Golden Globe Musings: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anyone important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Last year’s nominees:
Sandra Bullock (The Proposal)
Marion Cotillard (Nine)
Julia Roberts (Duplicity)
Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

This category is somewhat easier to predict than its dramatic counterpart. That’s because it has two locks, both from the same film: Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) and Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right). Joining them will likely be 2008’s winner Sally Hawkins (Made in Dagenham), though I don’t know if I agree that her film fits the bill of a comedy. Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs) will probably make it in, partially as a result of good will for “The Devil Wears Prada,” for which she was not nominated. Duking it out for the fifth slot, I suspect, are young up-and-comers Rachel McAdams (Morning Glory) and Emma Stone (Easy A). I’m tempted to go with the former, but the latter’s inclusion would be cool. 2005 winner Reese Witherspoon (How Do You Know) could be a contender if her film has some depth, and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) will only place if it turns out that someone (besides me) liked her film. And then there’s wild card Gwyneth Paltrow (Country Strong) in her musical debut, who could seriously shake this category up if she’s received positively (though the latest reports are that the film is being submitted as a drama).

Predicted nominees:
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs)
Sally Hawkins (Made in Dagenham)
Rachel McAdams (Morning Glory)
Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right)