Robert Redford to resurrect the big baseball movie

Where to start in a baseball season in which, while the Orioles have lost a game, they're still in first place in the American League East, and for once by power of something besides sheer alphabetical order? With talk of a grand baseball movie, of course.

It seems that Robert Redford, who has been shopping the idea of a Jackie Robinson movie for some time now, is finally getting things rolling with the choice of a writer/director, Brian Helgeland. And being Robert Redford, he's scooped up a choice role for himself: Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager who brought Robinson to the big leagues.

The movie will apparently focus on the complicated relationship of Robinson and Rickey rather than specifically on Jackie's breaking of the MLB color barrier, but no matter what the focus, there are few genres of flicks I love more than the big baseball movie, so bring it on!

It will be a short report today because I was up rather late (well, by my standards, anyway) watching "Spamalot" (thanks, Stephanie!), and therefore got up late too. There is, however, some big news out there about just who might be the new boss of "The Office" when Steve Carell steps down at the end of this season.

Following Michael Scott's rather nifty proposal to Holly (Amy Ryan), it was revealed that Will Ferrell will at least be serving as an interim boss, but that's apparently only for a few weeks. Shame, because he's a better candidate than just about anyone else set to interview on the show's season finale (or at least better than anyone who could actually get the job.)

Now scheduled to interview to be the next boss of Dunder Mifflin, according to the seriously TV-obsessed Michael Ausiello, are these five people: Ricky Gervais, Gob Bluth, Ray Romano, James Spader and Catherine Tate.

While having Gervais be the boss for a season or two would certainly be a scream, I really can't see him doing that. And, as Ausiello points out, Ray Romano already has a fairly great show of his own with "Men of a Certain Age," and Arnett is already committed to some kind of other pilot for NBC.

That leaves Spader and Tate, I suppose, and I'd have to say the latter would be the FAR superior choice. Nothing against Spader, who could potentially be very funny, but Catherine Tate is simply great. Perhaps best known for her role as Donna Noble on "Doctor Who," she was also fantastic in "Starter for 10," a rather criminally underseen British romantic comedy starring James McAvoy and Rebecca Hall (rent that one already!) She certainly gets my vote, but no matter how it turns out, this should just be a really fun finale.

OK, I was going to post the New Yorker's profile of veryfunnywoman Anna Faris, but it's behind a pay wall, but just trust me: If you don't get the magazine, it's worth buying this issue, just for that.

And the last thing I have today is the latest Funny or Die production which, though it starts a bit slowly, falls solidly into the former category once it gets going. The "When Harry and Sally 2" of sorts clip stars Billy Crystal, Dame Helen Mirren, Rob Reiner, Adam Scott and even Mike Tyson (but no Meg Ryan), and is pretty sublimely silly. Enjoy, and have a perfectly pleasant Thursday. Peace out.

When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren from Billy Crystal

What's that I smell?

There are so many jokes about stink colliding in my head that I'm just gonna have to let them go and play this one straight and let you imagine the consequences:Yes, Mike Myers really is going to play a live-action Pepe le Pew.

Let it sink in for a few seconds just how amazingly bad that is going to be, and then I'll move on to a couple of bits of actual good news in a very short report because I stayed up way too late last night watching the Braves get shut out by a 13-year-old girl (and man can she pitch.)

First up is that someone named Tom Vaughan (who I had never heard of) is going to be directing a movie based on one of my favorite satirical novels, "Boomsday." The book is by Christopher Buckley, the same wiseacre who penned "Thank You for Smoking," and the wickedly sharp story is about a Washington D.C. publicist/blogger who gets in over her head when a politician uses her suggestion that all Baby Boomers commit suicide in order to save Social Security as a campaign selling point.

If you're not laughing at that, then this clearly won't be a movie for you, but trust me, the book is a real smart hoot. And a quick look at Mr. Vaughan's resume shows he directed the thoroughly charming little British romantic comedy "Starter for 10," starring James McAvoy and Reel Fanatic fave Rebecca Hall, so this is now definitely something to keep your eyes on (and trust me, if you can find it, "Starter for 10" is well worth a rental.)

