Golden Globes Best Picture in Musical or Comedy from the year you were born

- Director: Vincente Minnelli
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 114 min

Inspired by George Gershwin’s 1928 composition of the same name, this romantic musical centers on a love triangle between three Americans in Paris. Star Gene Kelly choreographed the movie’s iconic song-and-dance numbers, including an outrageously expensive and elaborate ballet sequence. After snagging the Golden Globe, it went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

- Director: Walter Lang
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 117 min

Tragedy leads to triumph in this 1952 biopic, which tells the true story of singer and plane crash survivor Jane Froman. The real-life Froman was not only a technical advisor on the film, but she also provided all the singing for lead actress Susan Hayward. In addition to winning Best Musical or Comedy, the film earned Hayward a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

- Director: Otto Preminger
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 105 min

Like the Broadway production before it, this musical drama reimagines a 19th-century opera by way of new lyrics and an African American cast. While stars Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge were accomplished singers, they still relied on dubbed vocals from opera legends LeVern Hutcherson and Marilyn Horne. Belafonte had just one film credit to his name when he was cast in the lead role as a soldier named Joe.

- Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 150 min

A celebrated Broadway musical leaped onto the big screen in 1955, chronicling two high-stakes gamblers and their gals. Despite the film’s uplifting vibe, Hollywood mega-stars Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando did not get along behind the scenes. Brando reportedly flubbed takes on purpose, forcing the famously impatient Sinatra to perform the same bit over and over again.

- Director: Walter Lang
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 133 min

Up against four comedies at the 1957 Golden Globes, this smash-hit musical was the obvious pick for Best Picture in its respective category. It would go on to win five Academy Awards out of a whopping nine nominations. The film remains banned in Thailand (formerly Siam) over its portrayal of King Mongkut, played by Yul Brynner.

- Director: George Cukor
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 114 min

Gene Kelly’s last musical with MGM won big at the Golden Globes but failed to connect with audiences. Presenting the exploits of a dance troupe from multiple perspectives, it takes direct cues from Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon.” Composer Cole Porter provided the music and lyrics.

- Director: Morton DaCosta
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 143 min

From 1959 to 1963, the HFPA divided Best Musical and Best Comedy into two separate categories. That led to a Best Comedy win for this Technicolor adaptation, about the relationship between a swing-era socialite and her recently orphaned nephew. The film “Gigi” won for Best Musical.

- Director: Billy Wilder
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 97
- Runtime: 121 min

Challenging Hollywood codes at the time, this hit comedy finds two male musicians hiding out from the mob in an all-female band. In addition to winning Best Comedy at the Globes, "Some Like It Hot" earned Best Actor and Actress awards for Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. The ill-fated “Porgy and Bess” won for Best Musical that same year.

- Director: Billy Wilder
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 125 min

Once again exploring somewhat controversial terrain, director Billy Wilder set this biting comedy against a backdrop of illicit corporate behavior. It won multiple Golden Globes along with other major awards, including five Oscars. “Song Without End” won the Golden Globe for Best Musical that same year.

- Director: Mervyn LeRoy
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 156 min

The same year that "West Side Story" took the country by storm, Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness co-starred in this Best Comedy winner. Depicting the love story between a Japanese businessman and a Brooklyn widow, it landed actress Russell her fourth Golden Globe. Over in the Best Musical category, things went exactly as one might expect.

- Director: Delbert Mann
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 99 min

A small-town country girl (Doris Day) and rich businessman (Cary Grant) share the same romantic desires, but different values. The hit comedy won alongside “The Music Man,” which took home the award for Best Musical. It marked the last time that the HFPA divided Best Musical and Best Comedy into separate categories.

- Director: Tony Richardson
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 129 min

This rousing comedy defeated films such as “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “Bye, Bye Birdie” when it won Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. Starring Albert Finney, it chronicles the adventures of a British lothario in 18th-century England. It would go on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

- Director: George Cukor
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 95
- Runtime: 170 min

Audrey Hepburn was a major box office draw when she starred in this family musical, which puts a twist on the classic “Pygmalion” premise. Unbeknownst to audiences at the time, Hepburn’s singing was dubbed by soprano and ghost singer Marni Nixon. The film won three Golden Globes and five Academy Awards.

- Director: Robert Wise
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 172 min

The song-laden story of a governess named Maria (Julie Andrews) became the highest-grossing movie of its time, and the first to earn more than $100 million at the box office. After winning two Golden Globes, it went on to take home five Academy Awards. It currently sits at #4 on AFI’s list of the 25 Greatest Musicals.

