Hollywood pats itself on back at tarnished Globes

I have to admit my instincts veer towards the latter as I digest the results of the 67th Golden Globes, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Sunday night.

Avatar was the big winner, lifting gongs for best drama and best director. And as the Globes are an indicator of what may happen at the Oscars, it could be Avatar that cleans up, just as Titanic did in 1998.

That's good news for James Cameron; even more so for delighted studio execs at 20th Century Fox who surely must be suffering deafness from the cacophony of cash registers ringing all over the world. Avatar has already taken more than $1bn at the global box office. A strong showing at the Oscars will only propel more eager punters through the turnstiles.

For me, the sad thing in observing the Golden Globes ceremony was the realisation that many of my colleagues opted to heap praise on Avatar at the expense of smaller films with guts, heart and, tellingly, genuine stories.

Thus Lee Daniels's Precious (based on the novel, Push, by Sapphire) was overlooked in two of its three categories though, thankfully, Mo'Nique was singled out for her portrayal of a monstrous mother.

Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker received three nominations but won nothing. Carey Mulligan, break-out star of An Education, lost to Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side.

I wanted Bigelow to win, and win big. So few women get to step behind the camera that the notion of successful female filmmakers has become an industry joke. Oh, and not just because she's a lone female in a world of men – the film is superb.

Big loser of the night? George Clooney. He applauded and grinned when Jeff Bridges bagged the award for Actor in a Drama in Crazy Heart. Minutes later, when Up in the Air lost out to Avatar, Clooney's director, Jason Reitman, couldn't hide his disappointment.

Clooney is said to be a front-runner to win his first Academy Award as best actor. His only real competition is the 60-year-old veteran Jeff Bridges.

Bridges received a standing ovation as he accepted his award from Kate Winslet. Ten years ago, when he was ignored (again) for playing a droll president in The Contender, I described him as "always the bridesmaid, never the bride". He didn't care then, but I venture he cares now, for an Oscar lies within his grasp.

I just hope that the Academy Awards follow suit and Mr Bridges, so long overlooked (though not necessarily under-appreciated), gets to lift that shiny golden man. It's time.