The Golden

Globe Awards will be aired this Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

This is where

members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association give out awards, which

more often than not serve as early indicators for which way Oscar will

lean.

The nominees

for Best Drama are "Erin Brockovich," "Billy Elliot,"

"Gladiator," "Sunshine," "Traffic" and "Wonder

Boys." "Billy Elliot" had a lot of buzz a few months ago,

but people have long forgotten the story of the British boy who loves

ballet. The same goes for "Wonder Boys," which hit screens last

February and was never re-released nationwide as promised.

"Traffic"

has garnered a lot of other awards from critics but may be a bit of a

downer, as is "Sunshine," the story of several generations of

a Jewish family in Hungary during the first part of the 20th century.

It is a toss-up

between "Erin Brockovich" and "Gladiator," and whichever

film wins will generate a major push to the Academy Awards. Both films

are excellent, but "Gladiator" should take the prize. It had

excellent performances from Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, great special

effects and felt like an classic epic film. "Brockovich" was

well acted and directed, but felt reminiscent of "A Civil Action."

That's the problem with true stories; sometimes the truth repeats itself.

The nominees

for Best Comedy are "Almost Famous," "Best of Show,"

"Chicken Run," "Chocolat" and "O Brother, Where

Art Thou." "Best of Show" was an almost entirely improvised

film about dog shows and was a favorite among critics, while "Chocolat"

is an artsy type film about a chocolate shop that stirs passions in a

small town in France. It was admired by some and panned by others. Neither

film will win. Nor will "Chicken Run," a claymation film popular

among children and their parents from the summer. The contest is between

the Coen Brothers' "O Brother" and Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical

film, "Almost Famous."

The winner

should be "Almost Famous." Though "O Brother Where Art

Thou" is beautifully filmed and acted, it does not take the audience

anywhere. The film begins with a promise of a wild adventure but ends

without any of the characters or audience members changed. "Almost

Famous" is entirely different. William, the cub reporter for Rolling

Stone, grows up before our eyes and is a symbol for how everyone in that

era grew up seemingly way too fast. The film is about a lot of things

and audiences leave the theater feeling affected.

The nominees

in Best Actor - Drama are Javier Barden, "Before Night Falls";

Russell Crowe, "Gladiator"; Michael Douglas, "Wonder Boys";

Tom Hanks, "Cast Away"; and Geoffery Rush, "Quills."

The winner, running away, is Hanks. He is the heart of "Cast Away"

and keeps the film engaging. Crowe could be a dark horse, but Hanks is

an awards show favorite.

For Best Actor

- Comedy, the nominees are Jim Carrey, "The Grinch"; George

Clooney, "O Brother Where Art Thou"; John Cusack, "High

Fidelity"; Mel Gibson, "What Women Want." The winner is

Jim Carrey by a landslide. He is to "The Grinch" what Hanks

is to "Cast Away" and is as funny as ever. Besides, he makes

the best acceptance speeches.

The nominees

for Best Actress - Drama are Joan Allen, "The Contender"; Bjork,

"Dancer In The Dark"; Ellen Burstyn, "Requiem For A Dream";

Laura Linney, "You Can Count On Me"; and Julia Roberts, "Erin

Brockovich." The winner will be Roberts. It would be nice for Burstyn

to be recognized for an illustrious career or for Linney to nab an Oscar

as an underdog, but Roberts finally earns her medal as an actress as the

tough talking Brockovich, and deservedly so.

The nominees

for Best Actress-Comedy are Juliette Binoche, "Chocolat"; Brenda

Blethyn, "Saving Grace"; Sandra Bullock, "Miss Congeniality";

Tracey Ullman, "Small Time Crooks" and Renee Zellweger, "Nurse

Betty." The winner should be Zellweger who was the life in nearly

every scene of the film, but Ullmam was fantastic as the coarse New Yorker

who yearns to be cultured.

Other winners

should be Steven Soderbergh for director, whether for "Traffic"

or "Erin Brockovich," and Cameron Crowe for Best Screenplay

for "Almost Famous." The Best TV-Drama should be "The West

Wing" and the Best TV-Comedy should be "Malcolm in The Middle."

These may or

may not be the winners, but if the buzz on the streets and from other

critics' awards is correct, this is where the Hollywood Foreign Press

Association is prob ably leaning. However, Pia Izadora once won

a Golden Globe, award and who can even remember why?

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