2011 Golden Globe Nominations

Here is the list of Golden Globe nominees (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly) with my thoughts on each category (where I have thoughts).

Best Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

I haven’t had the chance to see any of these movies, but all have been on my radar at some point or another, though I didn’t think that The Help and Moneyball were comedies. The biggest surprise here is Hugo. For an animated picture to be nominated for Best Drama is strange indeed.

Best Comedy/Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Carnage
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Another list where I haven’t seen any of these films but they have been on my radar. In either category I can’t think of any big snubs. Some will say Harry Potter, but really those people need to take off their blinders and realize that while the whole saga is definitely an achievement, the last films were not award worthy.

Best Animated Film
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Rango
Puss in Boots
The Adventures of Tintin

This has been a sorry year for animation, but whenever Pixar puts out a Cars movie I’m going to be disappointed.

Best Foreign Language Film
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid With a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Best Actor in a Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Supporting Actor
 in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Again people will be upset that there was no Alan Rickman love for Snape. But really watch his performance, in my opinion he didn’t really do much to earn one. Sorry.

Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants
Steve Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis, Moneyball
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
“Hello Hello,” Gnomeo & Juliet
“The Keeper,” Machine Gun Preacher
“Lay Your Head Down,” Albert Nobbs
“The Living Proof,” The Help
“Masterpiece,” W.E.

The movie Gnomeo & Juliet is nominated for a Golden Globe, ugh.
Best TV Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

4 of the 5 nominees are new this year and this is only the second season for Boardwalk Empire. I have issues that Breaking Bad was not nominated, as in my opinion it had a great season and was some of the best TV available. If I had to take one away though I would find it difficult as both American Horror Story and Boss belong on there, but from what I’ve heard so does everything else. Couldn’t they have made a little more space?

Best TV Comedy or Musical
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl

Probably the most infuriating nomination is the one for Glee. It’s only on there because it is the only musical available! To nominate that over Parks and Recreation and Community should be a TV crime. The voters should be locked in a room and forced to watch reality shows from the E! network for the next year, maybe then they will appreciate good television.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Kelsey Grammer, Boss

For the first time in a while nothing to complain about here.

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Not true here thought, Californication is barely a comedy and Alec Baldwin has been phoning in his performance on 30 Rock for a couple of years now. There are a lot of other people that deserve to be on that list before these two.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

I really wish they would split up Drama and Comedy here. Giancarlo Esposito (Gus) from Breaking Bad portrayed one of the best villains on television ever and to have him not nominated is a crime. Aaron Paul (Jesse) also deserved to be nominated. These two did some of the finest television acting I have ever seen this year.

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Does Tina Fey have something on the HFPA? Her time has passed; it’s time to get some different blood in there. Plenty of other funny ladies on TV to choose from.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce