Golden Globe Musings: Best Director – 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:
David O. Russell (American Hustle)
Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips)
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Alexander Payne (Nebraska)
Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)

This category often mixes films nominated in the top drama and comedy categories and occasionally throws in a director whose film isn’t recognized in one of those races. Leading the way are Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman) and Richard Linklater (Boyhood). I think that Christopher Nolan (Interstellar) will get in here even if he doesn’t make it to Oscar, and it’s just a question of who will join him. David Fincher (Gone Girl) and Angelina Jolie (Unbroken) have high profiles and might just be exactly what Globe voters are looking for. Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher), James Marsh (The Theory of Everything), or Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) could earn their first Globe nominations, but they might be bumped by familiar names like Clint Eastwood (American Sniper) or Jon Stewart (Rosewater) if voters go crazy for them.

Current predictions:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
David Fincher (Gone Girl)
Christopher Nolan (Interstellar)
Angelina Jolie (Unbroken)