- Director: Norman Jewison
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 126 min

Channeling Cold War paranoia through a slapstick lens, this unexpected hit features a talented cast of comedy legends. It takes place in a small New England town, where the locals freak out after a Russian submarine pulls ashore. Alan Arkin's breakout performance earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor and an Oscar nomination as well.

- Director: Mike Nichols
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 106 min

Starring Dustin Hoffman as a somewhat bewildered college graduate, this coming-of-age dramedy was a box office smash with a chart-topping soundtrack. Its theatrical gross of $104.9 million comes out to a mind-blowing $754 million when adjusted for inflation. In addition to five Golden Globes, it won an Academy Award for Best Director.

- Director: Carol Reed
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 153 min

Giving a Dickens classic the song-and-dance treatment, this British musical follows a young orphan named Oliver (Mark Lester) as he takes to the streets. Released the same year as groundbreaking films like “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” it upset them all by winning Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards. On the British Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 British Films of the 20th century, it sits at #77.

- Director: Stanley Kramer
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 139 min

The Italian town of Santa Vittoria has a secret and that secret is one million bottles of local wine, which must be concealed from the Germans during WWII. While this dramedy earned multiple Golden Globe nominations and one win, it failed to connect with most critics and audiences. That didn’t stop director and producer Stanley Kramer, who received 45 Golden Globe nominations in total throughout his career.

- Director: Robert Altman
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 116 min

Following American doctors during the Korean War, Robert Altman’s classic dispenses its own unique blend of comedy and drama. A critical and commercial hit, it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes before taking home a Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. A massively successful TV series adaptation would follow.

- Director: Norman Jewison
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 181 min

One of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history became this equally accomplished film, which won two Golden Globes and three Academy Awards. Director Norman Jewison interweaves timeless songs and performances with stark themes of poverty and anti-semitism in prerevolutionary Russia. What could have been a watered-down take remains surprisingly vital in its uncompromising stance.

- Director: Bob Fosse
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 124 min

Loosely based on a Broadway musical, Bob Fosse’s dizzying adaptation takes place in 1930s Germany. Liza Minelli won a Golden Globe and Academy Award for her role as entertainer Sally Bowles. This film holds the record for the most Oscars won by a movie that didn’t win Best Picture.

- Director: George Lucas
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 97
- Runtime: 110 min

Before revolutionizing the franchise film, George Lucas created the template for modern teen comedies. Struggling to get the financing he needed, Lucas received additional studio backing once Francis Ford Coppola came on board as producer. Shot on a budget of under $1 million, "American Graffiti" went to make over $200 million in box office gross and home video sales.

- Director: Robert Aldrich
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 121 min

In a year overflowing with iconic films, this one about prison football emerged as the box office champion. Originally marketed as a drama, "The Longest Yard" was rebranded as a comedy by Paramount after winning the Golden Globe in that category. When a later remake starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock debuted, there was no mistaking its genre.

- Director: Herbert Ross
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 111 min

George Burns was 80 years old when he starred in this acclaimed comedy about two antagonistic vaudeville actors who reunite for a TV special. It was the first movie penned by Neil Simon to win a Golden Globe, succeeding where 10 of his previously nominated films had failed. Other comedies and musicals nominated that year included “Shampoo,” “The Return of the Pink Panther,” and “Tommy.”

- Director: Frank Pierson
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 139 min

Decades before the recent smash hit, Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson starred in this similarly successful take on "A Star Is Born." While not necessarily a critical darling, it racked up four Golden Globe wins and three Oscar nominations. Before that was a 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason, which won top acting honors at the Golden Globes but lost to "Carmen Jones" in the Best Musical or Comedy category.

- Director: Herbert Ross
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 111 min

Neil Simon and director Herbert Ross reteamed for this acclaimed dramedy, in which a single mother and her daughter share the same apartment as a struggling Broadway actor (Richard Dreyfuss). Not only did it take home four Golden Globes, but a separate film from Ross called “The Turning Point” snagged two awards in the Drama category. Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” was in contention and it only won a single Golden Globe, but came back with a vengeance on Oscar night.

- Directors: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 101 min

Warren Beatty co-wrote, co-directed, produced, and starred in this remake of 1939’s “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” about a man who gets prematurely sent to heaven. Loved by domestic audiences and the HFPA alike, it won three Golden Globes. The ceremony was not broadcast that year, which likely irked the famously vain Beatty.

- Director: Peter Yates
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 91
- Runtime: 101 min

The sleeper hit "Breaking Away" follows a group of teenagers as they come of age in rural Indiana. The film provided several future stars with some of their earliest roles. Its warm critical reception was mostly overshadowed by the domestic drama “Kramer vs Kramer,” but that didn’t stop it from taking home some major awards. On AFI’s list of the 100 Most Inspirational Movies, this one sits at #8.

