By Christa Youngpeter

Let’s get one thing straight. Comedy is king right now, and has been since a little film called The Hangover crashed a vintage Mercedes convertible of lols into even the most cynical critics’ heart. Since its premier in the summer of ’09 it’s been the benchmark for which all comedies have been compared, and “Is it as good as The Hangover?” is generally the first thing out of a skeptic’s mouth when discussing a new funny flick.

Enter the ingenuously titled Hot Tub Time Machine, a premise so in your face ludicrous, it has to be good, lest it collapse in on itself like a black hole of farce. Like The Hangover, both films rely heavily on nostalgia, wild nights in Las Vegas and painful memories (and equally painful fashion) of the 80s. Anyone born before 1987 can relate to these films on a closely personal level, which as with many iconic comedies of yore, is key to a wildly enduring success.

The buddy element is both key and entirely relatable here as everyone has the “asshole” friend (as John Cusak quips, “but he’s our asshole” in reference to Rob Courddry’s Lou). Everyone has the doormat pal who’s unlucky in relationships, or the the guy who can’t quite get his success to match his ego. The chemistry between both the ensemble of Hangover versus Hot Tub are top notch, and most importantly believable, even strained. Zac Galifianakis  and Clark Duke both have break-out roles as the unwelcome disheveled nerd, and The Office funnymen Ed Helms and Craig Robinson both played struggling cuckolds debating their emasculating relationships with unfaithful women. The over the top douchebag archetypes of the film, Bradley Cooper and Rob Corddry, are both wildly obnoxious, but vulnerable enough that they become (almost) likable.

But while Hot Tub wins when it comes to self-aware satire –  watch closely or you’ll miss tongue in cheek references to John Cusak’s 80s classics Better Off Dead and Sixteen Candles –  it loses steam towards the end with a hurried climax and predictable ending. Not to mention a disappointing cameo by Chevy Chase (really though, how could you beat Mike Tyson’s self-depricating comedic turn?) and a few tired jokes (slutty past mom, blowjobs and belligerent preppies) put Hot Tub a few rungs below The Hangover.

It’s not to say Hot Tub wasn’t a fun ride, it just doesn’t quite reach the Everest that is the Golden Globe win-nabbing Todd Phillips directed comedy juggernaut.

When I first saw that The Hangover was nominated for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical, I had a laugh. It was a laugh similarly resonant to the one that sustained itself during the majority of the film, when I guffawed through the misadventures of four hapless bachelor party victims in Vegas. I thought to myself: “Good for the Globes. They finally gave a popular movie a chance.”

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect The Hangover to actually win the award. When I found out, I was stunned. I thought this must be some sort of joke. A raunchy film, sprung from such award-worthy enterprises (detect sarcasm) like Old School is winning a Golden Globe? This one didn’t even have Vince Vaughn in it!

After a little more reflection, I found myself embarrassed for the Hollywood Foreign Press. Keep in mind, not even the universally-beloved Juno could win this award in 2007. Has the state of film been so reduced as to create opportunities for a shallow – albeit amusing – thought-numbing production? I know the Globes are making an effort to connect with the masses, even the most culturally proletariat, but this is taking matters to a level of absurdity. I enjoyed The Hangover as much as anyone else, but statuette-worthy?

Certainly, the contenders must have been weak. Nine was a colossal disappointment, featuring a supernova-studded cast, yet garnering poor reviews. Understandable to give it to The Hangover over an empty film dressed in lavish set pieces and histrionics. It’s Complicated has been a fun movie for most people, but again, not exactly one destined for an award. While Streep’s other effort, Julie & Julia, might have a claim over The Hangover, it also had its detractors. For a moment, I thought maybe this decision was defensible.