After that today, there's just a bit of great TV news before a couple of clips. "Sons of Anarchy," which has inevitably centered on the search for Jax's son Abel this season, has just been reviewed for a fourth 13-episode run next year by FX. Great news there, because the show has only improved on last year's doozy of cliffhanger, and while it's not quite on the level of a "Mad Men," the motorcycle gang show is still one of the best dramas on TV right now.

OK, like I said, I'm already running behind (no way to start a day), so I'll leave you with a couple of trailers I found this morning. First up comes the second (I think) trailer for the third "Narnia" movie, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," set to come out (unfortunately in 3D) on Dec. 10. Though they haven't caught on on the big screen as well as "Harry Potter" or the "Lord of the Rings" movies, I just have a soft spot for the innocence and wonder of the "Narnia" tales, and this one should be fantastic. Enjoy.



And finally today comes the second full trailer I know of for Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," which for me is the next absolute must-see movie coming up on the calendar (now that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's "It's Kind of a Funny Story has, rather inexplicably, not opened wide enough to reach my little corner of the world - at least yet.) As you'll see from the trailer, though the movie is about a climber (played by James Franco) who gets his arm trapped under a boulder for the titular amount of time, it still seems to be brimming with energy and optimism. Enjoy the trailer, and have a great weekend. Peace out.

Remember Wallace and Gromit? They're back!

First off, about last night's comedy slate, big kudos to the uneven "Community" for turning its premiere episode into a tribute to the late John Hughes. It was class and easily the best thing about a show with a lot of potential that will almost surely get better as the first season rolls along.

But, even though the funniest thing was of course "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which is thankfully just as rude as ever, the real surprise was that "Parks and Recreation" was sharper and wittier than "The Office." More Aziz Ansari would always be welcome, but watching Amy Poehler embrace her newfound gay stardom was just a hoot.

OK, enough of that. A bit of movie news before we get to the Wallace and Gromit clips, which will hopefully make you smile like they did me.

First up, it seems that Rebecca Hall, a definite favorite around here (in case you hadn't noticed), has signed on to play the lead in a Richard Linklater movie I might actually get to see before it hits DVD.

In the road comedy-drama "Liars A-E," she'll play Bacall Loomis, a woman who sets out on a road trip during the Obama inauguration to reclaim items that used to be hers from ex-boyfriends. Kat Dennings is also on board to play one of her friends, certainly not a bad thing.

Sounds a little meh to me, but a Linklater road movie of any kind is always at least worth checking out in my book if it actually makes it into theaters.

And in other news, The Weinstein Co. has delayed "potential awards contender" (not sure where I saw those words, but I didn't make them up, believe me) "Youth in Revolt," which I had really been looking forward to seeing in October. I really can't imagine that a movie based on C.D. Payne's absurdly entertaining novel about a 14-year-old (played by Michael Cera in the movie, I have to assume a couple of years older) who's only goal in his young life is to score with the object of his affection, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), will ever be up for any major awards of any kind.

But even so, it was certainly something I wanted to see, since I just love the book, but we won't be able to do that now until Jan. 15. Sheesh.

OK, now on to the main event. Could there be better news for fans of wickedly funny animation than that Wallace and Gromit are hitting DVD again Tuesday in their latest adventure, "Wallace and Gromit in a Matter of Loaf and Death"? I actually had the chance to see this as part of an animation collection at the Atlanta Film Festival earlier this year, but passed to see something else playing at the same time.

Nick Park has dabbled in bigger things, but I'll always love Wallace and Gromit most among his creations. It's just that slightly bawdy spirit and the groan-inducing puns that get me every time. As the title suggests, in this latest offering our heroes are somehow now bakers, and surely some kind of evil will develop to block their path.

Here are three clips from the short movie, first the straightforward trailer and then two scenes, first the new morning routine chez Wallace and Gromit and then a glimpse of Wallace pitching woo with his new lady love, Piella Bakewell (did I mention the puns?). The "Ghost" parody in the final clip is just as funny as it is, of course, timely. Enjoy.

And as for this weekend's movies, I think I've been at least temporarily scared off of "Jennifer's Body" by the fair-to-worse reviews, so for me I think it will be "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" (unfortunately in 3-D) on Saturday and then Matt Damon as "The Informant!" on Sunday. Have a great weekend, no matter what you choose to see (or not.) Peace out.

