Drama
Phil Bacharach
In “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” writer/director Thomas McCarthy explored the dynamics of family, but not in the conventional sense.

Comedy
Rod Lott
At this year’s Golden Globes, when Paul Giamatti won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for “Barney’s Version,” you, too, may have asked, “What the hell is ‘Barney’s Version’?”

Television series
Rod Lott
Since moving homes roughly a year ago, my whole life got thrown for a loop. One notable, although not Earth-shattering bit of fallout was not being able to watch “30 Rock” every week. My schedule forced me to wait for the DVD set.

Drama
Rod Lott
Whereas the 2010 documentary Inside Job gave a big-picture view at how Wall Street nearly eroded the American economy, the HBO telefilm Too Big to Fail dramatizes the behind-the-scenes dealings.