And then I saw the last nominee: (500) Days of Summer. Now THAT was an award-winning film! Creative, insightful, unique, possibly even groundbreaking. I liked it so much I saw it twice in theatres, and I look forward to a third viewing on DVD fairly soon. From its refreshing take on the randomness of romance in the modern era to its profound assessment of Expectations vs. Reality, THERE was a film that pushed the boundaries, contributed something new, and took “perspective” to a new echelon. That it lost to The Hangover is a travesty.

I should also add that if the Hollywood Foreign Press wanted to award this genre of film, why not boost a more inspiring effort like Knocked Up or Forgetting Sarah Marshall? At least those films had elements of innovation, along with some hearty laughs. The Golden Globes producers scored points in the comedy department when they recruited the omnipotent Ricky Gervais, but any gains made there on Oscar have been eroded here with this bungle.

The Golden Globes supplanting the Academy Awards? Hah. Now that’s a laugher.

I don’t want to toot my horn or anything, but I didn’t do half bad in predicting the 67th Annual Golden Globe movie winners, missing only three out of the 14 categories (don’t pay attention to my TV picks, though). That’s why they pay me the big bucks (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

As I suspected, the juggernaut that is “Avatar” took the best drama Globe, as did James Cameron for best director, which now puts them both squarely in front. At least Cameron didn’t go all “king of the world” on us again when he won for best director. Instead, he gave his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow — nominated for her own amazing work with “The Hurt Locker” – a nice compliment when he said in his acceptance speech, “Frankly, I thought Kathryn was going to get this. She richly deserves it.” Still, you got to know that guy’s head is about as big as his make-believe “Avatar” planet Pandora, but as arrogant and pretentious as Cameron can be, his talent is undeniable.

In the best comedy or musical, I was slightly off by picking “(500) Days of Summer” to win, but I applauded mightily when “The Hangover” won the prize. I just thought it would be too raunchy for the Hollywood Foreign Press – and I stand corrected. In fact, my respect for the HFPA went way up for honoring it because, hands down, “The Hangover” truly was the funniest movie of 2009. Did anyone notice they were playing that little ditty Ed Helm’s character sang in the movie as the cast and crew went up to collect the award? “… Don’t you worry your pretty striped head, we’re gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed …” Cracked me up.

In the acting categories, I rightly predicted Christophe Waltz’s turn in “Inglourious Basterds” and Mo’Nique’s part in “Precious” would win in the best supporting slots. I’ll go even further: They are the shoo-ins to win the Oscar, as well. No question in my mind. I also picked Meryl Streep to win best actress in a comedy or musical for “Julie & Julia,” but that was a no-brainer. I simply adore her. Her speech was both hilarious and poignant – just like the actress herself. Seriously, unless we find out she’s been a secret serial killer all these years, this woman can do NO wrong.

And speaking of great acceptance speeches, my man Robert Downey Jr. gave a hysterical one after winning for best actor in a comedy or musical for his role as Sherlock Holmes, which I correctly guessed. He thanked his frequent producing collaborator Joel Silver, the “guy that’s only restarted my career 12 times since I began 25 years ago.” Love him, too (but for different reasons than Streep).

Jeff Bridges got a standing O for his win as best actor in a drama for his turn in “Crazy Heart,” which actually brought a tear to my eye. I mean, the guy has been around for such a long time, always giving top-notch performances. In fact, I was flipping through the channels the other day and ending up watching “The Last Picture Show,” Bridges’ first Academy Award nomination. I’m pleased he is getting his due, as I thought he would.

The one acting award I missed on was with best actress in a drama. I thought the HFPA would go for the Brit Carey Mulligan from “An Education.” Although, to be fair, I did say Sandra Bullock would win if they were going for the popular vote, which is exactly what the HFPA did. In any case, Sandy deserves it because she, too, gave a classy performance in “The Blind Side” – and she was wearing an awesome dress.