The Coens as "Serious" men? Well, sort of, and here's a look

Actually, there's some great TV and other movie news too, but before I get into any of that, there's a quiet little thing going on in New York City on Monday morning that's certainly worth a mention.

Remember Adrienne Shelly? She's best known now as the writer/director/star of the thoroughly charming movie "Waitress," but she was also the star of several great Hal Hartley movies early in her career and other flicks. And she was also murdered in her New York apartment in 2006, before "Waitress" even came out.

Now she's about to get a small tribute, thanks to her husband, Andy Ostroy - a memorial garden in Manhattan's Abingdon Square Park, across from where she used to live. Perhaps not very important to many people in the world, but it's interesting to me, so there it is.

But enough of that depressing stuff, 'cause there's a lot more fun news out there. I know there are vampires everywhere, but I'm certainly not immune to them, so I can only call this great stuff.

It seems that joining the thoroughly campy but entertaining "True Blood" sometime soon will be a TV series based on the Guillermo Del Toro/Chuck Hogan novel "The Strain," to be masterminded by none other than Marti Noxon, one of the big brains behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

"Strain," which I've just started reading, is a much more serious (well, as serious as this stuff can really get) affair than "Buffy," however. It tells the story of an outbreak in the U.S. of a virus that either kills those who are exposed to it or turns them into vampires, and I can tell you that so far it's an engrossing read. The plan, apparently, is to shop the TV project, envisioned as an event series unfolding over three seasons, early next year after the second book in a planned trilogy is released.

Noxon has also signed on to create, along with professional partner Dawn Parouse Olmstead, a series for HBO revolving around a feminist icon who launches a sex magazine for women. Diane Keaton is slated to star in it, which could be really funny, but I don't think it's enough to keep me from dropping my HBO again once "True Blood" winds up season two.

And in one other bit of really good TV news, "Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas has re-upped to create a second show for Starz to go with his comedy series "Party Down."

If you missed "Party Down" during its bitter but extremely funny first season, I believe Netflix subscribers can watch the entire season on their computers, as I did. It's about a bunch of wannabe actors who work at a catering company, and it gets my good show guarantee.

And now, Thomas has signed to develop another hourlong show for Starz titled "Waterloo," which will follow a struggling rock band and be based on his own youthful experiences trying to launch a music career in Austin (and please keep any Matchbox 20 jokes to yourself.)

If we're never gonna get "Veronica Mars" back in any form, which looks increasingly likely to be the case, I'll certainly give a chance to anything else Mr. Thomas has to offer.

OK, we're almost to the main attraction, but one movie note about a flick that's quickly attracting what could be the best small cast of 2010 so far. I mentioned recently that Ben Affleck has set his second directorial effort as "The Town," based on the novel "Prince of Thieves" by the aforementioned Mr. Hogan, and that it had already attracted Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" and the simply stunning Rebecca Hall to join the cast.

Well, now Jeremy Renner, who is just outstanding in Kathyrn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" (if you have any chance at all, please see that right away!), has also joined the fray. In the flick, Affleck plays a bank robber who becomes infatuated with the manager (Hall) of a bank he's robbing. Renner will be a member of Affleck's gang, and Hamm will be the lawman on their trail.

And finally, as promised long ago, the first trailer I've seen for the Coen brothers' next flick, "A Serious Man," and just from this two-minute glimpse or so it looks like they have a real winner here. As best as I can tell, it's about, among other things, a Midwestern college professor who finds his life falling apart when his wife threatens to leave him because his annoying brother won't move out of the house. It doesn't feature any of the Coen regulars, but you'll get a glimpse of Richard Kind as said brother and, even in this short bit, the dark humor that marks the Coens' best work. Keep your eye out for this one on Oct. 9, and have a perfectly pleasant Thursday. Peace out.

Yes, there will be a new Wes Anderson movie

After his last two flicks I wasn't completely sure I really wanted this day to come, but it seems there really will be another Wes Anderson movie, and it will indeed be opening the London Film Festival in October, and then supposedly get a very wide release in the U.S. beginning Nov. 13

And to that I can at least conditionally say bring it on, in large part to the new gallery of photos from "Fantastic Mr. Fox" that they've just put up at the movie's official site, which so far has little else on it.

