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:
Birdman
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

The Golden Globes consolidate screenwriting to just one race, grouping together both original and adapted screenplays. It’s usually made up of Best Motion Picture – Drama nominees and sometimes a truly odd choice like “The Ides of March,” “It’s Complicated,” or “Love Actually.” The first place I’d start here is with screenwriters whose films have recently won this award, like Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. I think The Revenant might miss out here in favor of other story-driven films like Spotlight, Room, Joy, The Danish Girl, Carol, and The Martian.

Current predictions:
The Hateful Eight
The Martian
Room
Spotlight
Steve Jobs