These picks are GOLDEN

How many times can a person use "golden" in the title of blog postings leading up to the "Golden" Globes? I'll let you know after I announce the winners.

A brief caveat to the list of picks which follows: I have not yet seen all of the nominated films/performances. I intend to see as many as possible by Oscar time but for now my selections are principally informed by rumour, award recipients thus far (from the plethora of critics' awards already handed out) and good ol' fashioned gut (that's the second time I got to use "gut" in a post...I love it, and Stephen T. Colbert would love it, too).

As a result, I will spare the who will win/who should win arrangement as I am really in no position to answer the latter. How about a who will win/who I would like to see win solely based on how much I like the person/people involved division? I like it.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Who Will Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Who I Would Like to See Win: Revolutionary Road or Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Who Will Win: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married (see previous post)
Who I Would Like to See Win: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Who Will Win: Sean Penn, Milk
Who I Would Like to See Win: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler or Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Who I Would Like to See Win: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Who I Would Like to See Win: Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey
Who I Would Like to See Win: Hoffman or James Franco, Pineapple Express

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Who Will Win: TIE - Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler and Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Who I Would Like to See Win: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Who Will Win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Who I Would Like to See Win: Ledger (Is there anyone who wouldn't?)

Best Animated Feature Film
Who Will Win: Wall-E
Who I Would Like to See Win: Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
Who Will Win: Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (France)
Who I Would Like to See Win: Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (France)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Who Will Win: Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Who I Would Like to See Win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire or Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Who Will Win: John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
Who I Would Like to See Win: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Who Will Win: Alexandre Despiat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Who I Would Like to See Win: Alexandre Despiat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Who Will Win: Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrestler"
Who I Would Like to See Win: Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrestler"

Best Television Series - Drama
Who Will Win: Mad Men
Who I Would Like to See Win: True Blood

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Who Will Win: Anna Paquin, True Blood
Who I Would Like to See Win: Anna Paquin, True Blood

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Who Will Win: Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Who I Would Like to See Win: Hugh Laurie, House

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: 30 Rock
Who I Would Like to See Win: The Office

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Who I Would Like to See Win: Fey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Who Will Win: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Who I Would Like to See Win: Steve Carell, The Office

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Who Will Win: Recount
Who I Would Like to See Win: Recount

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Who Will Win: Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Who I Would Like to See Win: Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Who Will Win: Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Who I Would Like to See Win: Kevin Spacey, Recount

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Who Will Win: Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Who I Would Like to See Win: Laura Dern, Recount

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Who Will Win: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Who I Would Like to See Win: Harris

Some notes:
* Kate Winslet - much to my dismay and contrary to my previous comment (see Why I will be watching the Golden Globes this Sunday) - is likely to be shut out
* The director who should win is probably not even nominated
* The Best Acress in Television Series - Drama is really a battle of the hot TV newbies: January Jones vs. Anna Paquin
* The lead television acting categories could very likely result in two sweeps (Jones and Hamm for Mad Men and Fey and Baldwin for 30 Rock)
* Jeremy Piven's reign as Supporting Actor could (and should) come to an end this year...God love him, but it's NPH's turn
* The collective acting nominees in the Mini-Series/TV movie categories are all such heavyweights let's be honest- it's really a toss-up as to who will win
* Toughest calls? Sean Penn vs. Mickey Rourke for best actor and the Cruz/Tomei/Winslet split for supporting actress