The pictures, however, are well worth a visit, because they reveal an attention to detail, especially in the Fox family home, that compares favorably to - and I know I'm getting my hopes up way too high for what is an animated children's story, albeit a classic one - the Tenenbaum home in "The Royal Tenenbaums," by a nose my favorite Anderson movie.

With George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson and even Jarvis Cocker providing voices, it should at least hopefully be a lot of fun.

And in other good news, I was proven even more wrong than usual when - even after the positive reviews came pouring in - I just couldn't believe that any movie directed by Ben Affleck would be fairly great. Well, anyone who's seen that flick, "Gone Baby Gone," will probably agree that it was one of the best of 2007, and now he's back with a cast that sounds really promising.

Affleck will star in and direct "The Town," based on the novel by Chuck Hogan, and he'll be joined by Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" and, in even better news in my book, Rebecca Hall of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (and, I like to point out, "Starter for 10," just because it's a fun little British teen romantic comedy very few people have seen.)

Affleck is playing a bank robber who becomes smitten with the teller of a bank he held up (Hall, natch), and Hamm is an FBI agent on his trail. The teller, of course, makes the robber want to go straight, but she is also the FBI's golden ticket to catching Boston's most wanted bank robber.

Sounds pretty standard to me, but with that cast, I'm in.

And fans of "How I Met Your Mother" - of which you can still count me one, even if it slipped a bit last season - might be curious to know that Ted himself, Josh Radnor, has apparently directed his first movie.

Radnor also wrote the script for "HappyThankYouMorePlease" (wow is that a bad title), which stars Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Richard Jenkins (huzzah!) and even Buster Bluth, Tony Hale.

In what sounds a heck of a lot like "HIMYM" itself, the comedy "follows the lives and loves of six New Yorkers not quite ready to embrace adulthood. Sounds awfully meh to me, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

And speaking of "Mad Men," I'll close with an extended Comic-Con clip from AMC's coming update of "The Prisoner," which I had thought was going to premiere directly before or after "Mad Men" finally returns Aug. 16 (the day after I get back from Mexico!)

It now seems AMC's "new" show won't appear until November, but with Sir Ian McKellen as the mysterious interrogator I'm gonna tune in for at least a few episodes, and the nine-minute-or-so clip (I did warn you) actually raises some hope that this might have been a good idea in the first place. And with that, it's off to the salt mine. Peace out.

"Frost/Nixon" review

Say hello, good evening and welcome to one of the greatest political movies ever.

That bit of glorious hyperbole doesn't come from me, of course, but from the British tabloid The Sun. My sentiment would be, this was a pretty darn entertaining flick, but I really wish I could have seen the play.

The first question I always ask when I see a movie that's taken directly from the stage is, "did it gain anything in the transfer"? In this case, I'd say a conditional yes, with the big minus that it also adds one very unnecessary distraction.

Either at the urging of director Ron Howard or from the mind of playwright and screen writer Peter Morgan (I have no way of knowing which, frankly), the movie adds to the main dynamic of the buildup, actual showdown and aftermath of David Frost's interview with by then ex-President Richard Nixon a series of documentary-style, cut-in interviews with the other supporting players that only manages to take us out of the main story without adding any real insight or entertainment value.

Morgan, as he did with "The Queen" and his almost-as-good TV movie about Labor Party politics, "The Deal," is best at creating living history, and more specifically filling in the intimate details in the dynamic between historical figures who are much more alike than they originally know. Adding the mockumentary touches only dilutes the fact that he's written another whip-smart screenplay and handed it over to two first-rate actors, here as on stage, Michael Sheen and Frank Langella.

Sheen excels at playing characters, as he did with Tony Blair in both "The Queen" and "The Deal," who are in need of constant attention, seemingly aware of their own talents but still needing to have them reinforced time and time again. He captures perfectly just how insecure Frost was going into the Nixon interview (which he now claims cost $37 million pounds!), and the play's/movie's biggest strength is in naturally bringing out just how much Langella's Nixon felt the same way.

