Before the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards are handed out on Jan. 15, we’re giving our two cents as to which of the top category nominees are most likely going to take home the coveted prize. Be sure to watch the show Monday at 8:00 p.m. EST on NBC—we will be, at least, to find out if we’re right.
Film
Best Motion Picture – Drama:
The Departed
The fact Hollywood Foreign Press loves Martin Scorsese’s films (The Aviator won in 2005 over Million Dollar Baby), we think the gritty, tightly wound The Departed—about good cops trying to rat out the bad cops while the mob guys pulls the strings—stands a better than good chance in snagging the Globe.
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:
Dreamgirls
Although we’d love to see Borat win (and we do give it props for its star; see below), we’re pretty sure the “Musical” in this category points directly to Dreamgirls—the quintessential eye-poppin’, toe-tappin’, tears-streamin’ musical of the year, and the best choice to win a Golden Globe.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama:
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Mirren is a lock, probably the only sure thing this award season has to offer. Making even the most dowdiest of monarchs gloriously human, Mirren’s incredibly stirring performance as Queen Elizabeth II dealing with the death of Princess Diana is a marvel—and the Golden Globes will most likely award her for it.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama:
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
It’s a top notch list this year, with Leonardo DiCaprio scoring two nods in the category and Peter O’Toole giving a heartbreaking swan song in Venus. But we’re going with popular vote here: Whitaker’s bombastic, manipulative—and downright menacing–approach to playing one of history more twisted dictators, Uganda’s President Idi Amin, is hard to beat.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
You always have to admire the Golden Globes for expanding their nominations into two sets of categories—drama and comedy—giving the chance for more great performances to be acknowledged. It certainly opens the door for Streep to take home the Globe for her wonderfully wicked portrayal of a top fashion magazine’s editor-in-chief, who eats assistants for breakfast but occasionally exposes her soft underbelly.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Maybe we are going out on a limb, but honestly, Cohen could have easily given the best performance of the year simply because he never stopped playing the lovable but inappropriate reporter from Kazakhstan—on or off screen. Something’s got to be said for that kind of commitment—and we think the Hollywood Foreign Press are just the guys to recognize Cohen for it.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Belting out the powerful anthem “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” alone should give young newbie Hudson her first Golden Globe award. But the fact she backs this song up with an amazingly commanding and bittersweet performance (you miss her the minute she leaves the screen) puts her squarely in the winner’s circle.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
At first, it’s sort of hard to take Murphy seriously in Dreamgirls when he flashes his mega-watt smile and starts sounding like James Brown (“It’s too HOT in the hot tub!”). But then, suddenly, he’s breaking our hearts as a washed-up R&B singer who is never allowed to fulfill his potential. A definite Globe-winning turn.
Best Director – Motion Picture:
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
This is going to be Scorsese’s year–we can feel it. The Departed marks a return to the director’s old standards and practices—shining his bright light on the corrupt, albeit colorful, world of cops and robbers. And once again, Scorsese skillfully makes our hearts race.
Television
Best Television Series – Drama: Grey’s Anatomy
With newcomers such as the NBC’s comic-book hit Heroes and HBO’s polygamy drama Big Love on the list, the eclectic nominees in this category makes the choice difficult. Ultimately, we are siding with the most popular choice, in all its McDreamy/McSteamy glory. Plus, the whole emergency room-bomb threat and heart transplant guy-dying-last minute scenarios adds some dramatic weight.
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy: Weeds
This is another tough decision, given there are really two shows deserving the Golden Globe honor: The outstanding The Office and Showtimes’ hilariously biting Weeds. But after much gnashing of teeth, we pick Weeds, whose second season of suburban housewife drama and pot-selling antics far outdid the first one.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama:
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Sedgwick keeps getting nominated for her neurotic LAPD police chief–a Southern belle whose tough-as-nails tactics always catches the bad guy—but has yet to win an award. We figure she’s finally due.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama:
Hugh Laurie, House
Although Laurie did win the Golden Globe last year for his turn as the irascible doctor who can diagnose rare and undetectable diseases with an uncanny MacGyver-like accuracy, Hollywood Foreign Press will probably make it a repeat performance for the British actor.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Effectively ending the Seinfeld curse by scoring her own hit TV show, Louis-Dreyfus is on a roll. She already won the Emmy for her portrayal of a screwy divorced mom who is just barely keeping up with the rest of her life. We think she’ll add the Golden Globe to the shelf as well.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:
Steve Carell, The Office
Carell also took home the Globe last year, but his performance as the insecure, politically incorrect boss of a paper-supply office, who has a soft spot for pretzels—and his supervisor—is just too good to pass up.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Emily Blunt, Gideon’s Daughter
The Hollywood Foreign Press likes Ms. Blunt. First, she’s nominated for her portrayal as the The Devil’s Prada-wearing first assistance, who is “one stomach flu away from her perfect weight.” Then she scores again for her performance as Gideon’s Daughter’s titular title character, a woman who threatens to cut her philandering dad out of her life forever. Odds are the British actress will pick up her Globe here.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Masi Oka, Heroes
[Clapping hands wildly] Hurray for Masi Oka! As Heroes’ highly optimistic, adorable and loyal Hiro who fully embraces his superpower ability to bend time and teleport, Oka has effectively created the heart and soul of the hit show. The Golden Globe should be his to take home.
Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Elizabeth I
Let’s hear it for the queen! Fueled by another tremendous performance by Helen Mirren, HBO’s in-depth miniseries about Queen Elizabeth I’s later years on the throne is as riveting as it is historically fascinating. We’re betting the Hollywood Foreign thinks so, too.
