My 2012 Golden Globes Picks

I don't know if anyone wants to hear my completely biased opinions, but here they are! A few caveats: When I haven't seen anything nominated in a category, or have seen only one thing but didn't particularly like it, my pick may be based on someone's previous work, fondness for a writer . . . whatever. Also: once again, given how much TV I watch, I'm always surprised at how little of it is nominated for things. Sign of my bad taste? Wrong things being nominated? Probably both! And: I'm baffled that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy wasn't nominated for anything, and am wondering if it wasn't eligible for some reason I don't see. I'm acting as though it were eligible, though. And finally: I am abandoning italics for the rest of this post because otherwise it will take forever.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
The Nominees: The Descendants, The Help, Hugo, The Ides Of March, Moneyball, War Horse
I've Seen: None? Weird.
I Pick: Moneyball. In lieu of other data, I fall back to Sorkin loyalty.
My Dream Pick: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
The Nominees: Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis – The Help, Rooney Mara – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Meryl Streep – Iron Lady, Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin
I've Seen: Dragon Tattoo.
I Pick: Rooney Mara, though I've heard great things about Swinton in that role.
My Dream Pick: Rooney Mara, actually.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
The Nominees: George Clooney – The Descendants, Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar, Michael Fassbender – Shame, Ryan Gosling – The Ides Of March, Brad Pitt – Moneyball
I've Seen: J. Edgar
I Pick: DiCaprio did a good job in J. Edgar, but I wanted Fassbander to get All The Awards for Jane Eyre last year, so I'd be happy if he won, too.
My Dream Pick: Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: 50/50, The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight In Paris, My Week With Marilyn
I've Seen: Midnight in Paris
I Pick: Midnight in Paris was fun! But I've heard good things about all the rest as well, and they're all on my to-see list.
My Dream Pick: ...I guess Midnight in Paris? I can't think of anything else offhand.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: Jodie Foster – Carnage, Charlize Theron – Young Adult, Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids, Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn, Kate Winslet – Carnage
I've Seen: None.
I Pick: Michelle Williams.
My Dream Pick: Uh... I'm just not big on comedies, I guess. I can't even think of any others I saw.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: Jean Dujardin – The Artist, Brendan Gleeson – The Guard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt – 50/50, Ryan Gosling – Crazy, Stupid, Love., Owen Wilson – Midnight In Paris
I've Seen: Midnight in Paris.
I Pick: I'm not an Owen Wilson fan in general, but I thought he was really good in that. I would also never object to a win by Gordon-Levitt or Gosling.
My Dream Pick: ...meh?

Best Animated Feature Film
The Nominees: The Adventures Of Tintin, Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, Puss In Boots, Rango
I've Seen: None.
I Pick: Tintin! Because I love the books and show.
My Dream Pick: I'm not sure I saw a single animated feature this year. Why are you guys even reading this? This is so boring! I have seen nothing!

Best Foreign Language Film
The Nominees: The Flowers Of War (China), In The Land Of Blood And Honey (United States), The Kid With A Bike (Belgium), A Separation (Iran), The Skin I Live In (Spain)
I've Seen: None. I really need to work on this before the Oscars.
I Pick: I've heard really good things about A Separation.
My Dream Pick: We'll go with A Separation.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
The Nominees: Berenice Bejo – The Artist, Jessica Chastain – The Help, Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs, Octavia Spencer – The Help, Shailene Woodley – The Descendants
I've Seen: None.
I Pick: Shailene Woodley, because how awesome would it be to see the kid from Secret Life make good?
My Dream Pick: Maybe Maggie Smith for Harry Potter. Unless Emma Watson would count as supporting? Because then her, definitely.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
The Nominees: Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn, Albert Brooks – Drive, Jonah Hill – Moneyball, Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method, Christopher Plummer – Beginners
I've Seen: None.
I Pick: Christopher Plummer, because I think he deserved a nomination for Dragon Tattoo.
My Dream Pick: Benedict Cumberbatch for Tinker, Tailor.