Mr. Langella has received a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Nixon, and it's well-deserved. It's no mean feat that he manages to make us almost feel sorry for Nixon without hedging one bit on the traits that brought about his fall from grace. Unlike Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the former president in Oliver Stone's "Nixon," which I found far too often to be a caricature, you never see Langella as anything but Nixon's big ball of vanity, arrogance (of course) and, surprisingly, loneliness. It's that last trait that makes the final act of "Frost/Nixon" the best one, a quiet moment when Frost and Nixon meet several months later at Nixon's compound, La Casa Pacifica.

Which isn't saying that the pre-game action and the showdown itself lack the appropriate dramatic tension. Langella and Sheen (and, of course, Morgan) give their exchanges a wicked humor, but almost as much credit here should go to the uniformly solid supporting cast.

Similarly to "Man on Wire" (a better 2008 movie that, sort of, actually is a documentary), Morgan and Howard set up the staging of the interview as much as a heist than as any attempt at actual journalism. And any heist needs a solid slate of co-conspirators on either side, led here on the left by Sam Rockwell as Nixon antagoniste James Reston Jr. and on the right by Kevin Bacon as Nixon's post-White House chief of staff, Jack Brennan. They get the meatiest supporting parts because their convictions set up the main conflict at the movie's core, getting the truth vs. hiding it all costs, and they both just run with it. Toby Jones is (as usual) just a hoot as Nixon's "literary agent" Irving "Swifty" Lazar, and though I always like to see Rebecca Hall, she's given little to do here as Frost's girlfriend, Caroline Cushing.

In the end, I'd say Ron Howard's movie would have been great rather than very good if, like the superior "Doubt," it had had the courage to trust the inherent strength of its source work. As it is, it is indeed a nearly first-rate bit of political theater, but not for me in the category of Best Picture. If I had a vote, which so far exists only in my mind, I'd give that final slot to Darren Aronofsky for "The Wrestler" or Guillaume Canet for "Tell No One."

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do my cooking for the week and then see Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married," which I'm really looking forward to. Peace out.

Vive la femme: My women of the year

It really sucks to be so sick you almost can't think straight, but it only happens to me once every three years or so, so I guess I really shouldn't complain.

And while I've managed to get it together enough to go to work, I haven't been able to muster the will for much else after that but sleeping and watching some mindless (but not stupid, big difference) TV, which has lately meant a big dose of "Seinfeld" (not that there's ever anything wrong with that!)

But now, with an hour and a half to kill before the so-called national title game, I really need some brain exercise, so without further ado - in simply alphabetical order - here are my favorite 10 (actually 12, with the combined entries) female movie performances of 2008. Please feel free to add your own, and enjoy:

Hiam Abbass
I've raved in full in this space about Richard Jenkins' performance in this film by "The Wire" veteran Thomas McCarthy, but it wouldn't have been complete without Hiam Abbass as Mouna Khalil to help draw him out. In a way, everyone in this flick is a "Visitor," as Abbass' Mouna, a Syrian immigrant searching for her son, certainly is in New York City. Her balance of anger, reserve and eventual gratefulness for the help of Jenkins' Walter hits just the right note, and they make a perfect combo.

Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard
You can say a lot of bad things about Tyler Perry (if you want to, which I don't), but you have to admit that - like Woody Allen sometimes does - he really has a knack for writing smart, funny parts for women. And, surprisingly, he found his best yet for his first white star, Kathy Bates. The "Dallas"-style story of family intrigue in "The Family that Preys" falls short of good, but the tale of Bates' and Woodard's friendship - and the road trip it takes them on - is so entertaining you won't even mind the sap. And Kathy Bates, in particular, is just a hoot.

Penelope Cruz and Rebecca Hall
2008 was a surprisingly strong year for comedies, so I guess it shouldn't be too much of a shock that the aforementioned Mr. Allen finally managed to return to top comedic form with the lighter-than-air treat "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Penelope Cruz got the best of it here, taking a manic turn in Spanish as the chronically crazed wife of Javier Bardem's Juan Antonio. Rebecca Hall, however, held up her end of the love quadrangle as the movie's real leading lady, and besides, I've always just really liked her ever since "Starter for 10."

