Every year, the Golden Globes prove a fun prelude to the Academy Awards, where knowing the winners helps even the odds for all you OTB types. It also provides a looser, anything-can-happen atmosphere of drunken debauchery.
This morning they announced the nominees for the 2011 Golden Globes, and as expected "The King's Speech" got the most pre-Oscar glory.
But who scored, and who got snubbed? From a "True Grit" shutout to a "Tourist" takeover(?!), here are the biggest shockers from this morning's Globes nominations.
'The Tourist' is Golden?
In one of the goofier outcomes this year, the past weekend's much crapped-upon box-office flounderer "The Tourist" got a nod for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) plus acting nominations for its A-list leads, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp (not a huge surprise, considering the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has a reputation for honoring mega-stars, despite their worthiness or lack thereof). With a 20 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, we gotta ask the HFPA: Can we have some of what you're smoking?
'127 Hours' doesn't make Best Picture short list.
Looks like Danny Boyle's tale of mountain survival wasn't quite uplifting enough, and its chances of getting an Oscar are now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Things aren't all bleak: star James Franco's "Castaway"-esque solo performance got its expected due, which gives him a leg-up after losing that arm.
'True Grit' shut out entirely.
The Coen Brothers' Western is getting solid advance buzz for itself and straight-shootin' star Jeff Bridges, so where's the love? That little girl from the movie better stop looking for her father's killer and start looking for better representation.
'Toy Stoy 3' gets no play in Best Picture race.
Why, God, why? Seriously, when will these stodgy awards committees get over their tired phobia of animation as some second-class citizen of moviedom? "'Toy Story 3" had a brilliant, punchy script by Michael Arndt, and featured more serious belly-laughs than all four Best Picture - Comedy (or Musical) nominees ("The Tourist," "R.E.D.," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Burlesque") put together.
'Burlesque' fills requisite Best Musical role.
Advance buzz on this Cher/Christina Aguilera pairing had them singing their way into the same camp heaven where "Showgirls" and "Glitter" reside, but "Burlesque" is still in the top 10, which proves it has legs (albeit covered in fishnet). With no other high-profile musicals, this one was a high-heeled shoe-in.
'R.E.D.'?!?!?!
WHAAAAAAAAAA??? We like gun-toting old folks as much as the next guy, but with all the other great action-comedies this year with far superior firepower ("Scott Pilgrim," "Kick-Ass," "The Other Guys"), they pick "Red?" No offense, but we will never underestimate how many geezers the HFPA has again.
Leonardo left out of the party.
Poor Jack Dawson, always stuck in steerage. Leo skillfully navigated the maze of his mind straight into audience's hearts with his multifaceted turn in multiple nominee "Inception," but despite his Scream Award for Best Science Fiction Actor, it looks like he may walk home empty-handed again. No worries, though, his role as J. Edgar Hoover next year already has a nice gold sheen to it.
Javier Bardem loses ground in Oscars race.
With all the raves he was getting for "Biutiful" you'd think Bardem would have been a lock, but it seems playing a dying cancer-ridden gangster trying to reconcile with his son just isn't enough in this day and age. Should have had him save a puppy from a tree as well.
Johnny Depp battles himself (also: Paul Giamatti) in Best Actor (Comedy) race.
Looks like Captain Jack and John Adams are gonna have to take out their muskets for an old-fashioned duel. Giamatti (in for "Barney's Version") has two prior Globe nods under his belt ("Sideways" & "Cinderella Man"), but has famously been shafted. With Depp in for "Alice" and "Tourist," Giamatti has to punch his way through the awards-version of "Double Impact" to finally get the gold.
'Love and Other Drugs' gets a lot of love.
Speaking of high-impact duos, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway both scored Best Actor/Actress (Comedy or Musical) nods. It seems appearing naked together on the cover of Entertainment Weekly helped keep them in voters' minds somehow, but let's hope Paul Giamatti doesn't use the same tact.
Halle Berry's striptease pays off.
When it comes to actors who we never mind being naked, Miss Berry has got to be high up there. Her role in drama "Frankie and Alice" as a woman trying to bridge the racial divide in her multiple personalities could be the beginning of a new phase in the 44-year-old Oscar-winner's career.
Emma Stone FTW!
She just started filming her first blockbuster "Spider-Man" movie, and now Stone is proving how superbad she is by nailing her first Globe nod for her teen temptress role in "Easy A." Blondes do have more fun!
Michael Douglas gets rare acting nom for sequel.
A good chunk of the cast of "Godfather Part II" got Oscar nominations, and Sigourney Weaver managed a nod for "Aliens," but usually all actors get for sequels is a big fat paycheck. Why Douglas, who received top billing in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," got it for Supporting Actor this year we haven't a clue, but the ailing veteran star deserved it for his return to iconic villain Gordon Gekko.
Jeremy Renner making late run in Best Supporting Actor.
After his breakthrough last year in "The Hurt Locker," Renner has become the hottest thing this side of tamales. Between his Best Actor nomination for said Best Picture winner, and appearing in back to back "Mission: Impossible"/"Avengers" blockbusters, he hit "The Town" to make a surprise hit with Ben Affleck and wound up with an icing-on-the-cake Supporting nod.
JT will NOT be bringing the SexyBack.
With "Social Network" cohorts Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield looking pretty good today, let's take this time to remember the less fortunate: Justin Timberlake. He totally held his own with those other two thesps (they were totally in-sync, right? *WINK*) but if the man can bring sexy back he can certainly find another great role.
