2013 Golden Globes: Predictions and Proclamations

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To get you prepared for the upcoming ceremony, we’re posting our own predictions and proclamations, taking a look at who will win, who should win and who got snubbed.

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Nominated: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Les Miserables, Moonrise Kingdom, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Silver Linings Playbook

Who Will Win: Les Miserables
Part of the problem with lumping musicals in with the comedies is that as a result, you’re often comparing apples and oranges, and that’s the case here. There’s nothing funny about the nearly three-hour cryfest that is Les Miserables, and its well-executed drama will certainly be rewarded—but it shouldn’t be at the expense of other deserving comedies.

Who Should Win: Moonrise Kingdom
After seven features, a Wes Anderson production is unmistakable: white, upper-middle-class dysfunctional families deadpanning wry dialogue amid meticulous mise-en-scène to an eclectic soundtrack. Also: exquisite, often centered, shot compositions; uninterrupted lateral tracking camerawork through dollhouse-like sets; and inserts of quasi-obscure cultural objects. The auteur’s calculated quality persists in his latest film as well, but where his past work can come off as chilly and detached, Moonrise Kingdom exudes a warmth and innocence generated by the earnest adolescent romance at its core.—Annlee Ellingson

Who Got Snubbed: Safety Not Guaranteed
At the last few Sundance Film Festivals, a running joke has developed about the ubiquity of Mark Duplass. It seems like if he’s not writing and directing an independent film with his brother Jay (Cyrus, Jeff, Who Lives at Home), he’s producing and/or starring in another. But while indie film fans may feel like they’ve gotten a handle on Duplass’s hipster vibe, his performance in Safety Not Guaranteed shows that he can be mysterious as well as funny, brooding as well as charming.—Jeremy Matthews

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Nominated: Emily Blunt (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Maggie Smith (Quartet), Meryl Streep (Hope Springs)

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence
Though Lawrence’s work in Winter’s Bone established her dramatic acting chops, and the Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class franchises displayed her action star potential, Silver Linings Playbook adds romantic lead to the résumé. It’s difficult to think of another young actress so ideally positioned to do whatever she damn well pleases in the coming years.—Michael Burgin

Who Should Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Who Got Snubbed: Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed)
Plaza has earned a reputation for her deadpan wisecracks on TV’s Parks and Recreation and supporting roles in various films. Safety Not Guaranteed lets her showcase her dramatic abilities on top of her comedic skills. She and Mark Duplass work brilliantly off one another, performing a dance of passion and doubt. They give each other the will to embrace the madness, then begin to feel vulnerable and doubt themselves.—Jeremy Mathews

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Nominated: Jack Black (Bernie), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Ewan MacGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Bill Murray (Hyde Park on Hudson)

Who Will Win: Hugh Jackman
As with the best picture category, the obvious drama of Les Miserables will carry it to victory over more comedic performances here. Jackman turned in a solid performance as Jean Valjean, and it will be enough for him to take home a statue.

Who Should Win: Bradley Cooper
As much as David O. Russell’s film has going for it, the peculiar alchemy of Silver Linings Playbook doesn’t work without an excess of both charisma and chemistry in its leads. Though Cooper has received plenty of Hollywood “hunk” coverage, his turn as Pat Solitano is revelatory for its sheer charm and appeal. We’re talking a Category 4 Clooney here.—Michael Burgin

Who Got Snubbed: Jason Segel (Jeff, Who Lives At Home)
Jeff (Jason Segel), who lives at home, is stuck and has been ever since his father died when he was a teen. Jeff seeks meaning in random incidents, looking for signs to guide his actions. In fact, his favorite movie is Signs, M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 movie that perhaps reveals just how long ago the Duplasses first wrote this script. He philosophizes from his mother’s basement from behind his considerable bong. The Duplasses’ approach of “studied improvisation,” which attempts to capture realism by encouraging actors to go off-script and find the authentic emotion in a scene, is especially suited to Jeff. Each is trying to articulate complex thoughts or communicate complicated feelings. In real life, people aren’t so eloquent during highly charged moments—nor are the characters here.—Annlee Ellingson