Viola Davis
They really need to make another acting category besides supporting for the actor who makes the biggest impression in a movie in the shortest space of time. Call it the "impact" award if it must have a name. Last year I would have given it to Hal Holbrook for "Into the Wild," and this year it would certainly go to Viola Davis for her 10-minute-or-so turn in "Doubt." I can't really tell you anything about it because it makes both the movie and its plot, but I can guarantee you won't forget it for quite a while.

Sally Hawkins
I really hope Mike Leigh's "Happy Go Lucky" gets enough awards acclaim to play a little wider, because it's one of the oddest but also most endearing movies I've seen in quite a while (it didn't make my top 10 for the year, but would have been at No. 14 or so.) At its center, Sally Hawkins just plays a character so perpetually cheerful that you (or at least, me) want to throttle her, until you slowly get attached to her and realize just how good Hawkins is in this. It really is a litmus test for cynicism, and though I usually reject that kind of thing, this one just works perfectly.

Beyonce Knowles
I'm sure I don't have nearly enough influence to do Darnell Martin's woefully underappreciated "Cadillac Records" any good, but if any movie deserves a strong second life on DVD this is it. It's a consistently fun if offbeat musical biopic, and Beyonce is shockingly good as Etta James, just a combustible mix of pride, anger, vulnerability and yes, sexiness. And, yes, she really can belt out a mean rendition of "At Last" and, even better, "I'd Rather Go Blind."

Tea Leoni
Speaking of underappreciated, did anyone go see "Ghost Town" in the theater? There were probably at least four or five who did, and I'm sure that like me they found a treat for fans of Ricky Gervais and comedies that are aimed at adults (without forgetting to be at least a little silly.) I liked Tea Leoni in this one, however, at least as much as I did Mr. Gervais, and she manages to get the best of him in several scenes of this witty charmer.

Samantha Morton
I can't nearly go as far as New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis, who if I'm not mistaken gave four of her five best actress votes to the women of Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, NY," but I can take a second to praise Samantha Morton's work in it. Her bubbly Hazel is just the perfect inspiration for Philip Seymour Hoffman's Caden Cotard, and though Kaufman lost me by the end of this wierd but sometimes wonderful creation, they both soldiered through to the finish.

Marisa Tomei
If it weren't for Viola Davis, I'd definitely vote for Marisa Tomei's turn in "The Wrestler" for best supporting actress, and for Mickey Rourke as leading man, because Darren Aronofsky's flick is simply the best character study of the year. Not, mind you, the most inspirational of characters, but two of the most memorable, and it won't surprise me at all if she takes home her second Oscar this year (shocking, perhaps, but well deserved this time.)

Catinca Untaru
And, for the finale, youth is served. Tarsem Singh's "The Fall" works best as a story being devoured by a wide-eyed child, and young Catinca Untaru is just thoroughly charming as Alexandria. I learned from reading an article by Roger Ebert that she spoke little to no English when this began filming (two years ago!), and had to be coached line-by-line throughout, just making her performance all the more remarkable.

And there you have it. Please feel free to mention any one I have clearly snubbed (and believe me, I know there are many!) Peace out.

When it comes to comedy, the Golden Globes get a whole lot right

Since it's all about comedy here today, I was initially very happy to see that very-funny-lady Lauren Graham is finally coming back to primetime TV (and only seven years after "Gilmore Girls" left the air, what the hell's up with that?) Once I found out what her show was going to be, however, most of my excitement quickly disappeared.

I'm not sure when this would ever try and make the air, but ABC has given a production commitment to a new comedy which would star Graham as a self-help guru who teaches women how to live a stress-free life, but struggles to follow her own advice when her boyfriend dumps her. Just in case that doesn't sound "meh" enough for you, this comes from "Will and Grace" writer Alex Herschlag, so even if we don't get real laughs there should at least be a laugh track in stitches.

However, if you had told me that a show about a single mom and her teenage daughter would be my favorite thing on all of TV for six years or so (let's just forget the final season), I never would have believed you, so I'll at least give this one a chance for Lauren Graham alone if it indeed ever makes it onto the air.

