Golden Globe Musings: Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Last year’s nominees:
127 Hours
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

Unlike the Oscars or the WGA, the Golden Globes have only one catch-all category for screenplays. It often favors surprisingly light inclusions, such as “Love Actually” or “It’s Complicated,” while also highlighting some creative choices such as “District 9.” Sometimes it’s about the movie, and others it’s about the screenwriter or director. Carnage, Midnight in Paris, J. Edgar, Young Adult, and We Bought a Zoo could fall under the latter category. Their main competition will be The Artist, The Descendants, and The Help. The Ides of March seems like a good-feeling Globe movie, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy or A Dangerous Method could also factor into the race. I’m pulling for Beginners to place, but sadly, I don’t see that happening.

Current predictions:
The Artist
Carnage
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March