2013 Golden Globe Awards: Who Do You Think Will Win?

It’s that time of year again, when film stars and television stars come together to celebrate a night of talent and movie magic at the Golden Globes.

 
Hosted by Saturday Night Live alumni and Golden Globe winners Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), the 70^th annual Golden Globe Awards, which air Sunday, January 13^th at 5 p.m. on CTV, are sure to be nothing less than entertaining.

Beyond the humour (and the glamour!) of the Globes, however, I have to say it’s the awards for Best Picture that really get me to tune in, and 2012 certainly produced some unforgettable movies that struck audiences with laughter, thrills and tears. So let’s take a look at the nominations that have members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association faced with some challenging decisions.  
 

This year’s nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama are:

 
Argo
Based on a true story, Ben Affleck’s film takes place during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis. After Iranian soldiers invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, over 50 of the Embassy’s workers are taken hostage, but six manage to escape to the Canadian ambassador’s home. The film follows the CIA as they devise a plan to rescue the six U.S. diplomats. Ben Affleck is also nominated for Best Director alongside Alan Arkin whose up for Best Supporting Actor.
 

Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino returns to the big screen with this American western that follows Jamie Foxx’s character, Django, after he is freed from slavery by a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz). His mission? To find his wife and rescue her from a heartless plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). In typical Tarantino-fashion, there’s plenty of profanity, action and violence.
 

Life of Pi
Based on the highly acclaimed novel by Yann Martel, Life of Pi tells the adventurous journey of a young man castaway at sea with a Bengal tiger. Director Ang Lee is also up for best director for his adaptation of the tale.
 

Lincoln
Set in the midst of the bloodshed of the American Civil War, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln tells the story of America’s 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis), and his struggle to pass the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in order to end slavery. Spielberg is also up for Best Director, Tommy Lee Jones for Best Actor, and Sally Field for Best Supporting Actress.

Zero Dark Thirty
Academy Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow graces us with another nominated film. Zero Dark Thirty tells the story of “the greatest manhunt in history,” the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden after 9-11. Relative newcomer Jessica Chastain is in the running for Best Actress as well.

This year’s nominations for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical are:

 
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel features an all-star British cast, including Dame Judi Dench, who is nominated for Best Actress, Tom Wilkinson and Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire). Directed by John Madden, the film touches on culture, happiness, romance, and self-truth as a group of retirees travel to India to reside in what is advertised as a luxury hotel.

Les Misérables
Based on the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo and the highly acclaimed musical, Les Misérables takes place during revolutionary France and follows the life of Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who agrees to look after a factory worker’s daughter while hiding from the police. It’s a story about justice, love and morality.
Hugh Jackman is nominated for Best Actor for his role in this film, and Anne Hathaway is nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Moonrise Kingdom
With Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and introducing Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, Moonrise Kingdom tells the tale of two love-struck 12-year-olds who run away together from their small town. The scandal causes commotion within the town as parents and neighbours search for the two hopeless romantics.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen sees a consultant, played by Emily Blunt, tasked with a client who wants to bring fly-fishing to the Yemen. She turns to reluctant fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) to help her client redefine what is possible. This romantic comedy has both its stars nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

Silver Lining’s Playbook
After being released from a mental institution, Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves in with his parents in the hopes of getting his life back together and resolving matters with his ex-wife. In doing so, he meets Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a widower with some rather, um, personal difficulties.
 

Critics predict the winners of the esteemed award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, will either be Lincoln or Argo, and the winners for Best Motion Picture ­­– Comedy or Musical, will be Les Misérables or Silver Lining’s Playbook.
 
Who do you think will win?
 
Don’t miss the 70^th annual Golden Globe Awards, January 13 on CTV at 5 p.m.
 
For a list of all the nominations, please visit goldenglobes.org.