But, like I said, it's all about comedy here today, thanks to the Golden Globes, which will be handed out Jan. 11 on NBC. Though I really wish they wouldn't lump musicals and comedies together in the same together, it's enough to get me to tune in for some of the broadcast that they bother to recognize comedy at all, and this year's they've tapped some real winners in the comedic actress and actor categories.

Starting with the Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, I was very happy to see they recognized two of my favorite flicks of the year, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and - surprisingly - "In Bruges." Woody Allen's flick is just lighter than air and a ton of fun, and "In Bruges," despite it's truly head-scratching WTF ending, contains the funniest dialogue of the year and great performances from Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and most of all the fantastic Brendan Gleeson. I would have liked to have seen "Tropic Thunder" and, even more, Peter Sollett's seriously satisfying "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" make the cut, but some good choices all the same.

But, with this being a musical/comedy category and the roster being rounded out by "Burn After Reading," "Happy-Go-Lucky" (which I can't wait to see at the end of the year in NYC) and "Mamma Mia!", I'd have to imagine the award will go to the only musical on the list. Sheesh.

And it was great to see the love for Woody's thoroughly fun flick continue in the best actress/actor comedy/musical lists. Rebecca Hall carried the movie as Vicky, and she's landed a well-deserved best actress/comedy nomination up against some real heavyweights: Sally Hawkins in "Happy-Go-Unlucky", Frances McDormand in "Burn After Reading", Meryl Streep in "Mamma Mia!" and Emma Thompson in "Last Chance Harvey." If I were a betting man, which I no longer am, I'd say it will come down to Streep and Hawkins, with Hawkins pulling an upset.

Also from "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Javier Bardem gets a nod in the best actor comedy/musical category for his portrayal of the Lothario Juan Antonio, and he's up against easily some of the best comedic performances of 2008 (and one I haven't seen yet): Both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for "In Bruges", Dustin Hoffman for "Last Chance Harvey" and, in the real surprise, James Franco for "Pineapple Express." As much as I love the guys from "In Bruges," I'd give my vote to Franco's portrayal of the thoughtful stoner, but put my money on Hoffman.

Comedy shines through in the supporting categories too, if not as bright. Since I'm determined to mention "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" in every paragraph of this post, and perhaps convince anyone who hasn't done so already to watch it when it finally hits DVD, I have to add that the best thing of all about it was Penelope Cruz's manic turn as Juan Antonio's estranged wife, the thoroughly crazy Maria Elena. She's at her best in her natural Spanish, and here it just comes flying fast and almost always very funny.

I actually think she might win this one, in which she's up against Amy Adams and Viola Davis for "Doubt", Marisa Tomei for "The Wrestler" and Kate Winslet for "The Reader." Though my heart's with Cruz, I'd put my money in a very close vote on Tomei.

(As the final word on Woody Allen, I'll just add that he's returning to New York City this year with grumpy and very funny old dude Larry David as his leading man in "Whatever Works." That should just be a treat.)

And, finally, in the supporting actor category they've tapped what for me was the best comedic performance of 2008, Robert Downey Jr.'s turn in "Tropic Thunder." Even if you somehow haven't seen the movie yet, you've surely seen the photos of him in black face to play actor-extraordinaire Kirk Lazarus. A gimmick, sure, but along with Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino (yes, that's right) he gets all the movies best lines and just makes the most of them, especially in the flawlessly offensive "full retard" speech.

His competition in the supporting actor category includes another turn in "Tropic Thunder," Tom Cruise's seriously overrated drop-in as movie mogul Les Grossman, plus Ralph Fiennes in "The Duchess", Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" and the late Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight." I have to think Ledger will rightly take this one, as he will on Oscar night too.

As a final word about supporting actors and comedy, the globes snubbed one other performance that just combined the two perfectly, Brad Pitt's turn as Rusty in "Burn After Reading." The movie was only good at best, but he was a dimwitted delight to watch.

And speaking of Pitt, I'll leave you with this photo from the set of Quentin Tarantino's World War II flick "Inglorious Basterds." Though he looks more like someone you might find standing on the corner in a trench coat, he's apparently the ring leader of the "Basterds," who will also rather incredibly include B.J. Novak of "The Office" and Samm Levine, a k a Neal Schweiber from "Freaks and Geeks." Peace out.