Tall Writer’s Golden Globe Nomination Predictions

It’s been a great holiday season so far and a solid year in film. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will release its Golden Globe nominations for film (and television) on Thursday morning, December 11, and here are my predictions as to who the nominees might be in the major film categories.

Some nominations from films like Last Chance Harvey, Rachel Getting Married, and Oliver Stone’s W. will depend on whether they’re classified as a drama or comedy. The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be telecast live on NBC Television at 8 p.m. EST on January 11, 2009. Check back on Thursday morning to see how these picks match up with reality.

BEST DRAMA

• The Changeling
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Doubt
• Frost/Nixon
• Wildcard – The Wrestler

Button could finally give director David Fincher some deserved recognition and get Pitt back in the awards circuit while Batman could give the superhero genre more treasure besides box office booty.

MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• Happy Go Lucky
• Mamma Mia!
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• W.
• Wildcard – Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

Slumdog Millionaire is coming on strong near the end of the year, though people have only seen Mamma Mia! — a definite gem category where audiences can discover some great films.

ACTOR (DRAMA)

• Benicio del Toro, Che (The Guerilla/Argentine)
• Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
• Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Wildcards: Will Smith-Seven Pounds or Mickey Rourke-The Wrestler

Langella and Jenkins should get well deserved recognition.

ACTRESS (DRAMA)

• Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie, The Changeling
• Meryl Streep, Doubt
• Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road or The Reader
• Wildcard: Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long

Streep looks strong here, especially with a double nomination likely, but Hathaway and Winslet, another possible doubler, look good.

ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)

• Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Josh Brolin, W.
• Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey
• Ben Kingsley, The Wackness
• Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
• Wildcard: Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder

Again, another discovery category with Pitt and Downey Jr. in the most recognizable roles, but Brolin puts in a strong performance.

ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)

• Sally Hawkins, Happy Go Lucky
• Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading or Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
• Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
• Elizabeth Banks, W.
• Amanda Seyfried, Mamma Mia!
• Wildcard: Sara Jessica Parker, Sex and the City: The Movie

Parker has her best chance at an award here with a character she knows and has developed inside and out, but Hawkins' star-making role showcases here.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• James Franco, Milk
• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• John Malkovich, The Changeling or Burn After Reading
• Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
• Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon
• Wildcard: Josh Brolin, Milk

Ledger is the favorite for an amazing performance, though Sheen comes very close. 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Kathy Bates, Revolutionary Road
• Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
• Wildcard:Amy Adams, Doubt

Great female performances here as Bates finally gets back in awards prominence.

ANIMATED FILM

• Kung Fu Panda (Paramount/DreamWorks)
• WALL∙E (Disney/Pixar)
• Waltz With Bashir (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Wildcard: Madagascar 2: The Crate Escape (Paramount/DreamWorks)

That amazing little robot definitely has the upper hand while Waltz adds some strong drama to the genre.

DIRECTOR

• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Clint Eastwood, The Changeling
• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
• Mike Leigh, Happy Go Lucky
• Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
• Wildcard: Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler

Too much great talent in this category, so it should expand like the Best Drama category did last year.

SCREENPLAY

• Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Mike Leigh, Happy Go Lucky
• Eric Roth, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
• Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
• Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
• Wildcard: Nick Schenk, Gran Torino

Allen is always a favorite while Beaufoy should definitely get a nod for also writing Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day this year.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• The Class (France)
• Gomorra (Italy)
• Last Stop 174 (Brazil)
• O’Horten (Norway)
• Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Waltz gets a double nomination while Gomorra and The Class are the front-runners.

ORIGINAL SCORE

• Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• David Hirschfeld, Australia
• Alberto Iglesias, The Reader
• Thomas Newman, Revolutionary Road
• Randy Newman, WALL∙E
• Wildcard: James Newton Howard, Defiance

Great category with Hirschfeld and Desplat getting the edge for scoring films with longer running times.

ORIGINAL SONG

• “All Dressed in Love”, performed by Jennifer Hudson, Sex and the City: The Movie
• “Another Way to Die”, performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, Quantum of Solace
• “Down to Earth”, performed by Peter Gabriel, WALL∙E
• “The Wrestler”, performed by Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
• “Right to Dream”, performed by Mariah Carey, Tennessee

All strong, successful performers who can really showcase a recognizable song set this year.