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The Golden Globes: Best Screenplay Review

By Cameron Cubbison · December 30, 2014

The Golden Globes throw a bit of a wrench into the category of screenwriting. Opposite of The Oscars, the Golden Globes lump all screenplays into one category. It has not always been this way, but depending on the year this is how it is done.

This year’s roundup is about a 8.5/10. There were some solid adaptations alongside some highly creative original storytelling.

Here, we will examine each screenplay to see how they measure up to each another. Want to weigh in on what you think is best? Let us know.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Don’t forget, you can download and read all of these screenplays HERE.

NOTE: These are not numbered in a particular order

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Written by: Wes Anderson & Hugo Guiness

Wes Anderson has had some recent duds. As of late, his stories have become so focused on his “brand of humor” that they’ve become muddled in their own steppings. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a welcomed jolt back to Anderson’s comedy that does not feel forced on the audience. He does not ever overextend his reach on wittines and nails a perfect balance of laugh out loud comedy and drama that resonates.

Anderson’s writing is dependent on the perfect cast. Some writer/directors can apply their dialogue to any actor that walks in the room. Anderson must have the right actor delivering his lines. Ralph Fiennes is a prime example of this process in its best form. His knack for always being able to execute a sharp tongue comes into full form in this screenplay.

Final Score: 8/10

4. Gone Girl

Written by: Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is one of the few novelists to adapt her own book into a feature film (directed by the coveted David Fincher) – a task that, for the majority, is done by various studio screenwriters and script doctors. With this in mind, Flynn did a near perfect job of remembering that this was an adaptation that was being run through the medium of motion picture. She eliminated certain pieces of Nick and Amy to fit the screen story well. She also crafted a beautifully threaded voiceover that, regardless of it being an adaptation, is a mammoth task within itself.

Flynn’s overall story and characters also fit into Fincher’s world perfectly. The screenplay was the perfect blueprint for a director like Fincher to come in and go to work.

Final Score: 8.5/10

3. Birdman

Written by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo

The black sheep on this list, Birdman is a skilled piece of writing, but one that’s story is basic. The “washed up” story arc is one of the most common structural layouts in the screenwriting universe. Fun to see on screen? Yes.

The above being said, Keaton brings much to the lead character Riggan and the direction and editing (meant to appear as one long POV shot) give a third dimension to this script that helps disguise it into celebratory territory.

2. Boyhood

Written by: Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater is a beloved storyteller. His ANTI attitude that goes into his content is one of a kind. Not to mention his ability to pen characters and worlds that could not be more real, as they tend to come from his real life and experiences. Boyhood (aside from being a creative ingenuity) hits a long stroke of not only nostalgia, but sentiment that is not too heavily drenched. Its pacing is drawn out nicely and all the characters involved (and the situations they are put in) are a hard dose of real that remind us of his Dazed and Confused days.

Final Score: 9/10

1. The Imitation Game

Written by: Graham Moore

The bottom line here is simple: this adaptation is engaging and keeps the audience locked in on the task at hand (wits and the ability to crack a code) and the characters that must trench through the task. Paired with highly skilled acting, Moore’s words find the perfect balance of beats between drama and history – much harder to write than one would think.

This is a perfect example of a real “page-turner” screenplay.

Final Score: 9/10