Your Perfect 2011 Golden Globe Scorecard

The Golden Globes unleash their award show fury tomorrow, January 15th at 5pm West Coast time, and while many will be talking about red carpet fashion, you are preparing for your perfect Golden Globe scorecard. Yes, you will be shouting out every single winner before its announced. And how is that? Well, because you've read Crack My Story's Golden Globe edition.

MOVIE GOLDEN GLOBES

Best Motion Picture Drama

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The King's Speech

The Social Network

This is one of the better GG races in years, but The Social Network should get the most likes, primarily due to its thematic resonance on our attention-seeking social media generation. Close secondary contenders are The King's Speech or Black Swan (for a surprise). But my vote is The Social Network, which already won The Critic's Choice.

Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

Alice in Wonderland

Burlesque

The Kids Are All Right

Red

The Tourist

A joke of a category, with two action thrillers and one action adventure, The Kids Are All Right should be in the drama category, but it will easily win this GG here.

Best Director of a Motion Picture

Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan

David Fincher - The Social Network

Tom Hooper - The King's Speech

Christopher Nolan - Inception

David O Russell - The Fighter

Another close race, but I believe they will favor Aronofsky, a consolation for the lack of a Best Pic award, leaving David Fincher just shy of a win.

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture

Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy - 127 Hours

Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg - The Kids Are All Right

Christopher Nolan - Inception

David Seidler - The King's Speech

Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

There's no denying Sorkin's words leap off the screen, and I think that will earn him the GG.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama

Halle Berry - Frankie and Alice

Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman - Black Swan

Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

A heavy-hitting category, but it's a slam dunk for Natalie Portman.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama

Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network

Colin Firth - The King's Speech

James Franco - 127 Hours

Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine

Mark Wahlberg - The Fighter

It's like Ben Stiller said in Tropic Thunder. You win awards when you go half retard. The stammer portrayed by Colin Firth fits in that category. He'll take home the crown here.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right

Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs

Angelina Jolie - The Tourist

Julianna Moore - The Kids Are All Right

Emma Stone - Easy A

Annette Bening feels like an award winner, and her performance seems the most like a preformance, and she's the most obvious winner.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

Johnny Depp - Alice in Wonderland

Johnny Depp - The Tourist

Paul Giamatti - Barney's Version

Jake Gyllenhaal - Love and Other Drugs

Kevin Spacey - Casino Jack

It's a crime that either Depp role is even nominated. This is a close one between the respected Giamatti and the recognizeale Depp, but I believe Depp for Alice in Wonderland will upset.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams - The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech

Mila Kunis - Black Swan

Melissa Leo - The Fighter

Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom

We'd love Mila flip out over a win, but it's going to Amy Adams for her flip out brawl in The Fighter.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Michael Douglas - Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

Andrew Garfield - The Social Network

Jeremy Renner - The Town

Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

Christian Bale pulls of an absolutely amazing performance and deserves this obvious win.

Best Animated Feature Film

Despicable Me

How To Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Tangled

Toy Story 3

Anyone who has seen Toy Story 3 knows it isn't just the best animated film of the year, it's potentially the best of the year.

Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful

The Concert

The Edge

I Am Love

In a Better World

Not all voters view these films, which is why Javiar Bardem and Biutiful will win as the most recognizable film in the category.

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture

Alexandre Desplat - The King's Speech

Danny Elfman - Alice in Wonderland

AR Rahman - 127 Hours

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross - The Social Network

Hans Zimmer - Inception

A lot of great composers, but the amazing Social Network score will win the NIN founder Trent Reznor his first GG.

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture

Bound to You - Burlesque

Coming Home - Country Song

I See The Light - Tangled

There is a Place for Us - Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

You Haven't Seen the Last of Me - Burlesque

Regardless of which song is best, I think Country Strong has a good chance of beating Christina's dual nominations, but the favorite is actually Cher's You Haven't Seen the Last of Me. I predict Country Strong.

TV GOLDEN GLOBES

Best TV Series Drama

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

The Good Wife

Mad Men

The Walking Dead

A hard win for Mad Men to repeat, Boardwalk Empire is a fresh win for the category.

Best TV Series Comedy or Musical

30 Rock

The Big Bang Theory

The Big C

Glee

Modern Family

Nurse Jackie

A lot of tough contenders, but I think Hollywood favorite Modern Family will take it again. People are over Glee.

Best Actress in a TV Drama

Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife

Elizabeth Moss - Mad Men

Piper Perabo - Covert Affairs

Katey Sagal - Sons of Anarchy

Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

Julianna Margulies is just too good on this network drama.