As for the show itself, I think Ricky Gervais was pretty friggin’ hilarious as the host. Self-depreciating, shamelessly plugging his stuff, quietly drinking beer on stage, putting down the other celebrities in only the way a reserved British comedian can. The wisecracking quip, as he drank his beer: “I like a drink as much as the next man, unless the next man is Mel Gibson,” as he introduced Globe presenter Mel Gibson, who made the headlines a few years ago when he got a DUI and went on an anti-Semitic rant. Or talking about having a penis reduction to just one, a small one, which looks big in his small hand, which is where it is most of the time. Brilliant, just brilliant. Of course, NBC and its whole late-night screw up was not at all spared from the biting comments from just about everyone. Good, they should get slammed. Idiots.

Oh, and the third one I missed? Best score: I thought James Horner’s score for “Avatar” would win, but I also said Michael Giacchino’s score for “Up” could sneak in there – and that’s what happened. Oh well.

Here are the 67th Annual Golden Globe winners:

MOVIES

Best Picture – Drama: “Avatar”
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: “The Hangover”
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Robert Downey Jr., “Sherlock Holmes”
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Best Director: James Cameron, “Avatar”
Best Screenplay: “Up in the Air”
Best Animated Feature: “Up”
Best Foreign Language Film: “The White Ribbon, “ Germany
Best Original Song: “The Weary Kind,” performed by Ryan Bingham, “Crazy Heart”
Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino, “Up’

TELEVISION

Best TV Series – Drama: “Mad Men”
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Drama: Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV – Drama: Julianna Marguilies, “The Good Wife”
Best TV Series – Comedy: “Glee”
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Comedy: Toni Collette, “The United States of Tara”
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV: John Lithgow, “Dexter”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV: Chloe Sevigny, “Big Love”
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV: “Grey Gardens”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for TV: Drew Barrymore,”Grey Gardens”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for TV: Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance”

I’m going to take a stab at which way I think the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the governing body who hands out the Golden Globes, will sway at the 67th Golden Globes this Sunday, Jan. 17.

Best Picture – Drama
“Avatar”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”
“The Hurt Locker”

How it’ll shake out: Indies “Precious” and “The Hurt Locker” probably don’t stand a chance, while “Up in the Air,” with the most Globe nominations (six in all), and “Inglourious Basterds,” with its international appeal, are now looking paler against what is shaping up to be one of the biggest movies in history: “Avatar.” It’s like “Titanic” all over again, except with decidedly bluer people.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
“Nine”
“The Hangover”
“(500) Days of Summer”
“It’s Complicated”
“Julie & Julia”

How it’ll shake out: “It’s Complicated” and “Julie & Julia” play too cute and “The Hangover” too crass. And on paper, “Nine” should have had it in the bag – great cast, lots of song and dance, the whole Fellini angle – but the film’s poor performance at the box office AND in the critics’ circle may hurt its Globe chances, since it most likely will not be receiving an Oscar nomination. Which leaves the sweetly quirky “(500) Days of Summer,” which does sport an excellent musical number and could be the big upset. That’s my bet.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Tobey Maguire, “Brothers”

How it’ll shake out: The top three on the list – Bridges, Clooney and Firth – are all neck in neck in this competition. But I just think it’s Bridges time to win the career awards for his washed-out, hard-drinkin’ country singer in “Crazy Heart.”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Emily Blunt, “The Young Victoria”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”

How it’ll shake out: This race is really between Mulligan and Bullock, even though Sidibe turned in an amazing first-time performance. So, if we are going with the popular vote, then Sandra Bullock will win, hands down, for the tremendous year she has been having, but there’s that nagging suspicion the HFPA, loving their Brits from across the Pond, may award the Globe to Mulligan for her brilliance in “An Education.” I’m leaning towards that.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, “The Informant”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Nine”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man”
Robert Downey Jr., “Sherlock Holmes”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “(500) Days of Summer”

How it’ll shake out: While Damon, Stuhlbarg and Gordon-Levitt give worthy but perhaps too specialized performances, Daniel Day-Lewis singing and dancing as a philandering Italian director dazzles. But again, the negative “Nine” reaction may cancel him out. That leaves Downey Jr. perhaps taking home the Globe for his wry, offbeat turn as Sherlock Holmes. Even if I’m wrong, he’s the one I WANT to win.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Marion Cotillard, “Nine”
Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal”
Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”
Julia Roberts, “Duplicity”
Meryl Streep, “It’s Complicated”

How it’ll shake out: There’s no real competition here: Streep’s performance as the effervescent Julia Child in “Julie & Julia” should win by a landslide.

