Golden Globe Musings: Best Screenplay

Golden Globe Musings: Best Screenplay

The following represents some preliminary thoughts on Golden Globe contenders for the given category. Predictions will be narrowed and revised towards the end of November or the beginning of December. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is way to early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point. Nominees in this category come from drama, comedy, and musical motion pictures and are not separated by original or adapted material.

The top contenders:
AMERICAN GANGSTER (Steven Zaillian)
The film may do well in other categories and Zaillian is a past winner for his adaptation of “Schindler’s List” back in 1993. It is the kind of movie where the screenplay can easily go along with the rest of the film.

ATONEMENT (Christopher Hampton)
If this is as “instant classic” as it is supposed to be, it will be highly shocking if “Atonement” gets the cold shoulder in this category.

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR (Aaron Sorkin)
This new guy named Sorkin wrote a screenplay sure not to cause a big fuss. The former “West Wing” scribe has already received two nominations for lighter films, “The American President” and “A Few Good Men”. It all rides on how the film is received.

IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (Paul Haggis)
Haggis is the hot ticket in Hollywood right now, writing one film that went on to become a Best Picture nominee for the past three years. He last earned a nomination for “Crash” which definitely had a stronger script than “Elah”.

INTO THE WILD (Sean Penn)
I have not read the book, but I have heard that Penn may have done some impressive crafting and condensing with his script. The film is long but constantly interesting, a mixed blessing for this category.

JUNO (Diablo Cody)
This is easily the most buzzed-about screenplay of the year. It is a comedy, but that should not take away from its chances.

KNOCKED UP (Judd Apatow)
“Knocked Up” was all the rage back in early summer before “Superbad” and “Juno” came along. “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”, written by Apatow popped up at the WGA Awards a few years back but was not able to make it in at the Globes.

MICHAEL CLAYTON (Tony Gilroy)
If the film makes it in, the script may be considered fresh and inventive even though it is not really at all. Gilroy has few precursors in the way of previous nominations.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Joel & Ethan Coen)
The Coen Brothers return for a feature that looks fantastic and should play well at least here and in Best Supporting Actor if nowhere else. The Coen Brothers earned a nomination for “The Man Who Wasn’t There” in 2001 as well as for “Fargo” in 1996.

THE SAVAGES (Tamara Jenkins)
Based on the trailer on the buzz, it feels like the kind of movie which would have a good screenplay, sort of like “The Squid and the Whale”.

Anything else? Both The Assassination of Jesse James and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead have fantastic screenplays but are more likely to be recognized elsewhere, for acting and direction, respectively. There Will Be Blood is adapted by Paul Thomas Anderson, but the man has no previous Globe nominations; he succeeds at the WGA Awards and the Oscars instead. Same for Wes Anderson and company with regard to The Darjeeling Limited. Musical successes Hairspray and Once boast nothing special in terms of their screenplays, but buzz and enthusiasm can go a long way.

Current predictions:
ATONEMENT
CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
JUNO
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN