It’s awards season time again. The Golden Globes are a short two weeks away and I thought I should throw out my predictions just to get them into the mix. I haven’t seen many of these movies, but I’m going to predict based on my very specific formula and algorithm that analyzes the things in my head combined with the buzz that I hear. My picks are in bold.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

• The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• The Reader
• Revolutionary Road
• Slumdog Millionaire

Unfortunately, I’ve only seen one of these movies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which I absolutely loved. From everything that I hear, Slumdog Millionaire is the sleeper. Everyone on the Internets says its the-bomb.com and the folks I’ve talked to in real life say it’s terrific as well. I hear good things about the other flicks as well, but for now, I’m going to go with what I’ve seen.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie – Changeling
• Meryl Streep – Doubt
• Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
• Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

It’s a shame that Cate Blanchett is not up because her performance as Daisy in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button nearly steals the limelight from the title character. I was not impressed by Angelina Jolie’s performance in Changeling. I just found it annoying and one-dimensional. I wasn’t as enamored with that movie as everyone else though. I just thought it was a bit heavy-handed. Since the Golden Globes are sponsored and voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press, it’s usually a good bet to go with the international flavor, so I’m gonna pick Kate Winslet in her husband’s movie version of Mad Men. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
• Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
• Sean Penn – Milk
• Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

There are some big stars in this category. Sean Penn once again vanishes into the character of the iconic Harvey Milk. Leonardo DiCaprio continues to impress me as he matures and I know that everyone loves the old guys in this category – Frank Langella’s performance as Nixon is spot-on from the trailers and I hear that Mickey Rourke is blowing people away in The Wrestler. But this is Brad Pitt’s year. Benjamin Button FTW!

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

• Burn After Reading
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• In Bruges
• Mamma Mia!
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona

What a horrible category. I’ve seen three out of the five candidates up and none of them are worth of an award. Mamma Mia! is fun, but that’s because of the genius songs by ABBA, not because the movie is award-worthy. In Bruges is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time. I couldn’t even get all the way through it (so you won’t see my vote for Farrell or Gleeson either). Everything I’ve heard about Woody Allen’s latest is that it seems to be good. I’ll pick Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
• Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
• Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!
• Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey

Rebecca Hall was in two critically acclaimed movies this year, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Frost/Nixon. I don’t have any clue what Happy-Go-Lucky is about. McDormand’s performance in Burn After Reading is OK, but nothing special. Meryl Streep is also average in Mamma Mia! I want to see Last Chance Harvey because I liked Emma Thompson in Stranger than Fiction and I enjoy Dustin Hoffman. It looks like a decent flick, but I’m gonna go with Rebecca Hall.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

• Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Colin Farrell – In Bruges
• James Franco – Pineapple Express
• Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
• Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey

I already have said my peace about In Bruges. I don’t really understand the James Franco nomination. The rumor is that he probably should have been nominated for his supporting performance in Milk, so I’m gonna tap him as the stoner to win.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Amy Adams – Doubt
• Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis – Doubt
• Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
• Kate Winslet – The Reader

This is a pretty stacked category. Amy Adams got robbed last year. She should have won for her portrayal of the animated-princess-turned-real-life-princess in Enchanted. Kate Winslet is the best actress on the planet right now though.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder
• Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
• Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
• Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

I haven’t seen Tropic Thunder so I’m not sure what to think of Tom Cruise and Robert Downey’s nominations. All I know is that if Heath Ledger doesn’t win, there might be a riot in Gotham that Batman will have to deal with.

Best Animated Feature Film

• Bolt
• Kung Fu Panda
• Wall-E

I haven’t seen Bolt, but I’ve heard good things. I loved Kung Fu Panda, but if Wall-E doesn’t win, I’ll eat a cockroach. Such a gorgeous movie.

Best Director – Motion Picture

• Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
• Stephen Daldry – The Reader
• David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
• Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
• Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road

Danny Boyle wins because of Slumdog’s international flair.

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

• The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button – Written by Eric Roth
• Doubt – Written by John Patrick Shanley
• Frost/Nixon – Written by Peter Morgan
• The Reader – Written by David Hare
• Slumdog Millionaire – Written by Simon Beaufoy

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

• The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button – Composed by Alexandre Desplat
• Changeling – Composed by Clint Eastwood
• Defiance – Composed by James Newton Howard
• Slumdog Millionaire – Composed by A. R. Rahman
• Frost/Nixon – Composed by Hans Zimmer

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

• “Down To Earth” – Wall-E – Music By: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman – Lyrics By: Peter Gabriel
• “Gran Torino” – Gran Torino – Music By: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens – Lyrics By: Jamie Cullum
• “I Thought I Lost You” – Bolt – Music & Lyrics By: Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele
• “Once In A Lifetime” – Cadillac Records – Music & Lyrics By: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street
• “The Wrestler” – The Wrestler – Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

Best Television Series – Drama

• Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• House (FOX)
• In Treatment (HBO)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• True Blood (HBO)

I’m assuming that the HFPA will follow The Emmy’s lead and award the AMC show that watches like a movie. 

