Golden Globe Picks 2008

The Golden Globes are pretty useless. These awards are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, which is comprised of about 90 entertainment journalists from around the world. So, in other words, less people than a Family Feud survey. They used to be the predictors for the Oscars but lately they’ve been all over the place. I don’t take my predictions all that seriously for this award show. Actually, the only reason to watch is to see drunken celebrities make funny speeches. It’s a lot more casual than the Oscars or Emmys. And because of the cursed writers strike, there won't even be a ceremony this year, only a measly press conference. And this is the year that Steven Spielberg was getting a special award, so that kinda sucks. Oh yeah, one cool thing about the Golden Globes is that it seems to be the only award show that gives a damn about motion picture comedies. You hear that Oscar? Anyway, here’s my picks (not predictions) for the Golden Globes. (If you care.)

Best Motion Picture – Drama
American Gangster / Atonement / Eastern Promises / The Great Debaters / Michael Clayton / No Country for Old Men / There Will Be Blood
My Pick: No Country for Old Men

Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
Across the Universe / Charlie Wilson’s War / Hairspray / Juno / Sweeny Todd
My Pick: Juno

Best Actor – Drama
George Clooney (Michael Clayton) / Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood) / James McAvoy (Atonement) / Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) / Denzel Washington (American Gangster)
My Pick: Denzel Washington

Best Actress – Drama
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) / Julie Christie (Away From Her) / Jodie Foster (The Brave One) / Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) / Keira Knightley (Atonement)
My Pick: Julie Christie

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd) / Ryan Gosling (Lars and the Real Girl) / Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages) / John C Reilly (Walk Hard)
My Pick: Johnny Depp

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Amy Adams (Enchanted) / Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray) / Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeny Todd) / Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) / Ellen Page (Juno)
My Pick: Tie - Ellen Page and Nikki Blonsky

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James) / Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) / Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War) / John Travolta (Hairspray) /
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)
My Pick: Tie – Javier Bardem and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) / Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) / Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) / Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
My Pick: Cate Blanchett

Best Animated Film
Bee Movie / Ratatouille / The Simpsons Movie
My Pick: Ratatouille

Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days / The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / The Kite Runner / Lust, Caution / Persepolis
My Pick: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Director
Tim Burton (Sweeny Todd) / Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men) / Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) / Ridley Scott (American Gangster) / Joe Wright (Atonement)
My Pick: Ethan & Joel Coen

Best Screenplay
Christopher Hampton (Atonement) / Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Ronald Harwood (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) / Diablo Cody (Juno) / Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)
My Pick: Diablo Cody

Best Original Score
Grace is Gone / The Kite Runner / Atonement / Eastern Promises / Into the Wild
My Pick: Atonement

Best Original Song
“Despedida” (Love in the Time of Cholera) / “Grace is Gone” (Grace is Gone) / “Guaranteed” (Into the Wild) / “That’s How You Know” (Enchanted) /
“Walk Hard” (Walk Hard)
My Pick: "Walk Hard"

Best TV Series – Drama
Big Love / Damages / Grey’s Anatomy / House / Mad Men / The Tudors
My Pick: Damages

Best TV Series – Comedy
30 Rock / Californication / Entourage / Extras / Pushing Daisies
My Pick: Pushing Daisies

Best TV Actress – Drama
Patricia Arquette (Medium) / Glenn Close (Damages) / Minnie Driver (The Riches) / Edie Falco (The Sopranos) / Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters) / Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) /
Kyra Sedwick (The Closer)
My Pick: Glenn Close

Best TV Actor – Drama
Michael C Hall (Dexter) / Jon Hamm (Mad Men) / Hugh Laurie (House) / Bill Paxton (Big Love) / Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors)
My Pick: Michael C Hall

Best TV Actress – Comedy
Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?) / America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) / Tina Fey (30 Rock) / Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) / Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)
My Pick: Tina Fey

Best TV Actor – Comedy
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) / Steve Carell (The Office) / David Duchovny (Californication) / Ricky Gervais (Extras) / Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies)
My Pick: Steve Carell

Best TV Supporting Actress
Rose Byrne (Damages) / Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters) / Katherine Heigle (Grey’s Anatomy) / Samantha Morton (Longford) / Anna Paquin (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) / Jamie Pressly (My Name is Earl)
My Pick: Jamie Pressly

Best TV Supporing Actor
Ted Danson (Damages) / Kevin Dillon (Entourage) / Jeremy Piven (Entourage) / Andy Serkis (Longford) / William Shatner (Boston Legal) / Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money)
My Pick: Ted Danson

Best TV Mini-Series
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee / The Company / Five Days / Longford /
The State Within
My Pick: The Company

Best TV Mini-Series Actress
Bryce Dallas Howard (As You Like It) / Queen Latifah (Life Support) / Debra Messing (The Starter Wife) / Sissy Spacek (Pictures of Hollis Woods) / Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre)
My Pick: Bryce Dallas Howard

Best TV Mini-Series Actor
Adam Beach (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) / Ernest Borgnine (A Grandpa for Christmas) / Jim Broadbent (Longford) / Jason Isaacs (The State Within) / James Nesbitt (Jekyll)
My Pick: Jim Broadbent

I’m assuming the press conference will still be shown on NBC on Sunday, January 13. If not, we’ll see the results in Monday’s newspaper. Yipee.