A Globe filled with support

By Steven Zeitchik

Tom O'Neil over at Gold Derby has a good rundown of the HFPA's decisions on Globes categories. The big news -- though not exactly a stunner, given how the movie was positioned upon release -- is that "W" will go in as a drama, with the HFPA rejecting Lionsgate's application.

That frees up a potential slot in the best motion pic comedy/musical category for a movie that may have been odd man out -- you can figure "Tropic Thunder," "Sex and the City" and "Mama Mia" all have solid shot; without "W," that leaves at least two open slots.

The big debate among HFPA members, sources said, came over "The Reader," where some members felt strongly that Kate Winslet had enough screen time and was a central enough character that it should reject the Weinstein application and call her the lead. But they ultimately decided on accepting the supporting bid -- which means the "Revolutionary Road" actress will not be competing against herself in the lead category.

As for the rest of "The Reader," Fiennes is an easy one; he's an important character but the adult version of the teenager he plays is in the movie only for select scenes at the beginning and end. David Kross, the teen who gets the most screen time, also goes in as supporting, which means it's the rare non-ensemble film to have no lead candidate. It's a reversal of of "Vicky Christina Barcelona," in which there are no fewer than three lead candidates (Hall, Johansson and Bardem).

Elsewhere at the Globes, all the "Slumdog" characters go in as a supporting too, as does Philip Seymour Hoffman. Two actors who could have been argued in the other direction as supporting bt will go in lead are Sarah Jessica Parker from SATC and Michael Sheen from "Frost/Nixon."

The irony of all this is that studios push for supporting because the competition is generally lighter. But in a nobody-goes-there-anymore-it's-too-crowded turn, the supporting actor and actress category -- already a little less roomy because there are no separate nominations for comedies and dramas -- is now even more packed.