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

Michael C Hall - Dexter

Jon Hamm - Mad Men

Hugh Laurie - House

One of the toughest GG categories, I think Cranston will edge out Hamm and Laurie, although Buscemi could be a surprise win.

Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical

Toni Collette - United States of Tara

Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie

Tina Fey - 30 Rock

Laura Linney - The Big C

Lea Michele - Glee

Cancer will win over the mixed bag here. I mean, Laura Linney.

Best Actor in a TV Comedy or Musical

Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Steve Carell - The Office

Thomas Jane - Hung

Matthew Morrison - Glee

Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Steve Carell deserves some praise for his run on the Office, but Jim Parsons is too good as uber-geek Sheldon Cooper.

To close, I'm just not familiar enough with the Miniseries categories to guess those, but if I had to guess, I'd say Pacific for Miniseries, Al Pacino and Claire Danes for the acting nods. I feel strongly about my scorecard for these 20 categories. Care to disagree? Let me know.

How to ID Award-Deserving Storytelling?

Some of us might know why we think Black Swan or The Social Network is good story-telling. Often times we can feel it. But in Hollywood, story-tellers are busy looking at the architecture of the story. We’re analyzing the moving parts, using words like character arcs, climax, theme, and rising tension.

And knowing a little more about these terms and their causal relationship with each other, can not only help you decide what you think about the recent Award nominees, but you’ll sound pretty smart on the upcoming Award nights evaluating the array of candidates.

1) Theme

Wait, does every movie need a theme? Well, no, but every good movie should have something to say. Some point-of-view. And that’s the theme. The message. The moral. We’ve been graced before with poignant movies like The Godfather, where the theme is: Using power and might to protect a family only destroys the family. Even our pulpy flicks like Star Wars or Harry Potter thematically state how good can only triumph over evil with courage and teamwork. So when you think about a movie like Black Swan, True Grit, The Social Network, The King’s Speech, The Fighter, or 127 Hours, what are these movies saying? What's their message?

2) Climax

You know that big final moment at the end of the third act that brings all of the questions of the movie to a close. That's the climax and the way the character finally handles the story conflict dictates the theme. In the Godfather, Michael’s final choice to close the door on his wife shows how he has closed the door on his own family, killing the family man he once was, and becoming the Godfather. How do the choices that the protagonists face at the climax of the award pics affect their theme? What is Social Network saying when “Mark Zuckerberg” allows his best friend to be cut out of the company? What is Black Swan saying when Nina takes the stage for her final performance?

3) Character Arc

Not every movie has a character arc, Zack. Well, did you know that the lack of change is also an arc? Like when a character maintains his willpower in the face of adversity. He didn’t change, but he was tested, and he emerged without changing or caving. Or a character that reveals their true nature. That’s an arc too. A character arc is simply the relationship between who the protagonist is at the start of the movie and who they are at the end. And their final test that determines the nature of their arc: you guessed it, the climax! And the lesson they learn or that is demonstrated by their actions: right again, it’s the theme! How does Nina Sayers, Rooster Cogburn, Mark Zuckerberg, King George VI, Mickey and Dickie, or Aron Ralston change by the end of their stories? What does that say about the theme?

4) Rising Tension

What, that the movie gets more exciting as we get towards the end? Yes. But there is another side to this. A well-executed rising tension doesn’t just keep you wanting to know what will happen next. It presents you with two specific options. The good ending and the bad ending. And you suddenly find yourself hoping for the good ending and fearing for the bad one. And it’s that ping-pong game of expectations that causes you to wring your hands during a good movie. Ambiguity is not a movie’s friend, because it prevents the audience from imagining the horror of a bad conclusion and the joy of a good one. And guess what? This hope and fear directly ties in to the two possible ways a hero can handle the climax, which determines their arc and decides the theme. So connected! So what are our specific hopes and fears for the five previous mentioned award pic characters?

When you stop to think about how the craft of that story was put together, you might suddenly realize while you may love MOVIE A because of some specific element, MOVIE B is actually put together with a lot more finesse. You can certainly appreciate it. And again, you’ll sound great on Award’s nights.

I'll be evaluating these films more closely, but I'd love to know what you think about the Awards' candidates and which movies you think deserve notice and discussion. Leave me comments or write me an email.

Writing Tip #1: How To Generate Story Ideas

Writers should always be writing. But what do you when it's time to start a new project and you are out of ideas. You have nothing! All of your old ideas are crap. And you need gold in a bottle now.

1) Ask.

