Golden Globes: Snap Judgment

Shameful, I know. It's been three days since the announcement and I'm just now getting to a Golden Globes post.* In my defense, I spent a good day and a half of that interval flying and sleeping. Still, apologies all around. Here are my basic reactions to the major categories of the first major awards of the season.

Best Motion Picture -- Drama

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Up in the Air

Time will tell if it lasts, but I couldn't be happier at the frontrunner status Up in the Air is currently enjoying. It might just go all the way! Glad to see some recognition for The Hurt Locker, too. Avatar's plot has more holes than Swiss cheese riddled with a machine gun and laughable lines, but the fantastic visuals make the spot understandable. And apparently Inglorious Basterds has more of an Oscar prayer than I expected, for the SAGs followed the Golden Globes with significant recognition. Quentin Tarantino is likely douching it up at some Hollywood party as we speak.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama

Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

No big surprises here. Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe seem like locks, and I'm going to go ahead and call Helen Mirren for an Oscar nod, too. Still not sure if the Academy will go for Sandra Bullock, or Emily Blunt (in a barely discussed British movie about a British monarch who isn't a Tudor). However, considering Bullock made the SAG list, too, and that the only likely "Actress in a Comedy" pick to go onto the Oscars is Meryl Streep, at least one is bound to go through.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Tobey Maguire, Brothers

....um, Tobey Maguire? As in the guy whose only notable recognition thus far has been the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss? Have we all forgotten about Spiderman 3? The L.A. Times' The Envelope smartly predicts that Maguire will get replaced come Oscar time with Jeremy Renner of The Hurt Locker. Otherwise, all the picks seem Oscar-bound.

Best Motion Picture -- Comedy

(500) Days of Summer

The Hangover

It's Complicated

Julie & Julia

Nine

Gotta give a big OH HELL YES to the (500) Days of Summer nod. I know it won't make it to the Academy Awards BP category, but it's still a major cause for celebration. Yeah, otherwise this is a pretty meaningless category thrown in for kicks and giggles by the Hollywood Foreign Press. Let's treat it as such and move on.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy

Sandra Bullock, The Proposal

Marion Cotillard, Nine

Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Meryl Streep, It's Complicated

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Double Meryl in the same category could mean vote-splitting, upsetting the strongest contender (for Julie & Julia, specifically). But the move is unsurprising considering Meryl Streep's universal critical adoration. Pleasantly surprised to see Julia Roberts in there (Duplicity is fantastic, in case you missed it) and calling Marion Cotillard the throwaway nod (can any of the Nine women be considered leads, or beat the Cruz buzz?). The Sandra Bullock nod is completely undeserved in my opinion, but I'm thanking my lucky stars they didn't pick a crappier romantic comedy heroine.

Best Performance by an Actor in a 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

Favorite category, bar none. Again, I know it's meaningless, but who cares? If my 50 posts on Sherlock Holmes weren't clear enough, I'm expecting Robert Downey, Jr. to make me cry many tears of happiness this Christmas, and if I had a marching band and a choreographed ensemble, I'd totally be recreating the (500) Days of Summer dance to celebrate Joe G-L's nod. I'm actually going to be conflicted on this one! But doubting even Oscar magnet Daniel Day-Lewis will make it onto the next round.

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo'Nique, Precious

Julianne Moore, A Single Man

So unsurprising that I literally have nothing to say. Except that I predict Anna Kendrick will be the only Twilight star to ever boast the title of Oscar nominee.

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds

Also pretty much expected. Waltz sounds like the favorite, though only two of these movies have been widely released and reviewed, so maybe it's too early to say.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

James Cameron, Avatar

Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

I really don't think Clint Eastwood has made a movie without the aim of winning an Oscar in at least five years, and the awards committees have been far too happy to oblige him. However, my buddy Jason, James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow seem like the stronger contenders this season. Reitman has my vote, though I would be happy to see Bigelow win. Speaking of which, how ridiculous is it that she would be only the fourth woman in history to be nominated for Best Director? Answer: almost as ridiculous as the fact that Alfred fuckin' Hitchcock never won that award.

*I have no idea why Blogger claims this was published on December 15, because it definitely wasn't.