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

The competition: Emily Blunt’s enthusiastic fisheries consultant (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Judi Dench’s retiring widow (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Jennifer Lawrence’s eccentric dancer (Silver Linings Playbook), Maggie Smith’s retired opera singer (Quartet), and Meryl Streep’s unhappy housewife (Hope Springs).

For your information: Streep has now earned a massive twenty-five nominations. She won last year for “The Iron Lady,” which marked her seventh victory. Also nominated this year for “Downton Abbey,” Smith is on her eleventh nomination. She has won twice, in 1978 and 1986, for “California Suite” and “A Room with a View,” respectively. Dench is on her tenth nomination, and won once before for her film work, in 1997 for “Mrs. Brown.” Blunt has been nominated three times before, and she won in 2006 for her performance in the TV movie “Gideon’s Daughter.” Lawrence was nominated once before, in 2010 for “Winter’s Bone.” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” and “Silver Linings Playbook” are all nominated for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical.

Who should win? Lawrence, though Smith was fun too

Who will win? If she can eclipse three veteran actresses, Lawrence will take it.