Remember six months ago when you didn't need an idea, but every party you went to, someone gave you their idea for a movie. "Leave us alone already, we don't want your idea." Until now. Of course, most of the ideas you hear are bad. But, you might hear something you can work with.

Does it matter if you didn't come up with the kernel of the idea? Do we know for sure that Christopher Nolan wasn't sitting around when his stoner friend said "Wouldn't it be awesome if you could travel into someone's dreams, or even better into a dream of their dream?" Most ideas are already represented in the Hollywood or NYC Lit Marketplaces. Your idea is not new. But your style and voice are. The way you will execute the story is. So once again, open yourself up and ask for help.

2) Steal.

Picasso said it best, "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." Find something you like and make it your own. I don't mean rip off a story verbatim. Let's say you love Tron, however the premise doesn't totally make sense. How can a computer program enter the real world?

What if you expanded on that? And now, switch genres. A thriller? What if a criminal mastermind brought a program into the real world that could rob banks. I give you the next heist movie. Or romantic comedy? What if a man made the ultimate computer program for a matchmaking site, only to find when his program came into the real world, he's in love.

Is this Tron? No. But did we steal part of the story? Yes. However, we've added our own twist and our own voice and now it's unrecognizable from Tron. You like Usual Suspects? Put it in high school. You like Harry Met Sally? Put it in a boxing ring. Steal and make it your own.

3) Input.

Find it wherever you can. Go see movies. Go to a theme park. Go see a show. Inspiration can't find you if you don't open yourself to it. Carry around a notebook. Write down anything that interests you. A musician trips on stage. Why? The beginnings of a nervous breakdown? Two costumed characters get into a fight at Disneyland. Could this be a Will Ferrel comedy? Anything that can inspire a character, a scene, a beginning.

Ultimately, idea generation takes time. If you find yourself needing an idea today, you're in trouble. The best thing to do is constantly be looking out for ideas. This should be an ongoing exercise. And the best advice: Carry a notebook or have a doc in your smartphone ready to go. Because you never know when inspiration will strike. You best be ready to record it.

Battle of the Directors: Aronofsky vs Boyle

This winter, several directors released their latest masterpieces to tremendous reviews, and two noteworthy contenders have proved they are real powerhouses. The exciting Danny Boyle, at 54 years of age, brings an uplifting character-centric, true-story 127 Hours, about an isolated mountain climber who becomes trapped in a canyon by a boulder for five days. And across the ring, is the unpredictable and controversial Darren Aronofsky, at 41 years of age, who delivers a disturbing and powerful story of a ballerina who slowly loses her mind as she struggles and competes for the role of The Black Swan.

Darren Aronofsky is at the height of his career, delivering technical knockouts in Pi and Requiem for a Dream, and showing he has some vulnerability as a director in The Wrestler. He took a real hit with the Fountain, but it's one of his few, if any, losses. Now his craft comes to a head, as he shows poise and focus with The Black Swan, a taut thriller in which his tricks of the trade in cinematography, sound design, and editing only serve to elevate this mental roller coaster.

Conversely, Danny Boyle has been a fighter for a while now, marveling the ring with his first miraculous knockout Trainspotting. Since then, he hasn’t always had total critical acclaim, but his quirky interest in the unexplored landscape has brought him hits like A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach. He even reinvented the zombie pic with 28 Days Later. But every fighter has his moment, and after some solid training with Millions and Sunshine, Danny Boyle is proving he can outlast other opponents with a recent string of successes.

So who’s the champion between these two? Both have shown they aren’t afraid to get psychologically down and dirty, both tackling some raw subject matter. This year alone, both magnificent Oscar nominated films, The Black Swan and 127 Hours, have award-winning performances and riveting stories. But Danny Boyle is one of seven directors to win a Golden Globe, Director’s guild, BAFTA and Oscar for the same movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Aronofsky is short in the awards department, but is about to go commercial with a RoboCop remake and X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2, both releasing in 2012. While that move might put him over the edge in box office revenue, currently that category also goes to Danny Boyle. Aranofsky is young, inventive and a true cinematic technician, but most of his films have explored purely the shocking and terrifying elements of human nature. He has yet to bring inspiration and uplifting heart to the screen. Danny Boyle, conversely has more range in his films, from the raw dark characters in Trainspotting, the Horror of 28 Days Later, and the uplifting feel good love story of Slumdog.

Craft alone, both directors are masters, but with his awards, box office, and breadth of genre, Danny Boyle lands a surprising knockout over Aronofsky in this bout.

Who's your pick? Let me know if you agree with the Judge's Ruling. And look for future Battles of the Directors on Crack My Story.