This morning, the nominees for the 74th annual Golden Globes were announced.  For those of you who may not know what the Golden Globes are, I will briefly explain.  They are arguably the second highest award given in the movie industry behind the Academy Awards.  In addition, they also often serve as a pre-cursor for the Academy Awards nominations, which have not yet been announced.  The major difference is that the Golden Globe nominees and winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, while the Academy Awards (Oscars) are chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Also, the Golden Globes are one of the most prestigious awards given out in the television industry as well.  Since we focus on movies here, let’s take a look at some of the nominees and give some predictions too, shall we?

***The predictions I make below for the following categories are solely based off my opinion of who will actually win.  It does not necessarily reflect my own personal choice of winner(s), since I have seen several, but not all, of the nominated films yet.

Best Picture (Drama)

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  These big-time awards organizations love a good military flick, but they don’t love Mel Gibson.  Perhaps this is the first chapter in Gibson’s redemption story.  As noted in my review, Hell or High Water is my most underrated film of the year.  I am pleasantly surprised it is getting the recognition it deserves.  I am very excited to see both Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea, as they are both what I like to call “life movies” about real life situations relatable to just about everyone who will be watching them .  I am a big fan of Dev Patel, and have heard Lion may be his best work so far in his young career.  I don’t know if it will get enough buzz around it, though, to get it over the hump.

PREDICTION: Manchester by the Sea

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)

20^th Century Women

Deadpool

Florence Foster Jenkins

La La Land

Sing Street

The fact that Deadpool made this list is a comedy in itself.  I enjoyed the movie, but a vulgar, twisted superhero flick that makes fun of itself does not belong at the Golden Globes.  People’s Choice Awards? Sure. Not here.  If Hell or High Water was my most underrated movie of the year, then Sing Street was a close second.  I feel like a lot of people haven’t heard of this movie.  Every time I have recommended it to anyone this year I’ve gotten the same response: “What’s that? Who’s in it? When did that come out?”  It’s an awesome movie with an awesome soundtrack, but competing against a Meryl Streep movie in Florence Foster Jenkins, or the perennial favorite La La Land, will make it very tough to come out with the win.

PREDICTION: La La Land

Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)

Amy Adams, Arrival

Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Ruth Negga, Loving

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Ironically, two of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen revolved around two of the movies in this category: an HBO documentary on the Loving story and a History Channel documentary on the first 48 hours after President Kennedy’s assassination.  I think Portman is the favorite here, depicting Jackie Kennedy in her darkest hours after the assassination of her husband and our President, JFK.  I can’t wait to see this movie.  It’s been a story that I’ve felt for quite some time now that needs to be told on the big screen.  I’m equally glad that Ruth Negga’s portrayal of Mildred Loving has been recognized as well.  Hopefully a movie like this can help to eliminate hate and promote understanding, tolererance and equality in the very least.  No surprise to see Adams and Chastain here, and I admit I don’t know much about Elle.  If Jackie and Portman’s performance both back up the hype, then this one may wind up being a lay-up.

PREDICTION: Natalie Portman, Jackie 

Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)

Annette Bening, 20^th Century Women

Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply

Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen

Emma Stone, La La Land

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

There are some things in life that you just don’t do.  For example, I would never bet against the Patriots at home, and I wouldn’t ever bet against Meryl Streep.  With that said, I don’t know why, but my gut tells me to go with the upset here (anyone winning against Meryl in a category is an upset at this point).

PREDICTION: Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama)

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Joel Edgerton, Loving

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington, Fences

This category appears to be very even.  I could see any of these guys winning the award.  I personally am going to be pulling for my favorite of all-time, Denzel Washington.  However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the HFPA feels the safest thing to do is to go chalk here and award the favorite.

PREDICTION: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)

Colin Farrell, The Lobster

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins

Jonah Hill, War Dogs

Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

The Lobster was one of the weirdest movies of the year, but a lot of critics loved its originality.  Gosling had a nice year with La La Land and The Nice Guys, but he pulls in a nomination for the former.  I think Hugh Grant COULD win this, but more and more it appears that La La Land may be an instant classic and rewarded as such.

PREDICTION: Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

This list is a who’s who in “top of the crop” actresses.  All five of them are leading ladies in their own right.  Also, we have not one, not two, but three amazing women of color who absolutely belong here! I can see the fallout already if one of them doesn’t bring home the victory.  Last year’s awards season was a well-documented travesty in terms of the lack of diversity in the nominees.  Thankfully, this year appears to be a different story.

PREDICTION: Naomie Harris, Moonlight  

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins

Dev Patel, Lion

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals              

I raved about Jeff Bridges performance in Hell or High Water when I wrote my review, and it appears my prediction has come to fruition that he should and will get recognized for this performance come nomination time.  I didn’t know much about Mahershala Ali before this year, but I definitely know who he is now.  He was also really good this year in Free State of Jones, and is in Hidden Figures, which is set to be released in a few weeks.  I mentioned the buzz I’ve heard about Patel earlier, but I must say…Aaron Taylor-Johnson did an amazing job in Nocturnal Animals.  Regardless of if he wins or not, I just know that I left the theater hating his guts, which means he did a masterful job of making his character real.  I think Michael Shannon was snubbed here, though, for his role in the same movie.

PREDICTION: Dev Patel, Lion

Best Director, Motion Picture

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals

Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

This is another tough category to pick a clear winner.  I really enjoyed the rawness and unique flow and style of Nocturnal Animals, and I know the HFPA loves a good war biopic and those “life movies” we talked about earlier, but they also love musicals.  As much as I really appreciated his work, I just can’t see them awarding Tom Ford the outsider here, just as much as I equally can’t see Mel Gibson being rewarded and taken off the Hollywood “blacklist (at least not yet).”

PREDICTION: Damien Chazelle, La La Land                

Here are the rest of my predictions from the motion picture category:

Best Screenplay

La La Land

Nocturnal Animals

Moonlight

Manchester by the Sea

Hell or High Water

Best Original Score

Moonlight

La La Land

Arrival

Lion

Hidden Figures

Best Original Song

“Cant Stop the Feeling” – Trolls

“City of Stars” – La La Land

“Faith” – Sing

“Gold” – Gold

“How Far I’ll Go” – Moana                

Side note… I think either “Drive It Like You Stole It” or “To Find You” from Sing Street should’ve been nominated here.  If you nominate the movie for Best Picture Musical or Comedy, then how does it not have a song from the movie represented in this category?!  Maybe the Academy won’t make this same mistake that the HFPA did.  If you haven’t heard either of them, I suggest you Google them or pull them up on your favorite music app.  I would’ve liked to have seen “Heathens” from Suicide Squad here too.

Best Animated Motion Picture

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

Sing

Zootopia

Best Foreign Language Film (This is just a shot in the dark because I obviously have NO idea)

Divines

Elle

Neruda

The Salesman

Toni Erdmann

BY: CHRIS GUEST