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Matt Damon, “Invictus”

How it’ll shake out: Weeding out Damon, Tucci and Plummer, it comes down to Harrelson for his turn as an Iraq soldier returning home to become a next-of-kin notifier in “The Messenger” and Waltz for his deliciously sadistic Nazi in “Basterds.” I’m pretty sure Waltz will emerge victorious.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Vera Farminga, “Up in the Air”
Julianne Moore, “A Single Man”

How it’ll shake out: Cruz has that “Nine” factor again; Kendrick and Farminga cancel each other out, which leaves Mo’Nique and Moore. If “Precious” is going to win a Globe, it’ll be in this category: Mo’Nique’s portrayal of an abusive mother stuns you. Although, it would also be nice to see Moore win one of these damn things at some point.

Best Director
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Clint Eastwood, “Invictus”

How it’ll shake out: A really tough category to pick from, I have to say. Each one of these directors have earned the award. But even if “Avatar” doesn’t win the Globe, Cameron certainly will for his over and above effort in staging his visually groundbreaking film.

Best Screenplay
“District 9”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“It’s Complicated”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Up in the Air”

How it’ll shake out: This is where “Up in the Air” should win its Globe. The relevant subject matter and zingy dialogue is too hard to pass up.

Best Animated Feature
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Up”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“The Princess and the Frog”

How it’ll shake out: Again, no real guesswork here: “Up” has it in the bag, although I’m happy to see “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” on the list. It was a great year for animated films overall.

Best Foreign Language Film
“Broken Embraces,” Spain
“Baaria,” Italy
“The Maid,” Chile
“Un Prophet,” France
“The White Ribbon, “ Germany

How it’ll shake out: Sigh. I don’t get see as many foreign films as I would like before the award season begins, but I’ve only been hearing the most amazing things about the German film “The White Ribbon,” which has been getting all the year-end accolades. I believe that’s our winner. You know, I finally saw “The Lives of Others,” the German film that won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2006, and was blown away. The Germans know about drama.

Best Original Song
“Cinema Italiano,” preformed by Kate Hudson, “Nine”
“Winter,” performed by U2, “Brothers”
“The Weary Kind,” performed by Ryan Bingham, “Crazy Heart”
“I Want to Come Home,” performed by Paul McCarney, “Everybody’s Fine”
“I Will See You,” performed by Leona Lewis, “Avatar”

How it’ll shake out: I’m going to side with Ryan Bingham’s “The Weary Kind” since it’s truly an original, although the “Avatar” song “I Will See You,” sung by Brit Leona Lewis, may sneak in there.

Best Original Score
Michael Giacchino, “Up’
Marvin Hamlisch, “The Informant!”
Karen O, Carter Burwell, “Where The Wild Things Are”
Abel Korzeniowski, “A Single Man”
James Horner, “Avatar”

How it’ll shake out: Horner’s “Avatar” score will most likely, ahem, score, but don’t completely cancel out Giacchino’s orchestration for “Up.”

As for the major TV nominees, here are my quick win guesses: “Dexter” for best drama; “Glee” for best comedy; Hugh Laurie for best actor, drama in “House”; Anna Paquin for best actress, drama in “True Blood”; Alec Baldwin for best actor, comedy in “30 Rock”; Toni Collette for best actress, comedy in “The United States of Tara”; John Lithgow for best supporting actor in “Dexter”; Jane Lynch for best supporting actress in “Glee.”

