Golden Globes 2013 Nominations

Best Picture – Drama

• Argo
• Django Unchained
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Zero Dark Thirty

My Thoughts: No surprises here, except for the absence of “The Master,” which received three other nominations in subsequent categories. Most of these films will probably make the Academy’s list, with the questionable ones being “Django” and “Life of Pi.”

Best Picture – Musical/Comedy

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Les Misérables
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
• Silver Linings Playbook

My Thoughts: This category always gets bloated by some good films but not any serious Oscar contenders. “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” was apparently beloved by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association this year as it scored three nominations. Much good was also said about “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” but it’s not expected to compete. Unfortunately, this was the only (yet deserved) nomination that “Moonrise” received.

Best Director

• Ben Affleck for “Argo”
• Kathryn Bigelow for “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Ang Lee for “Life of Pi”
• Steven Spielberg for “Lincoln”
• Quentin Tarantino for “Django Unchained”

My Thoughts: Three previous Oscar winners here, plus the deserving Ben Affleck. Tarantino’s inclusion better mean that “Django” is exceptional. Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master”) is the odd man out, as is David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”). Considering “Les Misérables” seems like perfect Globes material, Hooper’s direction must not be that memorable.

Best Actor – Drama

• Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln”
• Richard Gere for “Arbitrage”
• John Hawkes for “The Sessions”
• Joaquin Phoenix for “The Master”
• Denzel Washington for “Flight”

My Thoughts: Gere sneaks onto this list do the division between comedy and drama, though I hear he’s great in “Arbitrage.” Otherwise this list is consistent with the Screen Actors Guild and most predictions.

Best Actress – Drama

• Jessica Chastain for “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Marion Cotillard for “Rust and Bone”
• Helen Mirren for “Hitchcock”
• Naomi Watts for “The Impossible”
• Rachel Weisz for “The Deep Blue Sea”

My Thoughts: As with the Screen Actors Guild, no love for indie and foreign films as we saw with the critics awards, hence no Quvenzhané Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) or Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”). Although not many people saw it, Weisz keeps herself in the Oscar mix for “The Deep Blue Sea.”

Best Actor – Musical/Comedy

• Jack Black for “Bernie”
• Bradley Cooper for “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Hugh Jackman for “Les Misérables”
• Ewan McGregor for “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
• Bill Murray for “Hyde Park on Hudson”

My Thoughts: A lot of names here that aren’t considering in contention for the Best Actor Oscar. Jackman and Cooper are the most likely. Black certain deserves this nomination as his role in Richard Linklater’s “Bernie” was one of the best male comedy performances of the year to be sure.

Best Actress – Musical/Comedy

• Emily Blunt for “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
• Judi Dench for “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
• Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Maggie Smith for “Quartet”
• Meryl Streep for “Hope Springs”

My Thoughts: A nod to the young and old here. If you’re Blunt or Lawrence this is elite company. Lots of esteemed older actresses will be at the Globes this year when you add in Helen Mirren from the drama category. If Oscar prognosticators are correct, however, Lawrence should win this category handedly, as the other nominees have either been deemed outside chances or not come up at all.

Best Supporting Actor

• Alan Arkin for “Argo”
• Leonardo DiCaprio for “Django Unchained”
• Philip Seymour Hoffman for “The Master”
• Tommy Lee Jones for “Lincoln”
• Christoph Waltz for “Django Unchained”

My Thoughts: The HFPA’s high thoughts on “Django” awarded it two nominees despite neither actor receiving a SAG nomination. Robert De Niro is surprisingly absent from the list for “Silver Linings Playbook” as a result. Without a Globe or SAG nominations, it appears Matthew McConaughey’s myriad of great performances this year all canceled each other out.

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams for “The Master”
• Sally Field for “Lincoln”
• Anne Hathaway for “Les Misérables”
• Helen Hunt for “The Sessions”
• Nicole Kidman for “The Paperboy”

My Thoughts: A big vote for Adams, who was absent from the SAG nominations thanks to Maggie Smith’s racist role in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” One of these two looks most likely to join the other four names on this list come Oscar time, which appear to be locks. They could both make it in place of Kidman, who was only a mild consideration until her SAG nomination.

Best Screenplay

• “Argo” – Chris Terrio
• “Django Unchained” – Quentin Tarantino
•  ”Lincoln” – Tony Kushner
• “Silver Linings Playbook” – David O. Russell
• “Zero Dark Thirty”  – Mark Boal

My Thoughts: Tarantino gets another big boost here. Considering the Oscars splits these films up into two categories, it makes all of their nominations all the more likely. Tarantino could still miss out if the Academy chooses to nominate “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Looper,” but there might be room for all of them.

Best Animated Film

• Brave
• Frankenweenie
• Hotel Transylvania
• Rise of the Guardians
• Wreck-It Ralph

My Thoughts: “ParaNorman” gets overlooked here for “Hotel Transylvania,” which was one of the year’s highest-grossing animated films, but not anywhere near “Norman” in terms of quality.

Best Foreign Film

• Amour
• A Royal Affair
• The Intouchables
• Kon-Tiki
• Rust and Bone

My Thoughts: “Amour” is poised to win this and the Oscar, so not much else matters. With the Globes rules, both “Rust and Bone” and “The Intouchables” were nominated, which won’t happen at the Oscars.

Best Original Song

• “For You” – Monty Powell, Keith Urban (from “Act of Valor”)
• “Not Running Anymore”  – Jon Bon Jovi (from “Stand Up Guys”)
• “Safe and Sound” –  Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett  (from “The Hunger Games”)
• “Skyfall” –  Adele, Paul Epworth (from “Skyfall”)
• “Suddenly” –  Michel-Claude Schonberg, Alain Boublil (from “Les Misérables”)

Best Original Score

• “Anna Karenina” – Dario Marianelli
• “Argo” – Alexandre Desplat
• “Cloud Atlas” – Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Helm, Tom Tykwer
• “Life of Pi” – Mychael Danna
• “Lincoln” – John Williams