Golden Globe Musings: Best Director – Motion Picture

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced very soon, 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:
Todd Haynes (Carol)
Ridley Scott (The Martian)
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant)
Thomas McCarthy (Spotlight)

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. Count on Martin Scorsese (Silence), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), and Damien Chazelle (La La Land) to make the cut, and if any of them doesn’t, aside from Scorsese, whose film may have peaked too late, consider that a major blow to their awards chances. I can’t imagine that Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) will be the one to join them, but who will it be instead? Maybe Denzel Washington (Fences), Pablo Larrain (Jackie), Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals), Jeff Nichols (Loving), or someone else entirely?

Current predictions:
Denzel Washington (Fences)
Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)
Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Martin Scorsese (Silence)