Photo: Dreamwork/Columbia Pictures/Warner Bros

Finally, audiences have been able to view the majority of movies that have risen to the top of a very competitive Oscar pack. Although of the five contenders, "Zero Dark Thirty" remains in limited release and may not have made it to your local Cineplex. It still hasn't played Poughkeepsie.

As academy members fumble to choose the slate of nominees electronically for the first time, the vote has been delayed for 24 hours, until January 4, to accommodate the group's virtual version of hanging chads. Here are the likely contenders for best picture when they do tally their votes:

Photo: Dreamworks

"Lincoln": Steven Spielberg's biopic of the 16th president's political battle to pass the 13th Amendment and emancipate the slaves has its passionate supporters. It also has the kiss of death: those who respect the movie and don't love it, some of whom feel they should love it because it's good for them. And then there are those who see it and, well, went to sleep. The drama has powerhouse performances that will

Photo: Universal PicturesIt takes a strong marriage to pull off the intimate scene in “This is 40” between actress Megan Fox and Leslie Mann, written and directed by Mann’s husband and collaborator Judd Apatow. Or maybe it’s just the stuff of married men’s fantasies: Wife, mother and boutique owner Debbie (Mann) catches her best saleswoman Desi (Fox) in a lacy hot pink push-up bra and launches into an awkward discussion about the younger woman’s perky breasts. “Are those real?” Debbie asks, to which Desi replies matter-of-factly: “Yeah, I’m just young.” Talk leads to touch – and then more girl-on-girl touch. Well, the “Knocked Up” director never backed away from a sexual sight gag.

Photo: Universal PicturesLeslie Mann humorously unpacks her marriage to writer-director Judd Apatow in their fifth film together, "This Is 40." Mann plays Debbie, a wife who turns 40 and watches her marriage to Pete (Paul Rudd) sag while their daughters (Maude and Iris Apatow) observe -- and comment. "It's a weird time," Mann told Yahoo! about turning the big four-oh. "It's like, not everything is in front of you anymore. It seems like one day we're bawling our eyes, and the next day it's fine."

Photo: Weinstein/Fox Searchlight/Universal/DreamworksFor leading ladies, a supporting role can prove an actress's range -- and validate her talents -- without requiring her to carry a movie's box-office load. The Golden Globes' list of five supporting actress nominees -- Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, Sally Field, Helen Hunt, and Nicole Kidman -- offers insight into the transformative power of supporting roles for actresses trying to repackage their onscreen images.

Photo: Ferdaus Shamim/Getty Images

What mother hasn't become a bear when dealing with her teenage daughter? That's literally Emma Thompson's storyline in "Brave," which snagged a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film yesterday on its sure-footed way to an Academy Award nomination. In the Scotland-set toon, which has grossed $535 million theatrically and is out on DVD and Blu-ray, Thompson voices Queen Elinor to Kelly Macdonald's spunky Merida. Thompson, 53, who has won an Oscar for her "Sense and Sensibility" script as well as best actress for "Howards End," and played Professor Sybil Trelawney in the "Harry Potter" series, shared insights about "Brave" and her relationship with her 13-year-old daughter, Gaia, with actor Greg Wise.

Photo: Dreamworks/Columbia/Weinstein
As the awards season gains momentum with the 70^th Annual Golden Globe nominations, a cluster of truly acclaimed films — "Lincoln," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Les Miserables," "Argo" and "Silver Linings Playbook" — lead the pack. This is a year when there is something for everyone, and the way the Hollywood Foreign Press Association splits the categories between drama and comedy allows for a lot more latitude than the Oscars and, yes, a bit more fun. Expect there to be serious contenders like Daniel Day Lewis and Jessica Chastain, Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence, and Denzel Washington and Marion Cotillard. But it wouldn't be the Globes if there weren't a few extra glam stars among the nominees just to add to the dinner's wow factor: look for Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and Barbra Streisand to get some worshipful praise, too. Here are my gut predictions on this year's Golden Globe nominations.

Drama Picture:
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
"The Master"
"Django Unchained"

Drama Actor: