Golden Globe Musings: Best Motion Picture – Drama

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:
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything

In the past, this award has been a good precursor for the Oscar Best Picture race, with a few false positives, like “The Ides of March,” “Revolutionary Road,” and “American Gangster” mixed in, as well as some truly peculiar picks like “The Great Debaters.” Two Oscar frontrunners – “Joy” and “The Martian,” are considered comedies, so that leaves some extra room. The definitive frontrunners here are Spotlight, The Revenant, and Steve Jobs. This is where we’ll get to see what other films are strongest, like The Hateful Eight or Bridge of Spies, as well as The Danish Girl, Brooklyn, Carol, and Beasts of No Nation.

Current predictions:
Carol
The Hateful Eight
The Revenant
Spotlight
Steve Jobs