- Director: Michael Apted
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 124 min

Sissy Spacek’s head-turning performance as country legend Loretta Lynn earned the actress just about every major award, including an Oscar. It was Lynn herself who suggested Spacek for the role, after seeing a photograph of the actress. When the movie won a Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy, it defeated contenders such as “Fame” and “Nine to Five.”

- Director: Steve Gordon
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 97 min

Everyone from Al Pacino to Jack Nicholson passed on the role of spoiled trust fund brat Arthur Bach, with then-unknown actor Dudley Moore eventually landing the part. Powered by Moore's singular performance and a wildly popular theme song, the movie became one of the year's biggest hits. Liza Minelli co-stars in this film and its maligned, 1988 sequel.

- Director: Sydney Pollack
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 116 min

Dustin Hoffman plays a struggling actor named Michael Dorsey who disguises himself as a woman to land a role in a pulpy soap opera. Director Sydney Pollack was reportedly hired at Hoffman’s insistence, though the two famously butted heads during the shoot. All that behind-the-scenes drama gave way to the year’s biggest comedy, which grossed more than $177 million and won a slew of major awards.

- Director: Barbra Streisand
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 133 min

Punctuating musical drama with occasional comic relief, "Yentl" features Barbra Streisand as both lead and director. The film centers on the title character, a young Jewish girl who must pretend to be a boy to receive religious training. With "Yentl," Streisand earned the distinction of being the first woman to take home a Golden Globe for Best Director.

- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 106 min

After a troubled production, this classic adventure comedy went on to become a surprise hit for 20th Century Fox. Its enthusiastic reception from the HFPA helped drive its success at the box office, turning Michael Douglas into one of Hollywood’s hottest stars. Established co-star Kathleen Turner won a Golden Globe for her role as romance novelist Joan Wilder.

- Director: John Huston
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 130 min

John Huston directed daughter Angelica and her boyfriend, Jack Nicholson, in this crime-based comedy about the romance between two contract killers. Up against the likes of “Back to the Future,” it became the first comedy or musical to win all four major Golden Globes. Things didn’t go as well at the Oscars, where dramas such as “Out of Africa” took home most of the big honors.

- Director: Woody Allen
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 107 min

The first Woody Allen film to win Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes was this one from 1986. Chronicling the exploits of three highly unique sisters, it generated brilliant performances out of a supremely talented cast. In addition to its Golden Globe, "Hannah and Her Sisters" won three Oscars and a slew of other major awards.

- Director: John Boorman
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 113 min

Director John Boorman was best-known for gripping movies like “Deliverance” when he churned out this semi-autobiographical dramedy. Set in London at the height of WWII, it follows a young boy as he comes of age against the most brutal of backdrops. An underdog from day one, it beat out films such as “Broadcast News” and “Moonstruck” when it won Best Musical or Comedy.

- Director: Mike Nichols
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 113 min

A secretary with big ideas takes on the biggest idea of them all when she pretends to be the company boss. "Working Girl" stars Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver each won a Golden Globe for their respective performances. In a fiercely competitive race for Best Musical or Comedy, this film went up against (and defeated) “Big,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “Midnight Run,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

- Director: Bruce Beresford
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 99 min

The story of an elderly woman (Jessica Tandy) and her driver (Morgan Freeman) spawned one of the year’s biggest surprises. Tandy became the oldest actress to receive a Golden Globe for Best Actress, a feat she repeated at the Academy Awards. A perennial upsetter, the movie beat out “When Harry Met Sally” at the Globes and Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” at the Oscars.

Twenty years later, Oscar-winner "The Green Book" was called "a blatantly Oscar-baiting flip on 'Driving Miss Daisy,' by New Yorker writer Richard Brody. 

- Director: Peter Weir
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 103 min

Peter Weir directed classics like “The Truman Show” and “Dead Poets Society,” yet this remains his only film to win Best Musical or Comedy at the Globes. A moderate success, it sees a marriage of convenience turn into something far more than that. Fellow nominees “Pretty Woman,” “Ghost,” and “Home Alone” fared far better at the box office and among audiences.

- Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 95
- Runtime: 84 min

Disney Studios was in the midst of a major comeback when this blockbuster became the first animated film to win Best Musical or Comedy at the Globes. Presenting a tale as old as time, it depicts the relationship between a young woman and her beastly captor. A wildly successful Broadway adaptation and live-action remake would follow.

- Director: Robert Altman
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 124 min

Robert Altman’s dark and clever satire turns the camera on Hollywood itself, with help from an epic number of celebrity cameos. At the heart of the film is producer Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), who faces obstacles of every conceivable variety. Interestingly enough, Best Drama winner “Scent of a Woman” could have competed as a comedy while “The Player” arguably could have competed as a drama.

