Last night, he got a chance to showcase his skills.

As last year’s BAFTRA Best Actor Award winner for The King’s Speech, he was called upon to present the 2012 Best Actress BAFTRA Award at last night’s ceremony.  (I watched the festivities on DVR this morning during breakfast.)

Meryl Streep won for The Iron Lady, but the events that followed prove that winning ain’t always easy.

As Streep started walking toward the stage, she realized she had brought her purse, so she quickly shoved it into the hands of a woman on the aisle.  Then — in a Cinderella moment that couldn’t have been scripted — Streep left a shoe on the stage steps.

Thinking on his feet, Firth rescued her pump, knelt before the newly crowned Best Actress, and put it back on.

He was rewarded with a kiss.

Streep was thoughtful and gracious in her remarks, but I wasn’t really paying attention. We had just witnessed this spontaneous, movie-like moment.

Her speech was simply the credits.

The BAFTA Awards — the Brits’ Oscars, if you will — announced that Miss Piggy will be their official red carpet host for this Sunday’s awards ceremony.

Oui!

Now there’s a red carpet interviewer who’s bound to ask something more interesting than ‘Who are you wearing?’  Heck, I bet Miss Piggy will proposition a celebrity or two (George Clooney) and throw a punch if said celebrity’s leggy girlfriend (Stacey Keibler) gets in the way.

Plus, it’s nice to see a television host who hasn’t starved herself to death to get the job…or filled her face with Botox or other fillers to maintain a youthful appearance.

(I’m pretty sure she’ll just put on a new head for the broadcast.)

Muppets rule.  Congrats, Piggy!

And I didn’t even win the Powerball.

No, I’m watching That Thing You Do on Encore.  And I defy anyone to be in a bad mood when that movie is on.

I’ve watched the film before…at least seven or eight times, I would guess.  But every time I do, I am struck by the positive energy and sheer happiness radiating from every frame.  I’m sure if they filmed me watching the movie, I would be grinning from ear to ear (when I’m not moved to tears).

I’m also amazed at how many times they play the title song “That Thing You Do,” and how it never seems to get old.  It’s like the engine driving the film, and every time they play it, the movie gets another burst of life and energy.

There it goes again!  Gotta dance.

Plus, I don’t see scary movies close to bedtime.  I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. (Remind me to tell you about my Blair Witch Project fiasco sometime.)

The Woman in Black is my favorite kind of horror film.  The ghosts are scary, but they pretty much stay in one place — in this instance, an old haunted house in Yorkshire at the turn of the century.  There’s also no gore.

I hate gore.

Daniel Radcliffe, who has joked about being cast as Harry Potter because of his ‘orphan eyes,’ uses them to full effect here as a still grieving widowed lawyer sent to the haunted manse on business for the former owner.

Once there, he sees the legendary Woman in Black and soon children in the village begin to die in horrific ways.

I love the look of the film — so gray and cold.  I kept burrowing under my coat to get warm in the theatre.  Radcliffe disappears into the role as well; you won’t confuse him with Harry here.  The film is well paced, building slowly and eerily towards it climax.

Or what you think is the climax.

Bwha ha ha.

“You know this awards stuff isn’t really important, right?”

A child with perspective.  I hate that.

Well, she’s gonna love this.  I now want to address the egregious omission of Ben and Leslie of Parks and Recreation from the E! Online “TV’s Top Couples Tournament.”

Thirty-two couples are vying for the title, and Ben and Leslie aren’t even being considered.

Thank goodness Lil’ Sebastian isn’t alive to see this day.

Since the obvious winner isn’t allowed to compete, I want to make sure some good couples make it into the round of Sweet 16.

Couples like…

• Phil and Claire of Modern Family
• Castle and Beckett of Castle
• Leonard and Penny of The Big Bang Theory
• Barney and Robin of How I Met Your Mother

I’m sure you have your favorites, so vote today!

It’s very important.

Surly little devil.

And rumor has it he plans to hang around all day.

Uninvited.

Now, I have two possible responses to my unwelcome guest.

First, I can let him ruin my day.  Get nothing accomplished.  Eat too much.  Get depressed. Perhaps shed a tear or two for no particular reason.

Or I can chose the far healthier response…

Go see a movie.

I still may not get as much work done as originally planned.  I may — okay, I will — eat junk food.  And if I end up crying, that simply means…

It was another great day at the theatre.

He proposed to his girlfriend while they were making dinner at his apartment.  They texted me the news, including photos of the ring.  A few days later they made the announcement on Facebook.

A modern love story.

I couldn’t help but compare that to Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice.  (I watched it again last night when my cable box was on the fritz.)

He proposed the first time in the rain.  They argued, and she rejected him.

The second time (pictured here) they met in the middle of a field — in the middle of the night — in their night clothes. 

Then Mr. Darcy asked Elizabeth’s father for her hand in marriage before the family had even eaten breakfast.

For such a proper time in history, that whole thing seems a bit scandalous in comparison….don’t you think?   Imagine your own son or daughter wandering into your front lawn at dawn in their PJs talking weddings.  You’d think they were drunk.

Of course, it would make a good story.

It’s like having to work on Christmas Day.

Since I missed the entertainment editors’ reactions immediately following the event, I feel compelled to add my own.  As always, it’s a mixed bag of relief and regret.

(Feel free to add your own.)

I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE…

• All the Oscar love for Moneyball (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing).  It’s one of the year’s best.  Understated.  Over-delivers.
• Bridesmaids’ recognition come in the two categories where it is deserved — Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.  It was a funny comedy, but I think we all got a bit overly excited about just how good it was.
• The head-to-head competition between Brad Pitt and George Clooney, both in the Best Actor category and in other categories where their films are nominated together.  No two friends enjoy going at each other so much or do it as well.  Bodes well for the ceremony itself.

