Golden Globe Redux 2007

Golden Globes 2007

Well the results are in and they show once again that predicting awards shows is an inexact science. I did a lot better on the film awards and a lot worse on the television side than I thought I would. Now how much of this is really a predictor for the Oscars is tough. Some of the races, especially best actor and best actress seem like givens, but others, like best picture and best director have now gotten more complex. I guess we will just have to wait a few more weeks and see what transpires.

On the film front:
I missed the big one, Babel won for Best Motion Picture - Drama though since it hasn’t shown in my neck of the woods yet perhaps I can be forgiven for not picking it. It shows that once again complex stories draw voter even if they don’t draw audiences. Martin Scorsese won for Best Director as expected besting Clint Eastwood twice and again splitting the Best Director award from the Best Picture award which is far more common at the Globes than it is during the Oscars. Scorsese’s big consolation is that these days it occurs far more often than in the past.

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy went to Dreamgirls and Best Actor in a musical or comedy went to Sacha Baron Cohen which at least proved my point that Borat would not win both best picture and best actor. Arguably Cohen’s speech was the most amusing point of the evening as he focused on his Borat sidekick yet again. Best Actress in a musical or comedy went to stalwart Meryl Steep for her sixth Golden Globe win.

Best Actor and Best Actress in a Drama were no surprise as frontrunners Forest Whitaker and Helen Mirren took home their respective awards. Could age and experience finally triumph over youth and beauty at the Oscars? Most likely it will.

Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress both went to Dreamgirls cast members. There was no surprise that Jennifer Hudson won for her standout, but hardly supporting role as Effie White, but I must confess myself surprised that Eddie Murphy took home the hardware for his lukewarm role as performer Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls.

Pixar did indeed win the Best Animated Feature statuette as Cars beat out the competition. I have nothing to say about that except that Monster House was more interesting. Letters From Iwo Jima was no surprise as the Best Foreign-Language Film. The Best Screenplay Globe did indeed go to The Queen for its take on recent events though I picked against it.

Best Original Score went to The Painted Veil and the Original Song went to the penguin song ‘The Song of the Heart’ from Happy Feet.

On the television side I picked almost nothing correctly except for the comment that Ugly Betty might do better than expected because of the Foreign Press interest in a show with familiarity and foreign roots.

Best Drama went to Grey’s Anatomy when I thought that 24 had a lock on things. Apparently I was completely mistaken since Hugh Laurie won for Best Actor in a Drama Series beating out Kiefer Sutherland as well. Kyra Sedgewick won once again for her role in The Closer. Ugly Betty took home the awards for Best Musical or Comedy Series and for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series for America Ferrara. The one category I did pick correctly was Alec Baldwin as Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for 30 Rock. The big winners for the supporting roles were Jeremy Irons for his work in Elizabeth I (Sorry again to the other Jeremy, Jeremy Piven.) and Emily Blunt for her role in Gideon’s Daughter. Elizabeth I also won for best Miniseries or TV Movie and for Best Actress Helen Mirren. Note that I did pick Mirren but I took her for her other nominated role in Prime Suspect not in Elizabeth I. Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie went to Bill Nighy for Gideon’s Daughter. It just goes to show that the supporting roles awards should be separated for series and TV movies, it is an entirely different type of acting and relating to a character that doesn’t give as much opportunity to those character that appear week in and week out.

Related posts:

1. Golden Globe Picks 2005
2. Golden Globe Picks 2006
3. Golden Globes 2007 - Television
4. Golden Globes Review 2006
5. Golden Globes 2007 - Film