Emmy Nominations Unveiled: Love for Friday Night Lights, Modern Family, Mad Men, Lost, True Blood, and More

It's that time of year again: Emmy nominations.

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and Community's Joel McHale were on hand bright and early this morning to announce the Primetime Emmy Award nominations. (I stayed home to watch E! Online's stream of the press conference rather than drive over there bleary-eyed and unable to conceal my frustration about overlooked performances and series in person.)

While Vergara ultimately walked away with a nomination for supporting actress for Modern Family (as did most of her co-stars, in fact), McHale was sadly shut out of the nominations, as was Community, a real slap in the face (along with that for Parks and Recreation) considering that Community and Parks were both streets ahead of The Office and 30 Rock this season. Grr.

So which series did the best overall? HBO's The Pacific walked away with an impressive 24 nominations, followed closely by FOX's Glee at 19 nods, AMC's Mad Men at 17, and 15 nominations apiece for Temple Grandin, 30 Rock, and You Don't Know Jack. Critical darling Modern Family earned 14 nominations, while Lost scored 12.

While it's unlikely to change FX's decision about keeping the series around, Damages walked away with several key nominations including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama (Glenn Close), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama (Martin Short), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama (Rose Byrne), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama (Ted Danson), and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama (Lily Tomlin).

Perhaps seeing the final season as a way of addressing past snubs, the TV Academy issued nominations to Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn, and Michael Emerson for Lost. (About time.) And, yes, Elizabeth Mitchell even got in on the action, scoring a nomination for guest actress in a drama series for her role as Juliet Burke in the series finale.

So what do I think about the nominations? A list of nominees and reactions for each of the major category can be found below, while you can download the full list of nominees here.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
62nd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations


Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO • HBO Entertainment
Larry David as Himself

Glee • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester

Monk • USA • Universal Cable Productions in association with Mandeville Films and ABC Studios
Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk

The Office • NBC • Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios
Steve Carell as Michael Scott

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

This was a fairly predictable category, though I have to yawn again at the inclusion of Tony Shalhoub over such other contenders as Parks and Recreations' Nick Offerman in this category, which tends to feature the same actors over and over again. Fortunately, Matthew Morrison edged out a certain actor from CBS' Two and a Half Men and the Academy realized that we're all tired of Entourage. As for who will win, I'd like to see Larry David walk away with the statuette next month for Curb Your Enthusiasm, really.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Bryan Cranston as Walter White

Dexter • Showtime • Showtime Presents, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

Friday Night Lights • DirecTV • Imagine Entertainment in association with Universal Media Studios and Film 44
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor

House • FOX • Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House

Lost • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios
Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Jon Hamm as Don Draper

Now this is a very tough category. I'm extremely pleased to see that the Academy opted to shine a light on the compelling work of Friday Night Lights's Kyle Chandler, whose performance as Eric Taylor is the stuff of legends. (Was Chandler not born to play this role?) But he faces some stiff competition from Matthew Fox, Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, Bryan Cranston, and Michael C. Hall. This is going to be a very tight race among some supremely talented actors. I don't even dare to hazard a guess here, though I would love it if Chandler did the nearly impossible and walked away the winner. (Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
A Dog Year • HBO • Duopoly in association with HBO Films
Jeff Bridges as Jon Katz

The Prisoner • AMC • AMC, ITV Productions and Granada
Ian McKellen as Two

The Special Relationship • HBO • A Rainmark and Kennedy/Marshall Production in association with HBO Films
Michael Sheen as Tony Blair

The Special Relationship • HBO • A Rainmark and Kennedy/Marshall Production in association with HBO Films
Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films
Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian

While I'd love Sheen to be recognized for his role in The Special Relationship, particularly after playing British PM Tony Blair with such incisive nuance for the third time (after The Deal and The Queen), I'd say that Pacino's turn as Jack Kevorkian is the showier role here. Point to Pacino, I think.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Glee • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Lea Michele as Rachel Berry

The New Adventures Of Old Christine • CBS • Kari's Logo Here in association with Warner Bros. Television
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell

Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber; A Caryn Mandabach Production
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton

Parks And Recreation • NBC • Produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

United States Of Tara • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Dreamworks Television
Toni Collette as Tara Gregson