I’M SAD TO SEE…

• Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was not given a Best Picture nod.  If you’re going to nominate 10 films, why not the most successful franchise in motion picture history — and its most critically acclaimed final installment?  Nods for Art Direction, Makeup and Visual Effects don’t seem near enough.
• Michael Fassbender was robbed of the Best Actor nomination for Shame. I should also complain about Ryan Gosling’s omission from the list, but Fassbender alone is a crime.  A crime.
• And, on the flip side, should a movie have to have a certain life in the theatre to earn a Best Picture nod?  The Tree of Life was barely there.  Try to see it now.  Try to remember it if you did.

Okay.  That’s all I have right now.

What do you think?

Like many of you, I loved watching the Golden Globes last night, and look forward to the many award shows yet to come.

SAG Awards.  BAFTAs.  Independent Spirit Awards.  And of course, the almighty Oscars.

But a part of the process I don’t enjoy that much is the red carpet coverage.  Sure, it’s fun to see the array of fashion do’s and don’ts, but the inane interviews make even the most beautiful gowns painful to behold.

I read a book last night instead.  (You can see the dresses during the ceremony, right?)

Perhaps if I had a red carpet history like Tyler Sercombe, I’d feel differently.

At the ripe ol’ age of one, Tyler has already been photographed with more than 130 celebrities, including Meryl Streep, George Clooney, and Johnny Depp.

Her mom Donna started taking her to premieres when she was a month old. They have been to about 60 so far.

Yep.  I’d put my book down for that.

That means it’s time for The Egg’s annual sticky predictions.

Who should win?  Who will win?  Tragically, they aren’t always the same.  But The Sticky Egg accepts the challenge of trying to predict both.

Will we get it right?  Doubtful.  (But it’s fun trying.)

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

* “The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Hugo” — will win
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball” — should win
“War Horse”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs” — should win
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
* Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady” — will win
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

* George Clooney, “The Descendants” — will win
Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Michael Fassbender, “Shame — should win
Ryan Gosling, “The Ides of March”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

“50/50″
* “The Artist” — will (and should) win
“Bridesmaids”
“Midnight in Paris”
“My Week With Marilyn”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Jodie Foster, “Carnage
Charlize Theron, “Young Adult” — should win
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
* Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn” — will win
Kate Winslet, “Carnage”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

* Jean Dujardin, “The Artist — will win
Brendan Gleeson, “The Guard”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50″
Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” — should win
Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

* “The Adventures of Tintin” — will (and probably should) win
“Arthur Christmas”
“Cars 2″
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“The Flowers of War” (China)
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” (USA)
“The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium)
* “A Separation” (Iran) — will win (based on what I’ve read)
“The Skin I Live In” (Spain)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
* Octavia Spencer, “The Help” — will (and should) win
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Albert Brooks, “Drive” — should win
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Viggo Mortensen, “A Dangerous Method”
* Christopher Plummer, “Beginners” – will win

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
George Clooney, “The Ides of March”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist” — will (and should) win
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
* Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

BEST SCREENPLAY

* Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon – “The Ides of March”
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash – “The Descendants”
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin – “Moneyball” – will (and should) win

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

* Ludovic Bource – “The Artist”
Abel Korzeniowski – “W.E.”
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” — will (and should) win
Howard Shore – “Hugo”
John Williams – “War Horse”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Hello Hello” — “Gnomeo & Juliet,” music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin — will win
“The Keeper”— “Machine Gun Preacher,” music and lyrics by Chris Cornell
“Lay Your Head Down” — “Albert Nobbs,” music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close — should win
“The Living Proof” — “The Help”; music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.; lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas
* “Masterpiece” — W.E., music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

“American Horror Story” — should win
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Boss”
“Game of Thrones”
* “Homeland” –  will win

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

* Claire Danes, “Homeland” — will win
Mireille Enos, “The Killing”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Madeleine Stowe, “Revenge” — should win
Callie Thorne, “Necessary Roughness”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
* Kelsey Grammer, “Boss” — will win
Jeremy Irons, “The Borgias”
Damian Lewis, “Homeland” — should win

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

“Enlightened”
“Episodes”
“Glee”
* “Modern Family” — will (and should) win
“New Girl”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

* Laura Dern, “Enlightened” — will win
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Laura Linney, “The Big C”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” — should win

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
David Duchovny, “Californication”
Johnny Galecki, “The Big Bang Theory” — should win
Thomas Jane, “Hung”
* Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes” – will win

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

* “Downton Abbey” — will (and should) win
“The Hour”
“Mildred Pierce”
“Too Big to Fail”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Romola Garai, “The Hour”
Diane Lane, “Cinema Verite”
Elizabeth McGovern, “Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece)
Emily Watson, “Appropriate Adult”
* Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce” – will (and should) win

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Hugh Bonneville, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece) — will (and should win)
* Idris Elba, “Luther”
William Hurt, “Too Big to Fail”
Bill Nighy, “Page Eight” (Masterpiece)
Dominic West, “The Hour”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

* Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story” – should win (YEA!)
Kelly MacDonald, “Boardwalk Empire”
Maggie Smith, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece) — will win
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Mildred Pierce”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

* Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Paul Giamatti, “Too Big to Fail” — will win
Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce” — should win
Tim Robbins, “Cinema Verite”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”

Enjoy the Globes!

Asterisks (*) denote actual winners.