Golden Globe Mistakes

I’ve never had much respect for the Golden Globes.

Take, for example, absurdly conflated categories like “Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film,” which pit Stanley Tucci playing Adolf Eichmann in the TV movie Conspiracy against Sean Hayes playing Jack on Will & Grace and Bradley Whitford playing Josh Lyman on The West Wing. (In 2001.) Incomparable!

Or, take the whole delineation between Drama and Musical/Comedy. Giving out the award for “Best Actor – Musical or Comedy” lets us honor such illustrious winners as Richard Gere in Chicago (2002), Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat (2006), Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd (2007), and Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (2009). Performances for the ages.

So it’s no surprise that I take umbrage with some of last night’s winners.

Before I get to them, let me also say how persistently impressed I am with my willingness to pass judgment on movies and shows I have never seen.

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama: Julianna Margulies for “The Good Wife”

Julianna Margulies in "The Good Wide"

I like Julianna Margulies. I like The Good Wife. But, seriously? In its first year? After like eight episodes? I know the Golden Globes likes to honor newcomers, but there was some stiff competition in this category of more-than-deserving leading ladies.

Cases in point: Glenn Close, whose Patty Hewes on Damages is the most thrilling and morally enigmatic TV character since Tony Soprano. And a win for her would’ve made up for Damages’s staggering absence from the Best TV Drama category.

More controversial, I know, is January Jones, who I think is the best thing about Mad Men. She plays a character with no options, with no existing narrative on which to model herself in opposition to her social entrapment — a rare character: one not intellectually or morally strong enough to combat her powerlessness in a way audiences can root for without ambivalence.

The scene in which she confronts Don about his entire identity and her entire marriage — her entire life — being built on quicksand is enough to earn her a Golden Globe many times over, and is certainly more deserving than anything Julianna Margulies has done yet on The Good Wife.

Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical: “Glee”

Glee

I enjoy watching Glee. It’s fun, it’s fluffy, it’s unique. The premise is clever. But it’s not strictly good.

The characters — insofar as they are more than two-dimensional types — have enjoyed little to no development over the first half of the season. The individual episodes’ plot-lines are absurd, and not in a fun way. (Fake pregnancy? A boys versus girls week to spur competitive spirit?) There’s no overall cohesiveness to the narrative or character arc of the program. The raw material is great, but it hasn’t been shaped into anything truly touching or truthful. I do love the musical numbers, though.

Meanwhile, 30 Rock! It’s mature, clever, satirical without being belabored, and eminently quotable. (Liz: “We’re not getting any younger.” Jenna: “You don’t know that thing I sleep in isn’t working!”) The characters are absurd but fully realized — authentic within the skewed world of the show.

Yes, again: beginner’s luck is the Globes’ thing. In that vein, what about Parks and Recreation? Not even nominated. I’m watching it as I type, and I still believe it’s among the best shows on television right now.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side”

Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"

I like Sandra Bullock. I enjoyed The Proposal. Miss Congeniality is great for rainy Sunday afternoons. But, come on. I respect her transformation and the grit of her sassy Christian foster mother — still, the competition this year was fierce, and she was definitely not the strongest contender.

I was rooting for Carey Mulligan, for delivering a truly genuine and stirring portrait of a young woman seduced by a worldly outsider in An Education. If not her, I would’ve like to see Gabourey Sidibe win for Precious, just because she seems so cool. And because Precious is a character diametrically opposed to her real-life personality, a character requiring tremendous subtlety and control.

And Helen Mirren! I actually did see The Last Station, and she was, as always, perfect. It’s hard to be perfect in a role.

Best Motion Picture, Drama: “Avatar”

Avatar

Haven’t seen any of the movies nominated in this category, except Up In The Air. Sight unseen, I was rooting for The Hurt Locker, about which I’ve heard only very positive things. Avatar seems so critically divisive and not actually sophisticated enough as a story to overcome that ambivalence. Cf. Titanic, about which everyone was on the same page: Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Epic. Titanic gave us “I’m the king of the world!” and “Never let go” and even “My heart will go on” — what has Avatar given us? Blue cat aliens.

Let’s hope the Oscars get things right. Or at least that I see the relevant movies before judging the Oscars’ outcomes.

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