Poll: Who'll win the Golden Globe for best drama actor? George Clooney? Jeff Bridges?
The reason that "Up in the Air" soared off with the most Golden Globe nominations is obvious: Everybody's gone Clooney-crazy this year. So doesn't that mean that George will automatically win best drama actor?
Hold your horses, Derbyites! Golden Globe voters like to spread their gold around. As things stand now, most pundits predict that "Up in the Air" will win best drama picture. Sometimes voters give out a best-actor bookend with the Globe prize (Leo DiCaprio won for best picture champ "The Aviator," Russell Crowe won for best pic "A Beautiful Mind"), but often they don't (Crowe didn't win for best pic "Gladiator").
Globe voters like big, hambone performances, the showier the better, like the last two previous winners: Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler") and Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"). If that same pattern repeats, then Jeff Bridges has the edge for stumbling around drunk, flashing lots of ham while shirtless and howling hillbilly tunes and acting all angst-beset and doomed in "Crazy Heart."
Bridges is Globeless in addition to being Oscarless, having lost both contests four times. Clooney won both awards in the supporting slot for "Syriana" and in the lead Globe race for "O Brother Where Art Thou."
If votes split between Clooney and Bridges, there's a slight chance that Morgan Freeman ("Invictus") could prevail. It's a grand portrayal, packed with pork, of a real person (saintly Nelson Mandela) — that's always a plus — but voters don't seem to like "Invictus" much. They didn't nominate it for best picture. Freeman won a Globe for "Driving Miss Daisy."
Apologies to Tobey Maguire and Colin Firth, but I don't think they have a prayer. Firth maybe. Sometimes voters like to take surprising artsy turns, but we tend to see that more in the actress race (Brendan Blethyn in "Secrets and Lies," Felicity Huffman in "Transamerica"). Both are Globeless, both now enjoying their first bids.
Left photo: A scene from "Up in the Air." Credit: Paramount
Right photo: A scene from "Crazy Heart." Credit: Fox Searchlight
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why are votes excluded?at least mine are.sorry,but it is discrimination for some countries?I'm voting for one week once per day and my votes don´t appear.I'm votimg for Colin Firth.
Posted by: cathy | December 25, 2009 at 12:40 AM
George Clooney did NOTHING he hasn't done a zillion times before. If I see him look down and then look up and do that cock ing his head maneuver one more time I think I will scream.
I just saw Bridges in Crazy Heart and he deserves every honor that comes his way. I also like it that he's not desperate to be a star.
Posted by: Victoria | December 18, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Colin Firth is a solid contender but if "A Single Man" doesn't get wide enough release then he won't have much of a chance come Oscar time. His best bet will be that Clooney and Freeman split the votes. Clooney will get the GG because GG will prefer to go with the hot star of now than be sentimental like the Oscars. But it will be Bridges who will triumph at the Oscars...why? long overdue for Bridges and the Academy loves drunken/down and out performances whose character redeem and triumph in the end.
Posted by: Cisco | December 17, 2009 at 10:16 AM
For someone who claims to have "the inside track on Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and all the award shows", you seem pretty clueless to me, Tom. Colin Firth is getting a LOT of very good press about his breakthrough role in A Single Man, and you obviously haven't even seen the movie. In fact, I have to question if you've seen *any* of the performances you are waxing on about in this blog post...?
Well?
Posted by: RealMcCoyl | December 16, 2009 at 02:00 PM
Colin Firth has no prayer?
I think he's far more likely than Morgan Freeman actually. If Clooney and Bridges split the vote, it'll be Firth, who'll take the stage. But I think for the Globes Clooney seems to be the perfect choice. Anyway, I think he's going to lose the SAG and in the end Bridges will take the Oscar... Overdue factor.
Posted by: Ross | December 16, 2009 at 12:28 PM