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Ricky Gervais, will air live on NBC on January 17 at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Writers have long gotten short changed in Hollywood, so it should be no surprise that the nominations for Best Motion Picture Screenplay for the upcoming Golden Globe Awards are no different. But it seems a glaring discrepancy that the Globes should offer Best Picture awards in two different categories (Drama and Comedy/Musical), yet have only one category for Best Screenplay. When it comes to film, having the two categories is the one thing that gives the Golden Globes a slight edge over the Oscars. Just ask any comedy fan.

Granted, the directors are getting the shaft, too, and I could easily rant about that as well. It’s just that I have a soft spot for writers. And I know you’ve heard it before, but I’m trotting it out again, because it’s true: without the writer(s), there’d be nothing to direct, no “Best Picture” to enjoy. What’s more – the shit is hard! I know firsthand, having written a couple things for television. Hell, I’ll need a nap just from writing this. I digress, but hopefully you see my point.

Comedy and drama aside, there’s also the issue of original scripts versus adaptations – a distinction the Academy has long recognized by offering separate Oscars for each. The Golden Globes don’t even go that far. A glaring omission that was highlighted by a couple of articles recently published in Daily Variety outlining the plethora of quality work that the Academy has to choose from, along with insightful analysis of each script’s chance.

To be fair, the Hollywood Foreign Press selected a diverse crop for their Globe nominees. But in the diversity also lies the omissions, proving that one lonely category isn’t enough. For instance, “District 9” proved yet again that sci-fi is not just a genre for geeks, but can be used as a mirror to take a hard look at our own world and time. Yet the case for sci-fi was also made by this summer’s blockbuster “Star Trek” whose script ingeniously turned the original’s mythology on its head and opened the door to a clean slate for a new generation of fans. “The Hurt Locker” is an impressive take on the Iraq War, yet so is “The Messenger.” It’s nice to see “It’s Complicated” nominated, if for no other reason than it finally gives women some long and too often neglected recognition. But then again, there was also “Julie and Julia” in which Nora Ephron took on the daunting task of not only adapting two separate books, but finding a way to blend them into one seamless story.

Perhaps this is the HFPA’s main dilemma – if they were to separate out the Screenplay category, would it be by comedy and drama or adaptation and original? Where would “Julie and Julia” fall, as both a comedy and an adaptation? It’s still no excuse. Either division would open up the playing field and allow for more deserving writers to get recognized. The screenplay is often the award that gets used to honor a film that would have been left out otherwise. “District 9” seems to be a case in point for the Golden Globes this year – one could easily make a case for it in the Best Picture category as well as its star, Sharlto Copley in the Best Actor category. Stiff competition left it out in the cold, so I’m glad to see that the screenplay sneaked in there.

Too many others have been left out, though. From a quick scanning of the Variety articles, where’s “(500) Days of Summer” and/or “The Hangover” (both nominated in the Best Picture Comedy/Musical category, mind you)? From the animated category, where is the beloved “Up” or, my personal favorite, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”? What about that other critics’ darling, “Precious”? How about “Avatar” in which an entire world was invented? On paper first, need I remind you…

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Award nominations, announced in the wee Pacific time hours this morning, were filled with mostly expected choices but some surprising ones.

As for the expected nominees, “Up in the Air” lead the proceedings in the drama department with six nods, including: best picture: George Clooney for best actor: best supporting actress noms for both Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick: Jason Reitman for best director; and finally, best screenplay. While the Fellini musical “Nine,” dominated the musical or comedy category with five nominations, including: best pic; Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor; Marion Cottilard for best actress; Penelope Cruz for best supporting actress; and for best song.

Also shining under the Golden Globe glow was Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” which got four nominations, including best picture and best director. But the big surprise, for me anyway, was James Cameron’s “Avatar,” which also grabbed four nods, including best pic. Rounding out the drama best picture nominees were “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire” and “The Hurt Locker,” which both received three nominations apiece. While “Nine” was joined by “The Hangover,” “Julie & Julia,” “It’s Complicated” and “(500) Days of Summer.”

