'The Artist' Leads 2012 Golden Globe Nominees With 6 Nods
BEVERLY HILLS (CBS/AP) — Silent movie "The Artist" painted a pretty picture at the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday, leading all movies with six nods overall including best film comedy or musical.
Following "The Artist" among top nominees for the Hollywood awards were "The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man struggling to keep his family together, and civil rights movie "The Help" with five nods each, including both in the key category of best film drama.
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Joining "Descendants" and "The Help" among the films vying for top drama were four movies, "Hugo," "Moneyball," "War Horse" and "The Ides of March."
In addition to "The Artist," the best musical or comedy nominees are: the cancer story "50/50"; Kristen Wiig's wedding romp "Bridesmaids"; Woody Allen's romantic fantasy "Midnight in Paris"; and Michelle Williams' Marilyn Monroe tale "My Week with Marilyn."
Clooney has three nominations. Besides best dramatic actor for "The Descendants," he's up for directing and screenplay for "The Ides of March." For the acting prize, Clooney will compete against his "Ides" star Ryan Gosling, who had a second nomination for best musical or comedy actor for the romance "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
Glenn Close also is a dual contender, as best dramatic actress for the Irish drama "Albert Nobbs" and for best song for writing the lyrics to "Lay Your Head Down," the film's theme tune.
The Golden Globe Awards, which are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are among the most widely-watched honors programs leading up to the Oscars in February. They are good at predicting likely best-picture nominees for the Academy Awards. Not so much at predicting the eventual big Oscar winner, though.
With drinks and dinner, the Globes are a laid-back affair for Hollywood's elite compared to the Oscars. The show turned a bit touchy last year as host Ricky Gervais repeatedly made sharp wisecracks about stars and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 entertainment reporters for overseas outlets that presents the Globes. But Gervais helped give the show a TV ratings boost, and he's been invited back as host for a third-straight year.
Five-time Academy Award and Globe nominee Morgan Freeman - who won the supporting-actor Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby" and a best-actor Globe for "Driving Miss Daisy" - will receive the group's Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Jan. 15 ceremony.
Thursday's nominations in 25 film and television categories were announced by actors Sofia Vergara, Woody Harrelson and Gerard Butler.
