But the Hollywood Foreign Press Association also flashed a serious side in acknowledging The Artist, a black-and-white film about the downfall of a silent movie star that led all nominees with six. The Help and George Clooney's The Descendants followed with five each and picked up critical momentum heading into the Jan. 24 Academy Award nominations announcement.  The three films, considered Oscar front-runners, hooked best-picture nominations as well as nominations for their stars, though in different categories.  The HFPA surprised some analysts by putting The Artist in the best comedy/musical category, where it will face Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, My Week With Marilyn and 50/50.  Clooney is represented twice in the best-drama category: He starred in The Descendants and directed, co-wrote and co-starred in The Ides of March. Those films go up against The Help, Hugo, Moneyball and War Horse.  The best actor in a drama race gave another boost to Clint Eastwood's bio J. Edgar, which nabbed Leonardo DiCaprio a nomination as the FBI founder. He faces Clooney (The Descendents), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) and Brad Pitt (Moneyball).  As expected, the Globes reached out to celebs: Angelina Jolie was nominated for her foreign film In the Land of Blood and Honey, and Madonna got a nod for a song in W.E., an obscure romance she directed.  And as in any awards program, there were some snubs. Notably absent Thursday: The Tree of Life, which has been a critical darling but was shut out of the major categories. Melissa McCarthy of Bridesmaids was overlooked, as was Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  Among animated movies, The Adventures of Tintin goes up against Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, Puss in Boots and Rango.  While considered an important element in Oscar forecasts, the Golden Globes have gained a reputation as Hollywood's grandest consolation prize. Handed out over drinks and dinner, the awards and their presentation have become the industry's unofficial party night, thanks in part to the myriad stars who attend.  But for some actors, this will be the year's highlight. While the Globes often reflect which movies have momentum and box office clout, they have been whiffing on predicting the best-picture Oscar of late.  Last year the group picked The Social Network as its best drama, only to see The King's Speech win the best-picture Academy Award. A year earlier, the HFPA chose Avatar over The Hurt Locker, but the academy disagreed.  Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes ceremony Jan. 15 in Los Angeles.
The Globes added its annual dose of levity to Oscar's somber tendencies Thursday by honoring cartoons, comedies with nominations.