Meryl Streep Defeats Sandra Bullock, Marion Cotillard and Herself at the 67th Golden Globe Awards

Competing against herself in one of the top categories at the 67^th Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) honored Meryl Streep for her performance as beloved television chef Julia Child in Julie & Julia.

Streep beats Marion Cotillard, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep

In the same category, Streep also earned a Golden Globe nomination for the bedroom farce It's Complicated, putting her in competition with herself and these other top-notch actresses

Sandra Bullock (The Proposal): Bullock goes against type in The Proposal by playing Margaret Tate, a Canadian citizen who needs a "green card marriage" to keep her high-paying job in the United States. Tate bullies her long-suffering assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) into playing the part of her fiance. The Proposal is not Bullock's strongest work in 2009, and the abrasiveness of Margaret Tate makes this a tough film to watch.

Marion Cotillard (Nine): Cotillard's performance is the best thing about Nine, the big screen adaptation of the popular Broadway musical. As Luisa Contini, the tolerant wife of a famous Italian film director, Cotillard stands out in an otherwise mediocre film. On a very damp red carpet, Cotillard, wearing a black gown accented by a shoulder sash, said "I'm very happy to be nominated."

Julia Roberts (Duplicity): Starring opposite Clive Owen, Roberts helped heat up the screen in Duplicity, a story of revenge, lust and con games. Wearing a simple black outfit accented by a medallion, Roberts took some potshots at NBC, who faced some competition from First Lady Michelle Obama and the NFL playoff games. "You guys are in the toilet," Roberts said to Billy Bush while laughing and huddling under an umbrella.

It's not that complicated to believe that Meryl Streep won the Golden Globe

Wearing a glamorous black, off-the-shoulder evening gown highlighted by an over-sized belt, Meryl Streep did Julia Child proud, wearing her hair pulled back in a conservative bun. When Streep arrived at the podium to accept her Golden Globe, she seemed a little out of sorts. "I want to change my name to 'T-Bone'-'T-Bone Streep,' she said, making a reference to T-Bone Burnett, winner of the Golden Globe for co-writing "The Weary Kind," the theme from Crazy Heart.

As Streep continued to talk, she remained humble, despite a professional resume that stretches back decades. "In my career, I have been playing so many extraordinary women that I am being mistaken for one," Streep said.

Streep also was overcome with emotion over the situation in Haiti, seeming almost guilty that she was accepting an award while so many were suffering. Quoting her mother, who Streep said had no tolerance for doom and gloom, Streep said she could hear her mother's voice telling her that she should be "damn grateful to have the dollars to help."