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Awards season is here and we’ve got predictions for the Golden Globes

By the way, whatever happened to Joe Exotic?

PORTLAND, Maine — During the Depression, when America’s economic fortunes were at their lowest ebb, millions of people went to the movies every week. They wanted to escape, and they did, watching some of the most lavish productions ever created by Hollywood. Check out some YouTube clips of Busby Berkeley musicals and you’ll get a good idea of the glamour, the sheer crazy fantasy that moviegoers craved.

Seeing a film in a theater was one of the simple pleasures snatched away by the pandemic. Even so, awards season begins this Sunday with the Golden Globes, handed out by the Hollywood foreign press. Since most of us didn’t see many of the films released in 2020, we asked Mick Pratt of Bull Moose to make some predictions about how the TV awards might play out. Here goes:

5 Bold Predictions for Golden Globes 

Best Drama Series: This is “Lovecraft Country’s” category to lose. “The Mandalorian” has more mass-market appeal and arguably more impact on pop culture (just think about how ubiquitous Baby Yoda is) but “Lovecraft Country” is a more poignant series and the way it reckons with the legacy of its namesake author is astounding. Dishonorable mention here to “Ratched” which is a prequel series no one asked for.

Best TV Motion Picture: “The Queen’s Gambit” did the impossible: made chess cool! This is a coming-of-age story every introverted loner can relate to up to (and including) the “gifted kid burnout” stage of the film. Anya Taylor-Joy also has a shot to win best Actress in a TV movie as well.

Best TV Actor in a Drama Series: Follow me on this one, but “Ozark” is for Jason Bateman what “Breaking Bad” was for Bryan Cranston. It lets a sitcom funnyman flex his acting chops in a dark serious crime thriller. Were it not for “Lovecraft Country” I think “Ozark” would be a prime candidate for Best Drama Series as well.

Best Animated Feature: There isn’t a Best Animated Series Golden Globe Category (for “shame) so we turn instead to Best Animated Feature. While Disney is likely to win with one of their two triple-A titles (“Soul” and “Onward” – both good) my pick is “Wolfwalkers.” It is the 3rd film in a series of films based on Irish folklore from the team behind “The Secret of Kells” and “The Song of the Sea.” If you haven’t yet, please watch this movie.

Biggest Snub: There are many noteworthy snubs but following up their 0-5 Emmy run I want to point to “Tiger King,” the strange Netflix show we were all collectively obsessed with for a few weeks at the start of the pandemic but has since all but evaporated from the cultural consciousness. Hail to The King, baby.

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