Golden Globes Review 2006

Well the awards ceremony is over and the hangovers have begun. For all of us critics it is the time to pick ourselves up, laud our forethought in picking the winners and bemoan how irrational people are in not picking our losers. I will be no exception. I think that most of my picks were spot on. I did a little better in the films than in the television category where a poor season of Desperate Housewives seems to trump a good season of anything else. Hopefully these picks will put a promising spin on the upcoming Oscar race.

Brokeback Mountain was the big winner of the night garnering four awards including Best Picture which was no surprise to anyone. Now let the congratulatory back patting begin as we look back on The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globes awards for.

Best Motion Picture Drama

This one was obvious, Brokeback Mountain all the way it should go the same for the Academy Awards.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Hey for once I got this one right selecting Felicity Huffman for her impressive work in TransAmerica.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Another selection right, this time for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s spot on performance as writer Truman Capote.

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Walk the Line did win the award but did it really belong in this category?

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

Reese Witherspoon had better build another shelf at home for all of these little awards. Now the question comes down to the two horse race for the Oscars between Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

I waffled on this one so I can’t claim it as a win but I’m thrilled that Joaquin Phoenix won this. I’m also relieved to no be the only one who wondered why Walk the Line was nominated as a musical or comedy.

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

Supporting roles is where things usually go bad for me, this year is no exception. Rachel Weisz won for her role in The Constant Gardiner, I picked Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain. I don’t know what to say, I just can’t pick supporting roles.

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

See above. From the previews and the hype I’d have thought George Clooney would have been up for Best Actor but maybe the thinking was that he would face less competition in the supporting category. It seems to have worked. Paul Giamatti seems to be a man whose time has not yet come but if he keeps selecting great material I am sure that it will someday.

Best Foreign Language Film

Paradise Now was a big winner. Sometimes wild guesses do pay off

Best Director - Motion Picture

Ang Lee won for Brokeback Mountain which I did pick. But having an actor/director nominated in the category makes me nervous that Lee might not sweep the awards shows as Best Director.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Another one that I missed completely, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana win for the Brokeback Mountain adaptation of Ossana’s short story.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
I guess the old man did come through as John Williams wins Best Original Score for Memoirs of a Geisha. I guess I should go back to my always pick John Williams to win theory that got me through the 80s and early 90s.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Another miss in the Best Original Song category although I did admit that I didn’t remember any of the songs. A Love that Will Never Grow Old from Brokeback Mountain is the winner, now the only question is, will Mariah Carey sing it on Oscar night? Let’s hope not as last year’s Best Original Song performances by randomly selected popular celebrities were lackluster at best.

Television

There is a reason I don’t review television, I’m just not as good to it.

Best Television Series - Drama

Yay Lost, sometimes they do give awards to good shows. And sometimes people even watch the good shows. Sorry Firefly, Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, Freaks and Geeks and all of the other shows that never seem to get the recognition they deserve.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

So I got this one wrong, my selection, Kristin Bell from Veronica Mars wasn’t even nominated. Geena Davis wins for her role as the president in Commander in Chief. It remains to be seen if she again wins worst dressed which has been a category she has dominated in during her career.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Hugh Laurie is a repeat winner as Dr. House. No one is surprised.

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy

I find it hard to believe Desperate Housewives was nominated as a comedy. I find it even harder to believe that it won best comedy after such as lackluster season.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

I’m surprised I called this one right but Mary-Louise Parker steals a win from the ladies of Wisteria Lane for her work in Weeds.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Another surprise, I thought that Jason Lee was a lock for this one but Steve Carell walks away with the award for his work on 40 Year Old Virgin, I mean The Office.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Empire Falls, I don’t know why, but I was right.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or motion Picture Made for Television

I didn’t get this one right and I feel bad about it because I really thought Cynthia Nixon deserved it. But the award goes to S. Epatha Merkerson for her role in Lackawanna Blues.

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

Another miss, I just must not watch that many mini-series. Jonathan Rhys Meyers wins for his Elvis impersonation.

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

Despite the bredth of the category I hit the nail on the head picking Sandra Oh to win for her role on Grey’s Anatomy.

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

This one surprised me, octogenarian Paul Newman wins for his role as a family patriarch in Empire Falls.

It goes to show why I write about movies, my prediction percentage for films is .583 and my prediction percentage for television is .455. So at least in my own supposed area of expertise I am batting over .500. Not that statistics are everything, if they were then Star Wars Episode III and CSI would be winning all of the awards.

Related posts:

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