FEINBERG FORECAST: 'The Help' and 'The Artist' Are Early Frontrunners at Globes

Dale Robinette/DreamworksBridesmaids What follows is my first assessment of the Golden Globe Awards' major categories...our editor recommendsRicky Gervais Returning as Host of Golden Globes'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer to Present at THR's Women in Entertainment BreakfastTHR's Directors Roundtable: How to Fire People, Who to Steal From, and Amy Pascal's Secret Advice'The Artist': The Not-So-Silent Entry BEST PICTURE (DRAMA) Frontrunners The Help (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer) The Descendants (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer) War Horse (Disney, 12/25, PG-13, trailer) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Warner Bros., 12/25, TBA, trailer) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Sony, 12/21, TBA, trailer) Major Threats The Ides of March (Sony, 10/14, TBA, trailer) Moneyball (Columbia, 9/23, TBA, trailer) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Focus Features, 12/9, TBA, trailer) J. Edgar (Warner Bros., 11/11, R, trailer) Margin Call (Roadside Attractions, 10/21, R, trailer) Possibilities The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company, 12/30, TBA, teaser) Shame (Fox Searchlight, 12/2, NC-17, trailer) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 (Warner Bros., 7/15, PG-13, trailer) A Dangerous Method (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/23, R, trailer) Super 8 (Paramount, 6/10, PG-13, trailer) The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer) OPINION: Bravo to the HFPA for Bringing Back Ricky Gervais as Golden Globes Host BEST PICTURE (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners The Artist (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, TBA, trailer) Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer) Bridesmaids (Universal, 5/13, R, trailer) Crazy Stupid Love (Warner Bros., 7/29, PG-13, trailer) Carnage (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/16, R, trailer) Major Threats Beginners (Focus Features, 6/3, R, trailer) 50/50 (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer) Young Adult (Paramount, 12/9, R, trailer) My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, R, trailer) The Rum Diary (FilmDistrict, 10/28, R, trailer) Our Idiot Brother (The Weinstein Company, 8/26, R, trailer) Hugo (Paramount, 11/23, PG, trailer) Possibilities Bad Teacher (Sony, 6/24, R, trailer) Friends with Benefits (Sony, 7/22, R, trailer) We Bought a Zoo (20th Century Fox, 12/23, PG, trailer) The Muppets (Disney, 11/23, PG, trailer) The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros., 5/26, R, trailer) The Adventures of Tintin (Paramount, 12/21, PG, trailer) BEST DIRECTOR Frontrunners Alexander Payne (The Descendants) Steven Spielberg (War Horse) Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) Tate Taylor (The Help) Major Threats David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Martin Scorsese (Hugo) Possibilities Steven Spielberg (The Adventures of Tintin) Bennett Miller (Moneyball) Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) Tomas Alfredson (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Jason Reitman (Young Adult) Roman Polanski (Carnage) BEST ACTOR (DRAMA) Frontrunners George Clooney (The Descendants) Brad Pitt (Moneyball) Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Michael Fassbender (Shame) Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Paul Giamatti (Win Win) Ryan Gosling (Drive) Zachary Quinto (Margin Call) Possibilities Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method) Woody Harrelson (Rampart) Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus) Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Jean Dujardin (The Artist) Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) Ewan McGregor (Beginners) Major Threats Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary) Eddie Murphy (Tower Heist) Ben Stiller (Tower Heist) Christoph Waltz (Carnage) John C. Reilly (Carnage) Possibilities Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo) Paul Rudd (Our Idiot Brother) Bradley Cooper (The Hangover Part II) Russell Brand (Arthur) Jesse Eisenberg (30 Minutes or Less) BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) Frontrunners Viola Davis (The Help) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method) Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) Possibilities Helen Mirren (The Debt) Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) Michelle Yeoh (The Lady) Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of THR's Actress Roundtable 2011 BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) Charlize Theron (Young Adult) Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) Cameron Diaz (Bad Teacher) Emma Stone (Crazy Stupid Love) Major Threats Jodie Foster (Carnage) Kate Winslet (Carnage) Julianne Moore (Crazy Stupid Love) Possibilities Mila Kunis (Friends with Benefits) Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses) Scarlett Johansson (We Bought a Zoo) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Frontrunners Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Albert Brooks (Drive) Kevin Spacey (Margin Call) Jeremy Irons (Margin Call) Colin Firth (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Major Threats Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method) Stanley Tucci (Margin Call) Jonah Hill (Moneyball) Armie Hammer (J. Edgar) Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Possibilities Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Nick Nolte (Warrior) Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Frontrunners Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) Octavia Spencer (The Help) Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) Jessica Chastain (The Help) Berenice Bejo (The Artist) Major Threats Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) Carey Mulligan (Shame) Demi Moore (Margin Call) Judi Dench (J. Edgar) Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March) Possibilities Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris) Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) Amber Heard (The Rum Diary) Elle Fanning (Super 8) Judy Greer (The Descendants) Golden Globes The Artist Bridesmaids The Help Golden Globes 2012