Jewish filmmakers do well in Golden Globe nominations

LOS ANGELES (JTA) – Jewish actors, directors and screenwriters have garnered prominent nominations for the 2011 Golden Globe Awards — a promising augury for the upcoming Oscar picks.

Two top favorites for best motion picture honors, “The King’s Speech” and “The Social Network,” announced earlier this month, led the field with seven and six Golden Globe nods, respectively.

Named in the best actor/actress categories were Jesse Eisenberg, who portrays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network,” and Israeli native Natalie Portman as a ballet dancer in “Black Swan.”

Also picked were two actors with Jewish mothers, James Franco as a trapped hiker in “127 Hours,” and Jake Gyllenhaal in “Love & Other Drugs.”

Tapped for best supporting actors were Andrew Garfield as Facebook co-founder in “The Social Network” and Mila Kunis in “Black Swan.”

Jewish writers took three of five nominations for best screenplay: David Seidler for “The King’s Speech,” Aaron Sorkin for “The Social Network” and Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for “The Kids Are All Right.”

Seidler, 73, like England’s George VI in “The King’s Speech,” grew up as a severe stutterer. His paternal grandparents perished in the Holocaust, and he lived through the London Blitz as a baby. He started researching the British monarch’s life as far back as the 1970s.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association., which sponsors the Golden Globe Awards, two years ago picked Israel’s “Waltz with Bashir” as the top foreign-language movie, but this time Israel drew a blank.

The television musical show "Glee" picked up five nominations, including best television series, comedy or musical. Brad Falchuck, son of national Hadassah President Nancy Falchuk, is a co-creator, producer, writer and director on the show.

Winners of the Golden Globe Awards will be named on Jan. 16. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name its nominees on Jan. 25 and hand out Oscars to the winners on Feb. 27.