Golden Globe Musings: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

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 anything 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:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)
Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea)

This category seems like it might be locked up, but that doesn’t account for a Rachel Weisz or a Halle Berry, someone who might have been a contender if the film landed bigger but then ends up being recognized anyway. Though they all could have been considered comedies (I know this may spark debate – I’m merely suggesting that some might have though to submit them as such), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), and Judi Dench (Philomena) are all competing in this race. Sure to join them is Sandra Bullock (Gravity). Bérénice Bejo (The Past) might earn a second nomination for a foreign-language performance, and, if it makes a big enough splash, Kate Winslet (Labor Day) could show up too. I originally had Amy Adams predicted for “American Hustle,” but the word from Gold Derby is that the film will now be considered a comedy, so I’m subbing in Bejo.

Current predictions:
Bérénice Bejo (The Past)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)