Golden Globes Best Movie Drama Betting

The Golden Globes differ from the Oscars in that they do not have just one category for Best Picture, but divide it into two - one for dramas, the other for musicals and/or comedies. On a year-to-year basis the drama category is by far the deeper and better category; so deep, in fact, that two of the possible front-runners for the Best Picture Oscar, "Doubt" and "Milk," aren't even mentioned here. Let's take a look at those who were nominated by the foreign press.

BetUS Sportsbook Odds

To Win Best Motion Picture Drama

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button +280

Frost/Nixon +725

The Reader +1600

Revolutionary Road +375

Slumdog Millionaire -140

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (-140 at BetUS) looks to be the kind of story the voters will embrace - not just the plot of the movie itself, which involves a Mumbai orphan who goes from rags to riches as a result of an appearance on a popular quiz show - but the fact that this is a little independent film that has been gathering a whole lot of momentum, winning a slew of film festivals. It was directed by Danny Boyle, who brought you films like "Trainspotting." This is a film that has really gone over big with audiences, and done surprisingly well at the box office; in fact, out of the top ten films in the country this past week, it was the only one that actually saw its numbers growing. All told, it's at almost $29 million. When you can combine great reviews with over-achievement at the box office, you have a genuine contender. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time."

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (+280 at BetUS) has gotten much of the "big picture" buzz, although frankly I am surprised that another film that could well have been in this category and taken home the award, "Milk," never even got nominated. David Fincher was the last in a long line of directors who took a shot at this material, which was inspired by an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who ages backward, and frankly, a lot of people thought he misinterpreted it. This film is certainly one of the more ambitious of the year, and has star power with the likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, but I'm not sure it's going to steal the thunder from "Slumdog Millionaire." In terms of the "human element" it lags behind, and might be seen as more of a special effects triumph than anything else.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (+375 at BetUS) will quite possibly nab Oscar nominations for its two stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who made box office magic in "Titanic," and it's a great vehicle for them to exercise their acting chops. I must admit to not having seen it yet, but from what can see it looks like something that was derived from the AMC show "Mad Men" (even though I know it wasn't). The story is sharp, but will it generate enough excitement to overtake the field?

FROST/NIXON (+725 at BetUS) could be the real darkhorse, for people who like dialogue and aren't taken in by the charm of the "Slumdog." Frank Langella's powerhouse performance takes some getting used to, as it might with anyone trying to portray as famous (or infamous, as it were) a person as Richard Nixon. He is mesmerizing though. This is the fifth time Ron Howard has been nominated for a Golden Globe (third time as a director) and the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) may just feel this is the time for him.