Best Director - Motion Picture
The Nominees: Woody Allen – Midnight In Paris, George Clooney – The Ides Of March, Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist, Alexander Payne – The Descendants, Martin Scorsese – Hugo
I've Seen: Midnight in Paris.
I Pick: Yeah, that was well-directed.
My Dream Pick: Thomas Alfredson for Tinker, Tailor.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
The Nominees: Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist, Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne, Jim Rash - The Descendants, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon - The Ides Of March, Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris, Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian - Moneyball
I've Seen: Midnight in Paris.
I Pick: Moneyball. I don't have to see it to know Sorkin's my favorite writer.
My Dream Pick: Yep. That. Plus: I'm not sure if they include adapted screenplays, but I thought Dragon Tattoo and Tinker Tailor were both quite good adaptations.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
The Nominees: Ludovic Bource - The Artist, Abel Korzeniowski - W.E., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Howard Shore - Hugo, John Williams - War Horse
I've Seen: Dragon Tattoo.
I Pick: The Dragon Tattoo score was really good.
My Dream Pick: That was good, and the Tinker, Tailor score was good too. So was Harry Potter, actually.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
The Nominees: "Hello Hello" – Gnomeo & Juliet, "Keeper, The" – Machine Gun Preacher, "Lay Your Head Down" – Albert Nobbs, "Living Proof, The" – The Help, "Masterpiece" – W.E.
I've Seen: None. Whatever happened to W.E.? Did that even get into wide release?
I Pick: Of the musicians, I like Chris Cornell's stuff best in general, so I'll go with "The Keeper."
My Dream Pick: I wish Muse had written a song for the latest Twilight, because then I could say that.

Best Television Series - Drama
The Nominees: American Horror Story (FX), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Boss (STARZ), Game Of Thrones (HBO), Homeland (SHOWTIME)
I've Seen: Some of Game of Thrones.
I Pick: Game of Thrones or Homeland (which is on my DVR waiting for me).
My Dream Pick: The Vampire Diaries or Justified.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama
The Nominees: Claire Danes – Homeland (SHOWTIME), Mireille Enos – The Killing, Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS), Madeleine Stowe – Revenge, Callie Thorne – Necessary Roughness
I've Seen: The Good Wife, Revenge, some of Necessary Roughness.
I Pick: Julianna Margulies.
My Dream Pick: Nina Dobrev, who consistently makes me forget that two characters are being played by the same actress.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
The Nominees: Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad, Kelsey Grammer – Boss (STARZ), Jeremy Irons – The Borgias, Damian Lewis – Homeland (SHOWTIME)
I've Seen: Some of The Borgias.
I Pick: Jeremy Irons.
My Dream Pick: Timothy Olyphant for Justified.

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: Enlightened (HBO), Episodes (SHOWTIME), Glee (FOX), Modern Family (ABC), New Girl (FOX)
I've Seen: Some of New Girl, past seasons of Glee.
I Pick: Uh, anything but those two I've seen, really.
My Dream Pick: Community.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: Laura Dern – Enlightened (HBO), Zooey Deschanel – New Girl (FOX), Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC), Laura Linney – The Big C (Showtime), Amy Poehler – Parks And Recreation
I've Seen: Some of New Girl, some of past seasons of 30 Rock and Parks and Rec.
I Pick: Anyone but Zooey? I guess Amy Poehler.
My Dream Pick: Maybe Alyson Hannigan. Is that a lead role? I only watch two comedies and I'm not sure either of them have female lead roles.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
The Nominees: Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC), David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME), Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Thomas Jane – Hung (HBO), Matt LeBlanc – Episodes (SHOWTIME)
I've Seen: Some of past seasons of 30 Rock and The Big Bang Theory.
I Pick: Don't make me?
My Dream Pick: Joel McHale.

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Nominees: Cinema Verite (HBO), Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS), The Hour (BBC America), Mildred Pierce (HBO), Too Big To Fail (HBO)
I've Seen: Downton Abbey, The Hour
I Pick: Downton Abbey, though The Hour is a close second.
My Dream Pick: Downton Abbey.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Nominees: Romola Garai – The Hour (BBC AMERICA), Diane Lane – Cinema Verite (HBO), Elizabeth McGovern – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS), Emily Watson – Appropriate Adult, Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce (HBO)
I've Seen: The Hour, Downton Abbey
I Pick: Romola Garai.
My Dream Pick: Romola Garai.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Nominees: Hugh Bonneville – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS), Idris Elba – Luther, William Hurt – Too Big To Fail (HBO), Bill Nighy – Page Eight (Masterpiece), Dominic West – The Hour (BBC AMERICA)
I've Seen: Downton Abbey, The Hour.
I Pick: Dominic West.
My Dream Pick: Rufus Sewell for Zen.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Nominees: Jessica Lange – American Horror Story (FX), Kelly MacDonald – Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS), Sofia Vergara – Modern Family (ABC), Evan Rachel Wood – Mildred Pierce (HBO)
I've Seen: Downton Abbey.
I Pick: Maggie Smith.
My Dream Pick: Maggie Smith, or Archie Panjabi for The Good Wife.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Nominees: Peter Dinklage – Game Of Thrones (HBO), Paul Giamatti – Too Big To Fail (HBO), Guy Pearce – Mildred Pierce (HBO), Tim Robbins – Cinema Verite (HBO), Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (ABC)
I've Seen: Some of Game of Thrones.
I Pick: Peter Dinklage.
My Dream Pick: Any of three guys from The Good Wife: Josh Charles, Alan Cumming, Matt Czuchry. Each deserves it, really.