noms, we’re putting Showtime’s Episodes and NBC’s Smash in that category. Episodes, because it still seems like such a junior show. Sure it’s quirky and sly with its “Guy playing himself playing a caricature of himself” thing, but we didn’t think it was sensational enough to get a nom here. And Smash. Oh, Smash. There were so many foibles and flaws with this show last season! There was a palpable “workshopping” feel to it that dragged on and on, and don’t get us started on it giving birth to the most annoying character on television, that smarmy jackass, Ellis. With every episode we wondered where the hell it was going, but okay, we guess — song and dance, jazz pizazz, or whatever. Maybe it’s just the idea of Broadway on Teevee that’s giving it some traction after such a bumbling start.
On the drama side, it’s interesting that controversial show, The Newsroom, made it. There is so much division out there on whether the show is brilliant or hackneyed or just plain irritating, that we’re a little surprised to see it on the list. And no noms for Game of Thrones or, and this makes us a little sad, The Walking Dead. The latter of which stepped its game up considerably turning it into the show we’ve wanted from the very first episode! No easy feat. It’s also the best rated cable drama and finally managed to embrace the line between drama and horror brilliantly — better than American Horror Story which saw just the one nom for Jessica Lange.
We’re also glad that the Globes didn’t make the same mistake in not nominating the fantastic Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zooey Deschanel, and Lena Dunham. This field looks the way it ought to. And they’ve finally been able to reduce that damnable Modern Family list down to Sofia Vergara and Eric Stonestreet, even though we’re still baffled by Vergara (are they still making her scream, grunt, pout, and laugh hysterically in an almost monosyllabic way? Or are we the only ones who see this?) Community and Happy Endings and their excellent casts (Chevy Chase not included) still remain locked out, sigh. But at least Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting on Jan. 13.
Here’s the list of nominees. Tell us your reaction including any snubs in the comments!
Best Motion Picture, Comedy
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Motion Picture, Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director, Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judy Dench, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour (Austria)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
The Intouchables (France)
Kon-Tiki (Norway/UK/Demark)
Rust and Bone (France)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Best TV Series, Comedy
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash
Best TV Series, Drama
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom
Best TV Movie or Miniseries
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfields and McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals
Best Performance by an actress in a TV series, Drama
Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Louis C.K., Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrleson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Best Animated Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-it Ralph
Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)
Lincoln (Tony Kushner)
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Argo (Chris Terrio)
Best Score for a Motion Picture
Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Argo (Alexandre Desplat)
Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil)
Lincoln (John Williams)
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
"For You" – Act of Valor
"Not Running Anymore" – Stand Up Guys
"Safe & Sound" – The Hunger Games
"Skyfall" – Skyfall
"Suddenly" – Les Miserables