Another sort of interesting trend in this year’s Golden Globe race is how there were several multi-nominated actors, including: Matt Damon, who got nods in the best supporting actor nod for “Invictus,” best actor in a comedy for “The Informant!”; Sandra Bullock who pulled off best actress nominations in both the comedy (“The Proposal”) and drama (“The Blind Side”) categories; and Meryl Streep, who gets to compete with herself in the best actress, comedy race with nods for “Julie & Julia” AND “It’s Complicated.”

Let me prognosticate in some of the major categories:

MOVIES

Best Picture – Drama
“Avatar”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”
“The Hurt Locker”

The upshot: A solid list, but as I said, I’m a little surprised to see “Avatar” there. Then again, I just saw it, and it is fairly spectacular in the visual department. While I don’t think it’s got any real shot at winning the Globe (my bet would be “Up in the Air”; or maybe “The Hurt Locker”), it’s inclusion now puts it officially on the Oscar radar. The big snub in this category was “Invictus,” which got Globe nods for best director, actor and supporting actor. I guess “Avatar” was just too strong a candidate to pass up.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
“Nine”
“The Hangover”
“500 Days of Summer”
“It’s Complicated”
“Julie and Julia”

The upshot: Again, all strong contenders, with “Nine” clearly the stand out since, you know, it’s got the whole “musical” thing going for it. Nice to see “The Hangover” get some love, though.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Tobey Maguire, “Brothers”

The upshot: Sorry George, Morgan and Colin, but I do believe Jeff Bridges is in for the career accolades he justly deserves. The nom I’m kind of scratching my head over is Maguire for “Brothers.” Over Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker?” Huh?

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Emily Blunt, “The Young Victoria”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”

The upshot: Tough to choose who might win, though I’m leaning towards newcomer Sidibe for her heartbreaking turn in “Precious.” And yes, it certainly looks Bullock may have a real shot at an Oscar nomination. Go Sandy!

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, “The Informant”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Nine”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man”
Robert Downey Jr., “Sherlock Holmes”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “(500) Days of Summer”

The upshot: I think Day-Lewis is the strongest candidate to win the Globe, but I really like this list overall — especially the nods to Stuhlbarg, who is sadly hilarious in “A Serious Man,” and Gordon-Levitt, who is sweetly hilarious in “(500) Days of Summer.”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Marion Cotillard, “Nine”
Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal”
Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”
Julia Roberts, “Duplicity”
Meryl Streep, “It’s Complicated”

The upshot: Poor Meryl Streep, having to compete with herself like that, but it better not cancel her out, because she totally deserves to win for her take on Julia Child in “Julie and Julia.”

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Matt Damon, “Invictus”

The upshot: Difficult to choose who stands out because they are all really good choices. Damon dons a South African accent in “Invictus,” Harrelson is touching in “The Messenger” and Plummer plays Leo Tolstoy in “The Last Station” for heaven’s sakes. “The Lovely Bones” got a huge Globe snub overall, with it’s only nomination going to bad guy Tucci. I guess if I were to pick, I’d give it to Waltz for his sardonic turn as a Nazi in “Inglourious Basterds.” He’s got the most buzz.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Vera Farminga, “Up in the Air”
Julianne Moore, “A Single Man”

The upshot: Again, a really tough category to pick. Kendrick and Farmiga might cancel each other out, while Cruz is just one of the many good performances in “Nine.” No, I think it’ll be between Mo’Nique for her scary portrayal of an abusive mom in “Precious,” and Moore, for her turn as a lonely divorcee in love with a gay man in “A Single Man.” I’m leaning towards Moore, who, like Bridges, is due for a career award.

Best Director
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Clint Eastwood, “Invictus”

The upshot: Now while “Avatar” as best picture is surprising, Cameron’s nomination is not. That man must have worked his ASS off to make that movie look the way it does (my “Avatar” review is coming). But this is another list I really like, giving props to a veteran like Bigelow and an auteur like Tarantino. Frankly, it’s up in the air on this one (pun intended).