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama

• Sally Field – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
• Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order
• January Jones – Mad Men (AMC)
• Anna Paquin – True Blood (HBO)
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

It’s a toss up between Mariska Hargitay and Kyra Sedgwick. They might split the vote and if so, it might go to Anna Paquin on HBO’s hot new vampire show. But I think Mrs. Kevin Bacon takes the Globe.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama

• Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment (HBO)
• Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• Jon Hamm – Mad Men (AMC)
• Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers – The Tudors (SHOWTIME)

Everyone is totally gaga for Michael C. Hall’s Dexter, but Hugh Laurie has won this award like ten years in a row. I’m going with Jon Hamm because no one wears a suit like Don Draper.

Best Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Californication (SHOWTIME)
• Entourage (HBO)
• The Office (NBC)
• Weeds (SHOWTIME)

I would love it if Entourage pulled out the win for once. I thought last season was its best yet, but alas, the HFPA has no love for Vince, E, Turtle, Drama, and Ari. 30 Rock is a funny, quirky show with a terrific cast, but the same could be said for The Office as well. I don’t get Showtime, so I don’t follow Californication and Weeds (although I’ve seen the first two seasons of the latter). This is a good category, but I’m gonna go with Jim and Pam FTW!

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

• Christina Applegate – Samantha Who? (ABC)
• America Ferrera – Ugly Betty (ABC)
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Debra Messing – The Starter Wife (USA)
• Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds (SHOWTIME)

Hmmm…this is a tough one. I think that Christina Applegate is pretty good on the unfunny Samantha Who? and I know that the HFPA loves Ugly Betty (although not enough to give it a nomination), but I’m going with Liz Lemon. I know that Tina Fey is basically playing herself, but anyone who can enter the word BLARG into the vernacular is awesome.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)
• Kevin Connolly – Entourage (HBO)
• David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME)
• Tony Shalhoub – Monk (USA)

I’m so freaking sick of Tony Shalhoub winning this category all the time. Alec Baldwin is genius on 30 Rock, but Steve Carell should win. Michael Scott is both lovable and loatheable at the same time. Carell walks that line so well.

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

• A Raisin In The Sun (ABC)
• Bernard And Doris (HBO)
• Cranford (PBS)
• John Adams (HBO)
• Recount (HBO)

I’ve only seen Recount, but I’m pretty sure that John Adams will win.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Judi Dench – Cranford (PBS)
• Catherine Keener – An American Crime
• Laura Linney – John Adams (HBO)
• Shirley MacLaine – Coco Chanel
• Susan Sarandon – Bernard And Doris (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Ralph Fiennes – Bernard And Doris (HBO)
• Paul Giamatti – John Adams (HBO)
• Kevin Spacey – Recount (HBO)
• Kiefer Sutherland – 24 (FOX)
• Tom Wilkinson – Recount (HBO)

How is 24 considered a mini-series? Is that so Kiefer can win? I don’t get it. I liked both Kevin Spacey and Tom Wilkinson in Recount (although I would give the nod to Spacey), but I don’t think that anyone stops Mr. John Adams himself.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Eileen Atkins – Cranford (PBS)
• Laura Dern – Recount (HBO)
• Melissa George – In Treatment (HBO)
• Rachel Griffiths – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
• Dianne Wiest – In Treatment (HBO)

I don’t like how they throw all the supporting actors and actresses together into one huge category for comedy, drama and mini-series. I will say this: Laura Dern is absolutely genius as Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in Recount. But I would have really liked to have seen Jenna Fischer up for her portrayal of Pam on The Office. And where are all the nominations for Lost this year?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
• Denis Leary – Recount (HBO)
• Jeremy Piven – Entourage (HBO)
• Blair Underwood – In Treatment (HBO)
• Tom Wilkinson – John Adams (HBO)

I always have the worst time picking who I want to win between the Pivs and the Barnacle. I think Pivs has won enough for Entourage’s Ari (not that it will stop them from picking him again), but I’m going to hold out against all hopes and pick NPH. Barney is such a fun character and he brings such color to the fun Friends-esque show How I Met Your Mother. I’ve got my fingers crossed for the author of The Bro Code, Sir Barnabus Stinson.

So that’s it. WordPress is telling me that this is an almost 2,000-word post, so I’d better wrap it up. Awards season is a lot of fun for me and Alli and I’m looking forward to when the Oscar nominations come out on January 22.