The Golden Globes are tomorrow night, so...

I don’t make predictions-- not in the public square anyhow. If I made predictions, I could be wrong. However, by saying who should win, not only can I not be wrong, but I can be reasonably justified in my picks. I am not in the heads of the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the folks who hand out the Golden Globes), but I do know what I think. So, this is, what could best be described as, a wish list for tomorrow night’s awards (in the movie categories, anyway). You can find the nominees here.

Picture, Drama: Slumdog Millionaire- The most adventurous of the nominees, the best-told story, and flat out just the best-made picture

Picture, Comedy: In Bruges- My pick for the best film of the year overall; simply a perfect film

Actor, Drama: Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- The most difficult part of the lot to play and Pitt succeeded wonderfully in it

Actor, Comedy: Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges- Colin Farrell is the star of the movie, and Ralph Fiennes is steals every scene he is in, but Gleeson holds everything together with a calm demeanor befitting the consummate professional that he is

Actress, Drama: Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married- In the most competitive (see they all deserve to win) category, Hathaway takes on all comers and dispenses them with all the fiery wrath of Shiva the destroyer

Actress, Comedy: Rebecca Hall in Vicky Cristina Barcelona­- The straight-person in Woody Allen’s tale of artists and flakes is a thankless role, and Hall succeeds at making it indispensable to the film

Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt- In the ultimate of tête-à-têtes, Hoffman duels with Meryl Streep and proves once again why he is one of the best at what he does

Supporting Actress: Amy Adams in Doubt- The least showy of the roles in John Patrick Shanley’s magnificent ensemble piece but absolutely crucial, and Adams’ subtle play at innocence maintains the moral center, without which the film would fall apart

Director: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire- He went down into the depths of Mumbai and came out with one of the most innovative and stunning pictures of the year; Boyle is this movie

Screenplay: John Patrick Shanley for Doubt- It doesn’t hurt that the original play is magnificently written, but the ability to make the play work on screen is why Shanley deserves the award

Score: A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire- A wonderful blend of world music and traditional score, Rahman’s music best evoked the mood of the film for which it was written

Song: Bruce Springsteen for “The Wrestler” from The Wrestler- Like Rahman’s score for Slumdog, Springsteen’s song perfectly captures the heart and spirit of the film

Animated: Wall-E- It may be the most beautifully rendered computer-animated film ever, so best animated film of the year seems only fitting

Foreign Language: Il y a longtemps que je t’aime- Based on the strength of the performances alone, this movie deserves the award; never mind the subtle script and appropriately restrained direction