Golden Globe Predictions

By our guest blogger, Spencer Morton

Note: The Golden Globe air Sunday night on NBC. Our guest blogger, Spencer Morton, gives us his predictions for who will win in the film categories. Do you agree or disagree with him? Will "Inglourious Basterds" really win over "The Hurt Locker" or "Avatar"? And what about Morton's prediction for Best Actress--Bullock? Really? And is Woody Harrelson a sleeper for "The Messenger"?  Or is he the front-runner?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. The races are heating up, so let the discussion follow suit.

--Christopher


Best Picture – Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based On the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up in the Air

This is a fairly close race. “Up in the Air” is the only one which doesn’t really jump out to me as a major contender. “The Hurt Locker” was released a while back and may be losing some steam. Voters may steer away from “Avatar” because of its supposed lack of story. “Precious” and “Basterds” seem primed to take the Globe.

Best Actress – Drama
Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Helen Mirren – The Last Station
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Bullock will win this. She’s been raking in the awards so far. Why stop now? Her performance was pretty stellar in a less than stellar movie. Sidibe could give her a run, but it’s unlikely. The other three don’t pose too much of a threat. Their films were widely praised, but not widely seen. Then again, Kate Winslet won the Oscar last year for “The Reader” and only three people saw that film.

Best Actor – Drama
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
George Clooney – Up in the Air
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Morgan Freeman – Invictus
Tobey Maguire – Brothers

Jeff Bridges finally cashes in on some Globe love. He’s had an immense career and has never been rewarded with a Globe or an Oscar. This is his year. Clooney comes in a close second.

Best Picture – Musical/Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

“Nine” and “It’s Complicated” are out. Neither received the critical acclaim they were hoping for. It’s between the other three. If the voters were males, ages 20-30, “The Hangover would win in a heartbeat. That’s not the case, but that’s going to be my pick anyways. As opposed to the other two, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like “The Hangover.” Risky pick, though.

Best Actress – Musical/Comedy
Sandra Bullock – The Proposal
Marion Cotillard – Nine
Julia Roberts – Duplicity
Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

This seems like a lock. Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia.” Next?

Best Actor – Musical/Comedy
Matt Damon – The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis – Nine
Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man

This may be the most competitive category on the film side. All the actors really immersed themselves in their respective roles. Downey Jr. is probably the first to be eliminated because his performance may be seen as hokey or over-acted. Plus, a lot of people really hated the film. Stuhlbarg is next out. Was he really that great or was the Coen brothers’ script simply amazing? Day-Lewis is the heavyweight and his performance was great, but I like Gordon-Levitt. He’s a woefully underrated actor, waiting to break out.

Best Supporting – Actress
Penelope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
Mo-nique – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Julianne Moore – A Single Man

Another lock. Mo-nique absolutely stunned and shined here.

Best Supporting – Actor
Matt Damon – Invictus
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

Another relative lock, perhaps. Waltz put in the best performance and received the most acclaim. Watch out for Harrelson, though. He could be a sleeper.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Clint Eastwood – Invictus
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds

It’s likely this will end up a three-person race--Bigelow, Cameron and Tarantino. Cameron made one of the most visually compelling movies ever, but do we give him credit--or the special-effects team? Some are viewing “Basterds” as Tarantino’s comeback, but what comeback?  It’s debatable that he ever went anywhere. Bigelow will win though. Overall, her film is considered a great directorial achievement. The fact that she is a woman doesn’t hurt. I’m not being sexist, that’s just the way voting works.