Don't get me started on the inclusion of Lea Michele here for Glee. I don't consider the series a comedy on really any level (other than the participation of Jane Lynch), nor do I buy Michele as the "lead actress" of anything other than an ensemble player of a middling musical dramedy. My hope is that Amy Poehler walks away the winner here as Parks and Recreation is the funniest comedy on television right now and was unjustly shut out of the nominations. Should Poehler not get the win, I'd also be ecstatic if Edie Falco took home the win for the darkly funny Nurse Jackie. (Ordinarily, I'd be rooting for Tina Fey but this season of 30 Rock was not the show's best or sharpest.)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
The Closer • TNT • The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television
Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

Damages • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television, FX Productions and KZK Productions
Glenn Close as Patty Hewes

Friday Night Lights • DirecTV • Imagine Entertainment in association with Universal Media Studios and Film 44
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC • Wolf Films in association with Universal Media Studios
Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
January Jones as Betty Draper

I am happy to see that someone is recognizing the work that January Jones is doing on Mad Men; for some reason critics and audiences are far too prone to writing off her performance for some reason but her work in Season Three of Mad Men was provocative and powerful, even as Betty Draper became more and more unlikable. I'm thrilled to see Connie Britton listed here for Friday Night Lights as she is more than deserving of a nomination for her stunning turn once again as Tami Taylor. And it's no surprise that Julianna Margulies landed herself a nom for the freshman season of The Good Wife, one of the few breakout hits of the past season, nor that Glenn Close is here for Damages. While I'd love all three women to share the award, that's just not going to happen. If I was a betting man, I'd bet on Margulies for The Good Wife. Though I'd love to hear Britton's acceptance speech, if I'm being heartfelt.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Capturing Mary • HBO • A talkbackTHAMES Production in association with the BBC and HBO Films
Maggie Smith as Mary Gilbert

Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime • Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television
Joan Allen as Georgia O’Keeffe

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS • BBC/WGBH in association with Chestermead
Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty

The Special Relationship • HBO • A Rainmark and Kennedy/Marshall Production in association with HBO Films
Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films
Claire Danes as Temple Grandin

Two words: Claire Danes. Her performance in Temple Grandin was nothing less than stellar and she not only imbued her turn with heart, strength, and passion, but she also perfectly captured the cadence and rhythm of Grandin herself. (Which I can say, having met and spent time with Temple.) It's a brave and bravura performance that I hope nets the former My So-Called Life star an Emmy Award next month, if there's any justice.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Glee • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel

How I Met Your Mother • CBS • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy

Two And A Half Men • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

Of the Glee nominations, I'm happy to see Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch represented as they are the only things that kept me watching Glee through its first season. Save Ed O'Neill (wrongly overlooked here), the entire male cast of Modern Family earned themselves nominations. While they are all tops at their game, I actually hope that the Academy gives the win to Eric Stonestreet for his hysterical and heartfelt performance as Cameron. I'm hoping Stonestreet walks away the winner here. (Come on, Eric!)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman

Damages • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television, FX Productions and KZK Productions
Martin Short as Leonard Winstone

Lost • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios
Terry O'Quinn as John Locke

Lost • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios
Michael Emerson as Ben Linus

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
John Slattery as Roger Sterling

Men Of A Certain Age • TNT • TNT Original Productions
Andre Braugher as Owen

I'm extremely chuffed to see O'Quinn and Emerson nominated here together for their stunning work on Lost. One can't help but feel that the nod isn't just for the final season of Lost but their collective work over the years on the ABC drama series, which wrapped its run in May. Likewise, Short gave a nuanced and compelling turn on Damages, playing against type and yet not becoming a walking creepshow like Darryl Hammond the season before. And it's always gratifying to see Aaron Paul nominated here for his performance as Jessie Pinkman on AMC's Breaking Bad and John Slattery for his work on Mad Men. Tough category to call but I'm going to give this to Paul.

(Still crushed, however, that Fringe's John Noble failed to get a nomination here for his staggering work as Walter Bishop this season.)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Emma (Masterpiece) • PBS • A co-production of BBC Productions and WGBH Boston
Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse

Hamlet (Great Performances) • PBS • production of Illuminations and Royal
Shakespeare Company for BBC in association with Thirteen for WNET.org and NHK
Patrick Stewart as Ghost / Claudius

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS • BBC/WGBH in association with Chestermead
Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Buxton

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films
David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films
John Goodman as Neal Nicol

Would love to see Gambon take this one home for Emma as he was absolutely perfect as Mr. Woodhouse. Having said that, I also think that Patrick Stewart may walk away for his turn in Great Performances' Hamlet. Hmmm...

