Globes put 'Rev Road,' 'Doubt' back in game

"Revolutionary Road" is ignored no more, "Doubt" gets back in the game, James Franco snags a nomination for -- surprise! -- "Pineapple Express" instead of "Milk," and that San Francisco-set biopic about the life and death of activist Harvey Milk doesn't get the love it deserves.

And where's Clint?

It's all in a day for the Golden Globes.

More far-reaching than the Oscars, with comedy/musical categories, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. passed over the populist, money-making audience favorites this year -- no "Dark Knight" -- and concentrated on niche films like "Frost/Nixon" and "The Reader."

Angelina Jolie and "Changeling" pulled some of their first major nods, having been passed over by many critics groups so far. Clint Eastwood, thought to be a sentimental favorite this awards season for what he's described as his last acting gig in "Gran Torino," was nowhere to be found. Meryl Streep showed up twice, for "Mamma Mia!" and "Doubt."

Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, two of our Oscar picks, are nominated here, and Winslet also scored again as a supporting player in "The Reader."

The most film nods went to "Frost/Nixon" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which has yet to open and prove (or disprove) itself a boxoffice success. "Frost/Nixon," meanwhile, has been tearing up the specialty market with fatter per-screen averages than the top-grossing flicks.

If there's a "Slumdog Millionaire" backlash, it's not on display here, with the film included in the best picture drama category, its director Danny Boyle and its screenwriter Simon Beaufoy also getting nods. Boyle, speaking this morning to "The Today Show," said he and the cast are "a little bit giggly" at the recognition.

"WALL-E" stays in the animated category, not jumping over to best picture as it did with the Los Angeles film critics, and will compete against another Disney flick, "Bolt," and with DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda." Is that what the Oscar derby will look like? Definitely, maybe.

The fun in these nods comes, not surprisingly, from the comedy categories, where Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. were recognized for their outrageousness in "Tropic Thunder," and one of our favorite movies of the year, "In Bruges," scored nominations for co-stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason and for best film/comedy or musical.

Though these awards aren't necessarily predictive of Oscar -- ie Julie Christie's Golden Globe win last year for "Away from Her" did not lead to an Oscar -- but there are a number of foregone conclusions in the nods today, namely, "Gomorra" in the best foreign language category, Heath Ledger as best supporting actor for "The Dark Knight" and Penelope Cruz for best supporting actress in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

More on the noms here, and come back for a dissection of the TV side.