Here are the rest of the film nominees:

Best Screenplay
“District 9”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“It’s Complicated”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Up in the Air”

Best Animated Feature
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Up”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“The Princess and the Frog”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Broken Embraces,” Spain
“Baaria,” Italy
“The Maid,” Chile
“Un Prophet,” France
“The White Ribbon, “ Germany

Best Original Song
“Cinema Italiano,” preformed by Kate Hudson, “Nine”
“Winter,” performed by U2, “Brothers”
“The Weary Kind,” performed by Ryan Bingham, “Crazy Heart”
“I Want to Come Home,” performed by Paul McCarney, “Everybody’s Fine”
“I Will See You,” performed by Leona Lewis, “Avatar”

Best Original Score
Michael Giacchino, “Up’
Marvin Hamlisch, “The Informant!”
Karen O, Carter Burwell, “Where The Wild Things Are”
Abel Korzeniowski, “A Single Man”
James Horner, “Avatar”

TELEVISION

I won’t go into much detail in the television arena, but I’ve always loved how the Hollywood Foreign Press thinks outside the box when it comes to its TV nominations, so much more than the Emmys. Looks like “Glee” is a big Globe favorite, but it’s also great to see such stellar shows as “True Blood,” “Dexter,” and even “Modern Family” get nominations.

Best Television Series – Drama
“Mad Men”
“True Blood”
“Dexter”
“Big Love”
“House”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”
Bill Paxton, “Big Love”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Anna Paquin, “True Blood”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Julianna Marguilies, “The Good Wife”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
January Jones, “Mad Men”

Best Television Series – Comedy
“30 Rock”
“The Office”
“Glee”
“Modern Family”
“Entourage”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Toni Collette, “The United States of Tara”
Lea Michele, “Glee”
Courteney Cox, “Cougar Town”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
David Duchovny, “Californication”
Matthew Morrison, “Glee”
Thomas Jane, “Hung”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage”
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
William Hurt, “Damages”
John Lithgow, “Dexter”
Michael Emerson, “Lost”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Lynch, “Glee”
Rose Byrne, “Damages”
Janet McTeer, “Into the Storm”
Jane Adams, “Hung”
Chloe Sevigny, “Big Love”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Grey Gardens”
“Georgia O’Keeffe”
“Into the Storm”
“Little Dorrit”
“Taking Chance”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Drew Barrymore,”Grey Gardens”
Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens”
Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers for Bobby”
Anna Paquin, “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler”
Joan Allen, “Georgia O’Keeffe”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Kenneth Branagh, “Wallander”
Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm”
Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “Endgame”
Jeremy Irons, “Georgia O’Keeffe”

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Ricky Gervais, will air live on NBC on January 17 at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

The 67th Annual Golden Globes will occur on January 17, 2010 at the Beverly Hills Hilton, broadcast on NBC at 8 pm EST, but the nominees will be announced tomorrow morning. Always a splashy affair, with millions donated to entertainment-related charities and the red carpet an epicenter of scrutiny and glamour, the Golden Globes represent the international community of film. But how exactly do they differ from the Academy Awards?

Let’s look back at history. The Academy Awards were inaugurated in 1928 in the effort to improve Hollywood’s tarnished image. The Hollywood Foreign Press founded the Golden Globe Awards in 1944. At the time, America had been pulled into WWII through Pearl Harbor and the entertainment community – journalists and filmmakers alike – were trying to divert audiences from the harsh realities of war.

The main difference between the two awards programs is in the categories and the fact that television is incorporated into the program. The Cecil B. Demille Award for a great director/producer runs parallel to the Special Achievement Award given out at the Oscars. In terms of the categories, Best Picture at the Golden Globes is divided into two categories of Drama and Comedy/Musical, and the same goes for the Leading Actor and Leading Actress awards, and for the television awards. Differing from the Academy, the Best Screenplay award at the Golden Globes is combined into one category, whereas the Academy splits the award into Best Original Screenplay and Screenplays Adapted to another medium.