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Glee • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Kristen Wiig as Various Characters

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio
Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney

Two And A Half Men • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper

I would be amazed if anyone other than Jane Lynch won here. She's the only real reason, as far as I am concerned, that Glee was even able to sneak into the comedy category. You can engrave that statuette now as far as I'm concerned.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Burn Notice • USA • FOX Television Studios in association with Fuse Entertainment
Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen

Damages • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television, FX Productions and KZK Productions
Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

So many worthy actresses competing here. Personally, I'd love for Rose Byrne or Christina Hendricks to win here. Normally, I think Elisabeth Moss is tops but she had a much quieter role this past season on Mad Men while Hendricks' Joan Harris (nee Holloway) and Byrne's Ellen Parsons seized their respective seasons by the throat and never let go. Dare I say that I'm rooting for Hendricks here?

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Alice • Syfy • A Reunion Pictures and Studio Eight Production in association with RHI Entertainment
Kathy Bates as Queen of Hearts

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films
Julia Ormond as Eustacia (Temple's Mom)

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films
Catherine O'Hara as Aunt Ann

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films
Brenda Vaccaro as Margo Janus

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films
Susan Sarandon as Janet Good

I'd love this to go to Catherine O'Hara. I love when comedic actors go against the grain and turn in dramatic and moving performances. Ormand was also absolutely amazing in HBO's Temple Grandin but there was such a subtlety and dignity to O'Hara's Ann in the biopic that I hope she's recognized... and starts working more and more in the dramatic arena.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Glee • Wheels • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel

Glee • Dream On • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan

Modern Family • Travels With Scout • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy

Nurse Jackie • Chicken Soup • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber; A Caryn Mandabach Production
Eli Wallach as Bernard Zimberg

30 Rock • Emmanuelle Goes To Dinosaur Land • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio
Jon Hamm as Dr. Drew Baird

30 Rock • Into The Crevasse • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in
association with Universal Media Studio
Will Arnett as Devin Banks

While I'm loath to root for Glee, I'd love to see Mike O'Malley win for his turn as Kurt's surprisingly supportive father Burt.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
The Closer • Make Over • TNT • The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television
Beau Bridges as Detective George Andrews

Damages • The Next One's Gonna Go In Your Throat • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television, FX Productions and KZK Productions
Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher

Dexter • Road Kill • Showtime • Showtime Presents, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions
John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell

The Good Wife • Fleas • CBS • CBS Productions
Alan Cumming as Eli Gold
The Good Wife • Bad • CBS • CBS Productions
Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney

Mad Men • Shut The Door. Have A Seat. • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper

24 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM • FOX • Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV in association w/ Teakwood Lane Productions
Gregory Itzin as President Charles Logan

Let's be honest: is there any way that John Lithgow won't win for his turn as Trinity on Showtime's Dexter? Granted, there's no way that this was a "guest" role but he's in the category and he is almost certain to walk away with the statue next month. Would be shocked if it played out any other way.

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • The Maternal Congruence • CBS • Chuck Lorre
Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter

Desperate Housewives • The Chase • ABC • ABC Studios
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey

Glee • The Rhodes Not Taken • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV
Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes

Saturday Night Live • Host: Tina Fey • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Tina Fey as Host

Saturday Night Live • Host: Betty White • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Betty White as Host

30 Rock • The Moms • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio
Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy

Two And A Half Men • 818-JKLPUZO • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Jane Lynch as Dr. Linda Freeman

Cough, Betty White, cough. Is there anything this woman can't do?

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Big Love • The Might And The Strong • HBO • Anima Sola Productions and Playtone in association with HBO Entertainment
Mary Kay Place as Adaleen Grant

Big Love • End Of Days • HBO • Anima Sola Productions and Playtone in association with HBO Entertainment
Sissy Spacek as Marilyn Densham

The Cleaner • Does Everybody Have A Drink? • A&E • CBS Paramount Television in association with Once A Frog Productions for A&E Network
Shirley Jones as Lola Zellman

Damages • Your Secrets Are Safe • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television, FX Productions and KZK Productions
Lily Tomlin as Marilyn Tobin

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • Bedtime • NBC • Wolf Films in association with Universal Media Studios
Ann-Margret as Rita Wills

Lost • The End • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios
Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet Burke

I'm beyond thrilled to see Elizabeth Mitchell in this category for her role as Juliet on Lost in the series finale and it really comes down to her and Sissy Spacek for Big Love. For me, anyway. I'd love it to be one of them, though Tomlin also gave a stirring and vicious performance as Marilyn Tobin this past season on Damages. Hmmm...

