Golden Globe Nominations 2009: Reaction and Predictions

Laremy Legel December 11, 2008

In this undated handout from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globe statuette is seen. The Golden Globes will be held Jaunuary 16, 2006 in Hollywood. (Photo by Hollywood Foreign Press Association via Getty Images)

Best Motion Picture (Drama)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Revolutionary Road

Slumdog Millionaire

Should win: Revolutionary Road

Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Oscar fallout: Button, Slumdog, and Revolutionary Road move on to a Best Picture nomination. However, Milk missing from this category is a huge snub. I think The Reader and Frost/Nixon probably miss out come Oscar season, replaced by The Dark Knight and Milk.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/901/05816901.jpg" alt="Mamma Mia!" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Burn After Reading

In Bruges

Happy-Go-Lucky

Mamma Mia

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Should win: In Bruges

Will win: Mamma Mia!

Oscar fallout: Very little. Oscar doesn’t have a musical/comedy category and Barcelona, Mia!, and Happy-Go-Lucky really aren’t in the Best Picture running.

Best Actor (Drama)

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/101/06374101.jpg" alt="Milk" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Should win: Sean Penn, Milk

Will win: Sean Penn, Milk

Oscar fallout: This is probably the exact Best Actor lineup, unless they switch out Pitt for Del Toro’s Che.

Best Supporting Actor

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/1/6/8/6/24756861-24756866-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Heath Ledger" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder

Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder

Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Should win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Will win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Oscar fallout: Ledger and Hoffman are certain Oscar nominations, with a Ledger win a sure thing. Downey Jr. just gained a bit of momentum for a surprise (though deserved) nomination. Fiennes and Cruise should enjoy this moment, as they have no Academy hopes.

Best Actress (Drama)

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/6/5/8/7/25017856-25017859-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Meryl Streep, Doubt

Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long

Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Should win: Meryl Streep, Doubt

Will win: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Oscar fallout: Cate Blanchett (Benjamin Button) might sneak in for a nomination come Oscar time. At this point I can’t see a Jolie nomination. Streep, Winslet, and Hathaway are all locks in this category. Sadly, Streep is at that terrible period in her career where she’s been rewarded so often that they give the prize to the newbie. Give it 20 years Meryl, then you’ll be in the “automatic Clint Eastwood win” zone.

Best Supporting Actress

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/6/0/5/7/25017506-25017509-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Viola Davis in Doubt" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Amy Adams, Doubt

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis, Doubt

Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Kate Winslet, The Reader

Should win: Viola Davis, Doubt

Will win: Viola Davis, Doubt

Oscar fallout: Tomei needed this to have any shot at a nomination, but she’ll probably come up just short. Taraji Henson (Benjamin Button) was snubbed by the Globes, but she’ll get a nomination, replacing either Adams or Winslet. Rosemarie Dewitt (Rachel Getting Married) missing out was a slight snub that could be rectified come the Academy Awards. But the real story is Viola Davis, whose 10 minutes in Doubt is simply incredible. She’s extremely deserving of this nomination and will mostly likely grab all the hardware this year.

Best Director

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/8/1/5/9/24749518-24749521-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Slumdog Millionaire" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Steven Daldry, The Reader

David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon

Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Should win: Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Will win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Oscar fallout: Boyle, Fincher, and Mendes are now all Oscar locks. Howard is a probable. The last slot will be filled by a wildcard of Daldry, Van Sant (Milk), or Aronofsky (The Wrestler). Danny Boyle did great work in Slumdog Millionaire but for my money the best directing was done by Mendes (Jarhead, American Beauty, Road to Perdition). Hopefully The Academy will see it my way too.

Best Original Song

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/301/05661301.jpg" alt="Wall-E" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">“Down to Earth” — WALL-E

“Gran Torino” — Gran Torino

“I Thought I Lost You” — Bolt

“Once in a Lifetime” — Cadillac Records

“The Wrestler” — The Wrestler

Should win: “Down to Earth” from Wall-E

Will win: “Down to Earth” from Wall-E

Oscar fallout: This is always a tough Oscar category. No Dark Knight? Is Slumdog even eligible? I’m going to pass on this one.

Best Original Score

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/9/0/2/3/24693209-24693212-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Slumdog Millionaire" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Defiance

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

Frost/Nixon

Changeling

Should win: Slumdog Millionaire

Will win: Slumdog Millionaire

Oscar fallout: The Dark Knight will get a score nomination, replacing either Changeling or Defiance. Danny Elfman could get a Milk score nomination too. Button and Slumdog are locks.

Best Animated Film

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/4/1/1/4/21464114-21464117-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Wall-E" width="104" height="142" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Bolt

Kung Fu Panda

Wall-E

Should win: Wall-E

Will win: Wall-E

Oscar fallout: Panda and Wall-E are mortal locks, with Wall-E certain to win the Oscar. The only question is that third slot, which could go to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Bolt, or Tale of Despereaux.

Best Foreign Language Film

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/201/06470201.jpg" alt="I've Loved You So Long" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">The Baader Meinhof Complex

Gomorrah

I’ve Loved You So Long

Waltz with Bashir

Should win: I’ve Loved You So Long

Will win: I’ve Loved You So Long

Oscar fallout: Waltz and I’ve Loved You So Long are sure things for a nomination.

Best Actor – Musical or Comedy

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/901/06389901.jpg" alt="Vicky Cristina Barcelona" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Colin Farrell, In Bruges

James Franco, Pineapple Express

Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges

Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

Should win: Colin Farrell, In Bruges

Will win: Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Oscar fallout: Zero. No one here will be getting a nomination. I was pleased to see Farrell recognized though, his performance was hugely underrated this year.

Best Actress – Musical or Comedy

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/101/06343101.jpg" alt="Happy Go Lucky" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading

Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia

Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Should win: Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Will win: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Oscar fallout: Hawkins has a legitimate shot at an Oscar nomination now. She’d join Streep (Doubt), Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Blanchett (Benjamin Button) and Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long). The McDormand nomination is friendly, but flawed.

Best Screenplay

src="http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/201/06265201.jpg" alt="Frost/Nixon" width="100" height="150" border="0" align="left" hspace="6">Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

David Hare, The Reader

Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon

Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

Should win: John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

Will win: Frost/Nixon will get paid off here … because it won’t be winning anything else.

Oscar fallout: The Academy breaks this category into adapted versus original categories, so they’ll be another five to get nominations besides these. I’d say Original Screenplay will be The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Che, and The Visitor. Adapted will be Slumdog Millionaire, Frost.Nixon, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, and Benjamin Button.The Reader will be a moderate snub come Oscar season, as will Charlie Kaufman for Synechdoche, New York.