Golden Globe Nominees: Best Director – Motion Picture

My predictions: 3/5, missing James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino
Who’s missing: Rob Marshall (Nine), Lee Daniels (Precious)

This is quite the list of directors. I really need to get out and see “Avatar” since this is James Cameron’s first nomination since he won for “Titanic,” and buzz for his latest film is insanely strong. It’s also terrific that Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds) is being recognized for his fantastic feature, earning his first nomination since “Pulp Fiction” back in 1994. Despite his Oscar nomination for helming “Juno,” this is actually the first Globe nod for Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and also for Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), who becomes (I think) the fourth woman to earn a nomination in this category (Barbra Streisand is the only winner, for “Yentl” in 1983). The final nominee is a veteran, with six nominations and three wins in this category, and that is Clint Eastwood (Invictus). Interesting to note that “Invictus” was snubbed in the Best Picture category, though Eastwood received two nominations in this category without a Best Picture nod for either in 2006, and directors like Steven Spielberg, who got in here but not in Best Picture in 2005 for “Munich,” have ended up with Oscar nominations down the road.

Who could win? I think it’s going to be a historic win: Kathryn Bigelow.
What does this mean for the Oscar race? It’s good news for everyone nominated, and they could easily make up the Oscar list. It’s bad for “Nine” and director Rob Marshall, who may just have been knocked out of the race. The Oscars usually offer a fifth nominee without a corresponding Best Picture nomination, so there’s still a chance for some other directors to break into the pack.