Poll: What will win best drama picture at the Golden Globes?

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Experts are divided over what will win Best Drama Picture at the Golden Globes. According to a Gold Derby poll of 21 pundits, 11 pick ‘The Social Network,’ nine believe ‘The King’s Speech’ will reign and one thinks that ‘The Fighter’ will score a knock-out punch.

‘The Social Network’ seems like a safe bet to be embraced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. because it’s already won every top award bestowed by journalists’ groups: New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and National Society of Film Critics. Those members of the foreign press often like to demonstrate how much they adore hip Yankee fare, even when the movies are scorned by the Oscars – like past Globe champs ‘Avatar’ (2009) and ‘E.T.’ (1982).

Voters’ special love of fiercely American stories might result in an upset by ‘The Fighter’ too, although that is, admittedly, a longshot. After all, boxing drama ‘Million Dollar Baby’ lost to ‘The Aviator’ in 2004. HFPA members can be a bit snobbish.

That means a good case can be made for ‘The King’s Speech’ winning too. Remember when ‘Atonement’ pulled off an upset over ‘No Country for Old Men’ in 2007? That was powerful evidence of how fast those foreign journos will ditch Yankee flicks when great foreign-set ones feature British aristocracy. Other examples of similar past winners: ‘The English Patient’ (1996) ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (1995).

-- Tom O’Neil