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race • CBS • World Race Productions Inc.
Phil Keoghan as Host

American Idol • FOX • FremantleMedia N.A., Inc. & 19TV Ltd.
Ryan Seacrest as Host

Dancing With The Stars • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions
Tom Bergeron as Host

Project Runway • Lifetime • The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture
Heidi Klum as Host

Survivor • CBS • SEG Inc.
Jeff Probst as Host

I'm going for Phil Keoghan all the way for The Amazing Race. Hands down the classiest reality show host and he displays more emotion in one eyebrow lift than many actors do in their entire frames.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO • HBO Entertainment

Glee • FOX • A Ryan Murphy TV Production in association with 20th Century Fox TV

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television

Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber; A Caryn Mandabach Production

The Office • NBC • Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studio

I have to say that I'm really, really irritated that both Parks and Recreation and Community were shut out of this category while The Office, which suffered through its worst season to date, and 30 Rock, which had a middling one, once again landed spots here. While the Glee nod is not surprising, it also took away a spot from a genuine--and actually funny all the way through--comedy like the two named. I am extremely happy, however, that Modern Family and Nurse Jackie earned nominations here... while HBO's Entourage did not. If there's any justice in the entire world (and Hollywood), Modern Family will be crowned the winner for outstanding comedy. I'm keeping my fingers very tightly crossed.

Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television

Dexter • Showtime • Showtime Presents, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions

Lost • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television

True Blood • HBO • Your Face Goes Here Entertainment in association with HBO Entertainment

Five very strong series, each with their own bands of devoted viewers, likely going to the mats for their favorite. Breaking Bad delivered some majorly stunning surprises this season, as did Showtime's Dexter, which ended in a literal bloodbath. As for ABC's Lost, I'm one of the few who didn't think that Season Five of Lost was its strongest season... and I would have liked to have seen FX's Justified earn a spot here. (Also missing: Sons of Anarchy.)I'm pleasantly surprised to see HBO's True Blood here (taking the spot for Big Love, I would imagine) but I did think that the second season of the vampire drama transcended its roots to deliver a season that combined the seductive quality of the supernatural with something profound and powerful.

Having said that, my vote goes to Mad Men for its entirely superlative season, which in true Matthew Weiner fashion, changed up the rules of its game, ending relationships and altering the underlying foundation of the series in more ways than one. I'm once again rooting for the period drama to grab that prize.

Outstanding Miniseries
The Pacific • HBO • Playtone and Dreamworks in association with HBO
Miniseries

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS • BBC/WGBH in association with Chestermead

Outstanding Made For Television Movie
Endgame (Masterpiece) • PBS • Channel 4, Target Entertainment Group and
Masterpiece present A Daybreak Pictures Production

Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime • Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television

Moonshot • HISTORY • Produced by Dangerous Films LTD for History

The Special Relationship • HBO • A Rainmark and Kennedy/Marshall Production in association with HBO Films

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films

The Pacific may have more ardent supporters, but I'd actually like Temple Grandin to win here. Sometimes it's the smaller films that are just as important as the big-budget miniseries.

What did you think of the nominations? Who earned their nods? Who got wrongly shut out? Who do you think will win? Head to the comments section to discuss.

The Primetime Emmy Awards will be televised live coast-to-coast on Sunday, August 29th on NBC.

The Daily Beast: Inside Temple Grandin's World

I already waxed enthusiastically about the beauty and grace of HBO's biopic Temple Grandin (airing Saturday night), which recounts the life of author, autistic, and inventor Temple Grandin, played here by the incomparable Claire Danes.

I had the rare opportunity to separately interview Temple Grandin, Claire Danes, director Mick Jackson, and executive producer Emily Gerson Saines in a series of one-on-one interviews for a feature over at The Daily Beast.

You can head over to The Daily Beast to read the feature, in which the quartet discuss the HBO film, its portrayal of autism and Grandin's extraordinary gifts, its legacy, and the remarkable woman at its center, Temple Grandin herself.

The half-hour I spent with Grandin will remain with me for the rest of my life and I was touched by her innate charm, humor, and honesty. You'll read just a sliver of what we discussed, which also went on to include details about her life, her work with the cattle industry, alarming trends in autism research, and much more. She is an incredible individual and I'll cherish the time I got to share with her.

Temple Grandin airs tomorrow night at 8 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Every Door is an Opportunity: An Advance Review of HBO's Breathtaking Film "Temple Grandin"

Made-for-TV movies often get a bad rap. They're sometimes looked at as being saccharine stories of people overcoming adversity, focusing on individuals who bravely overcome diseases, disabilities, or gut-wrenching issues.

