And thank you, Brooke Shields!

I've come to terms with the fact that I can't intellectualize my fascination with the cinema award season (maybe I'll come up with something someday), so even acknowledging the general silliness of the Golden Globes, I watched the announcements this morning hoping for at least one moment where my jaw would semi-drop and another where I react like Ja'mie from Summer Heights High when she's told she can't put on a year-eleven formal. I at least got the first one when Rebecca Hall's name was called for Best Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, easily the most overlooked, fantastic performance of this awards season (Colin Farrell's nomination for In Bruges was also a pleasant surprise). There were some disappointments too, though not really in the nominees as much as the omissions (where was Michelle Williams?). I'm pretty fed up with the notion that Rachel Getting Married is one of those "performance movies," where everyone marvels at the actors and has nothing to say about the film as a whole. Usually "performance movies" are relegated to biopics, but I still don't quite fathom why Anne Hathaway is still the only thing in the film getting the attention it deserves. Milk was also mysteriously M.I.A. when the Motion Picture - Drama category was called (as was Doubt), but the fact that Gran Torino (which I admittedly haven't seen yet) was only nominated for "Best Song" (yep) hopefully marks Hollywood's wake-up call to the idea that Clint Eastwood isn't infallible (he never has been). Also, I hope the Academy goes the way of the Globes in keeping accolades for The Dark Knight surrounding Heath Ledger and nothing else (outside of the technical awards). And finally, what an atrocious bunch of foreign-language films! Okay, not really, but I'm ashamed to see a lousy film like I've Loved You So Long and an overrated one like Waltz with Bashir above The Class and even Let the Right One In; if you're curious, here's the full list of the foreign selections for this year's GG. I suppose we can kiss Australia's chances of contending at the Oscars away. Keep in mind this: Last Chance Harvey, 2 nominations; Milk, 1. Anyway, here are the nominees, full list here:

Motion Picture - Drama

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - dir. David Fincher
Frost/Nixon - dir. Ron Howard
The Reader - dir. Stephen Daldry
Revolutionary Road - dir. Sam Mendes
Slumdog Millionaire - dir. Danny Boyle

Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy

Burn After Reading - dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Happy-Go-Lucky - dir. Mike Leigh
In Bruges - dir. Martin McDonagh
Mamma Mia! - dir. Phyllida Lloyd
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - dir. Woody Allen

Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling [really?]
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Actor in Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy

Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco - Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey

Actress in Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy

Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Actor in a Supporting Role

Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder [har har]
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams - Doubt
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Director

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road

Screenplay

Eric Roth, Robin Swicord - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

Animated Film

Bolt - dir. Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Kung Fu Panda - dir. Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
WALL·E - dir. Andrew Stanton

Foreign Language Film

The Baader Meinhof Complex [Der Baader Meinhof Komplex] - dir. Uli Edel - Germany
Everlasting Moments [Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick] - dir. Jan Troell - Sweden
Gomorrah [Gomorra] - dir. Matteo Garrone - Italy
I've Loved You So Long [Il y a longtemps que je t'aime] - dir. Philippe Claudel - France
Waltz with Bashir - dir. Ari Folman - Israel