2009 Golden Globe winners include “Slumdog Millionaire” for Best Picture, Drama; “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy; Kate Winslet won Best Actress, Drama for her role in “Revolutionary Road”; and Mickey Rourke won Best Actor in a Drama for his role in “The Wrestler.” Kate Winslet won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Reader,” and Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Dark Knight.” “Mad Men” won Best Drama Series for Television, and “30 Rock” won Best Musical or Comedy Series.

As writer John Sanchez argues in an article on the history of the Golden Globe Awards, the Globes are not a precursor of the Academy Awards, despite this commonly misunderstood belief. In some cases, the Globes can accurately predict the Oscars, as in 1972, when the “The Godfather” took major award at both programs. But in 1973, “The Sting” swooped up seven awards at the Oscars yet did not receive a single award at the Globes.

Over the years, the Globes have suffered its reputation due to rumors of “fixing” in the voting. From 1968 to 1974 network television stopped airing the show due to this reason. And the award for Best Newcomer in Film was removed after Pia Zadora won the award in 1982 for her role in “Butterfly.” It was later said that her millionaire husband sent gifts to members of the Foreign Press, and the award was removed from the program.

Despite its struggle to hold its own against the Oscars and rumors of “fixing,” the Golden Globes is a major industry event that often predicts the Oscars yet maintains its own identity as an international community of entertainment and film.

Membership in the Academy (currently 6,000) is by invitation only, while the Hollywood Foreign Press Association represents 55 countries with approximately five journalists added each year.

Nominations for the Globes are typically announced before Christmas, coinciding with a drive to increase audience traffic over the holiday season. This year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award will go to director Martin Scorsese.

So often, the Golden Globes has seemed like Oscar’s irrelevant little brother (and an annoying, pesky, although very inebriated one at that). Many film enthusiasts watch the proceedings just to predict Oscar nominations, without giving serious consideration to its awards or the voters. In fact, most people have no idea who or what the Hollywood Foreign Press is.

The thing is, the Oscars have been slumping of late. Nominations have been increasingly tailored to artsy, indie, niche films that while all deserving, lack the glitz to appeal to an actively superficial public. Who wore what on the Red Carpet can be summed up, critiqued, investigated, castigated, and then regurgitated for the next six months on E!. No need to actually watch the show for that.

The Academy is well aware of this trend, and that’s why its architects are taking monumental strides to change the nature of the presentation. Gone is the five-nominee Best Picture, replaced by a ten-film escapade with first, second, and third place voting. The elongated features that used to make the show convolutedly unique have been scrapped for shorter, attention-pleasing spots. America has a massive case of ADD, and there just isn’t enough Ritalin to go around.

Let’s congratulate the Golden Globes, then, on making a spectacular choice for this year’s awards, selecting the multi-talented Ricky Gervais for a host. Gervais has a dark, intellectual sort of humor, which manages to appeal to the masses while also tickling the stuffiness of higher viewers. He has a startling ability to mock the people who love him, yet win their praise at the same time. Perhaps he’s found a vein into the one humble quality collective society has left: the refreshing ability to laugh at oneself.

I expect Gervais to make this year’s Golden Globes exponentially more interesting. You know he’s good for several uproarious laughs, a healthy dose of cynicism, and even a few moral condemnations. Could Gervais be the new friend that turns Oscar into the once-famous older brother who now resides embarrassingly in his sibling’s shadow? (See Dillon, Matt).

More importantly, how will the Academy respond? I don’t know if bringing back Billy Crystal for the zillionth time will do it (nor would he want to yet again). Hugh Jackman was a nice touch last year as a break from tradition. I say find another intriguing type, like Ricky Gervais.

Oh wait…little brother already got him. Big Brother will be observing with envious eyes.