But every now and then, especially in the hands of HBO, a telepic comes along that is just as good as--if not better than--feature films shown in cinemas, projects that change your perception of the world around you, make you question some hard truths, and make you a better person just by dint of watching them.

One such project is HBO's superlative and imaginative film, Temple Grandin, which airs this Saturday night on the pay cabler.

Focusing on the courageous spirit and inquisitive mind of inventor, author, advocate, and teacher Temple Grandin, the film unfolds in a nonlinear fashion to reconstruct the struggles of autistic Grandin from her childhood as a mute four-year-old girl to her emergence as a brilliant scientific mind, one who revolutionized the cattle industry in America and who offered us a whole new way of understanding the world, its animals, and ourselves.

Written by Christopher Monger and Merritt Johnson and directed by Mick Jackson (Live from Baghdad), Temple Grandin stars Claire Danes (Stage Beauty) as the incomparable Grandin, depicting Temple from her early teenage years in the 1960s to her adulthood in the 1980s. Grandin is unlike anyone you will ever encounter: brilliant and inquisitive, she experiences the world as prey animals do, thinking in images rather than words. It's a gift that she uses to change the way that cattle are treated in the United States and carves out a life for herself that is far from less but so much more.

Danes' staggeringly powerful performance isn't an imitation of the unique Grandin. In the hands of a lesser actor, this turn could be nothing more than inaccurate mimicry; but Danes doesn't so much play Grandin as channel her. It's a breathtaking performance that immediately erases all traces of the actor. Danes transforms herself not just in looks (hairstyle, false teeth) but in every aspect of her being, recreating the stance, voice, and intensity of Grandin herself. (You can read my interview with Danes, Grandin, Jackson, and executive producer Emily Gerson Saines at the Daily Beast tomorrow.)

The result is a virtuoso performance that encapsulates the essence of the film's subject in a way that biopics always hope to achieve but so rarely do. While Emmy nominations are a long ways off, one can only hope that the voters recognize Danes' gifted performance here.

The rest of the cast is equally top-notch. Julia Ormond turns in a stirring and understated performance as Temple's long-suffering mother Eustacia Cutler, a woman who believed so much in her daughter that she pushed her to achieve greater and greater things, turning her back on a doctor's recommendation that Temple be institutionalized as a child. Catherine O'Hara plays Temple's aunt Ann, a supportive and encouraging influence in Temple's life who owns a cattle ranch where Temple spends a formative summer. Gone are any traces of O'Hara's innate comedic timing; her Ann is sensitive, empathetic, and soulful. David Strathairn appears as Temple's high school science teacher Dr. Carlock, a man who feeds Temple's insatiable scientific curiosity and convinces her that she can do anything she sets her mind to achieve.

Whereas many stories would focus on Grandin's autism as an adversity to be overcome, Temple Grandin recognizes that her neurological condition isn't a liability but a gift. Grandin sees the world in pictures, utilizing a photographic memory that enables her to recall thousands of objects, instantly memorize the pages of a French textbook, or run complicated schematics and blueprints through her head.

Director Mick Jackson brings her unique visual thinking ability to life in a series of sequences that showcase the inimitable way of thinking. Temple's ability to think in pictures is displayed by some funny visual puns (roosters, eels, etc.) and by her ability to see the patterns and movement of everything from a swinging farm gate to the cows on Ann's farm. A series of doors, both literal and metaphorical, open up for Temple and she sets out to work with animals, to improve their lives and their deaths.

I don't want to give too much away about this gripping and emotional journey, but I will say that Grandin's story reminds us of the preciousness of every moment. Never is this more clearly seen or keenly felt than here in Temple Grandin. People with autism process emotion in different ways than the rest of us; most find it uncomfortable to physically express a sense of connection in ways that we take for granted: a hug or an embrace. In the film, that feeling is captured beautifully by a scene at Carlock’s funeral, in which Temple almost shares an embrace with her mother. It’s a stolen moment, a near collision that sums up the vast chasm between Temple and those who love her.

Ultimately, Temple Grandin is the story of an individual blessed with an ability that few of us can understand who strives to break free to become not something resembling normal but something truly extraordinary. It's a beautiful story brought to live vividly with this remarkable production, a heartfelt gift to Temple Grandin herself and to all of us who watch.



Temple Grandin airs Saturday evening at 8 pm ET/PT on HBO.