- Directors: Chris Columbus, Chuck Jones
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 53
- Runtime: 125 min

Robin Williams was at the height of his fame and talent when he played dress-up for this massive comedy hit. At the Golden Globes, it faced competition from Nora Ephron’s “Sleepless in Seattle” and not much else. Along similar lines, Williams defeated Tom Hanks when he took home the Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

- Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 88 min

Before the long-running Broadway play and successful live-action remake, there was this animated hit from Disney Studios. Following a young lion cub as he returns from exile to seize the throne, it featured some of the best songs in movie history. Hans Zimmer’s original music score was equally superb, winning both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

- Director: Chris Noonan
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 91 min

Audiences couldn’t get enough of a talking pig and his friends and neither could the HFPA. They awarded “Babe” the honor of Best Musical or Comedy over nominees such as “Toy Story” and “The American President.” A less successful sequel followed.

- Director: Alan Parker
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 135 min

Andrew Lloyd Weber's Broadway smash paved the way for this big screen adaptation, starring Madonna as controversial figure Evita Duarte. When it won Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, it became the first live-action musical to do so in 13 years. Madonna took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

- Director: James L. Brooks
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 139 min

James Cameron’s “Titanic” was the big winner of 1998, but that didn’t stop this profitable dramedy from earning three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards. It stars Jack Nicholson as an obsessive-compulsive writer, who forges unlikely bonds with a waitress (Helen Hunt) and an artist (Greg Kinnear). Upon winning the Oscar for Best Actor, Nicholson imitated his onscreen counterpart by carefully stepping over cracks in the stage.

- Director: John Madden
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 123 min

William Shakespeare (played by Joseph Fiennes) is at the heart of his own Shakespearean drama in this critical and commercial darling. After spending ages in development, it arrived on screens and soon took the awards circuit by storm. At the Oscars, it beat out “Saving Private Ryan” in one of the biggest Best Picture upsets of all time.

- Directors: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 92 min

Pixar won its first Golden Globe with this beloved sequel, in which Andy’s toys return for another computer-animated adventure. Initially conceived as a direct-to-video release, "Toy Story 2" ended up as the second-highest-grossing animated film ever made at the time). The HFPA created a separate category for the Best Animated Feature Film in 2007, making this the last animated movie to win for Best Musical or Comedy.

- Director: Cameron Crowe
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 122 min

Culling from his own experiences as a young Rolling Stone Magazine journalist, Cameron Crowe delivered this acclaimed dramedy. A box office disappointment at the time of its release, it has since become a veritable cult classic. After winning Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actress, it went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

- Director: Baz Luhrmann
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 127 min

After reimagining Shakespeare with "Romeo + Juliet," director Baz Luhrmann reinvented the movie musical. Set in 1899, "Moulin Rouge!" welcomes viewers to the most bohemian nightclub in Paris. Thanks to a substantial push from the HFPA, this initially divisive film became a box office smash and serious Oscar contender.

- Director: Rob Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 113 min

Based on the long-running Broadway hit, this lively adaptation generated more than $300 million in worldwide receipts on a budget of $45 million. Featuring iconic song-and-dance numbers, it centers on the bitter rivalry between two fame-hungry murderesses (Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones). This was the first musical since “The Sound of Music” to win both Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and Best Picture at the Oscars.

- Director: Sofia Coppola
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 102 min

Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort struck a major chord amongst critics and audiences alike, overperforming at the box office and raking in a slew of awards. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson play two lost souls in the city of Tokyo, who form a strong and unlikely bond. Both stars received Golden Globes and substantial career boosts as a result of their work.

- Director: Alexander Payne
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 127 min

Alexander Payne’s quirky comedy beat out “The Incredibles” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” to win Best Musical or Comedy at the Globes. It also turned actor Paul Giamatti into one of Hollywood’s most unexpected leading men. That’s not to mention its palpable effect on the wine industry, causing pinot noir production to skyrocket.

- Director: James Mangold
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 136 min

Joaquin Phoenix nearly always delivers a top-notch performance, and his turn as singer Johnny Cash is no exception. He and co-star Reese Witherspoon—who plays June Carter—both won Golden Globes for their roles in this acclaimed biopic. At the Academy Awards, Phoenix lost to Philip Seymour Hoffman of “Capote,” while Witherspoon took home the Oscar gold.

- Director: Bill Condon
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 130 min

Loosely inspired by the rise of Motown legends The Supremes, this musical drama scored Eddie Murphy his first and only Golden Globe to date. He appears alongside a cast of major stars, including Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, and Beyoncé. Hudson won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

- Director: Tim Burton
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 116 min

Three studios joined forces to finance Tim Burton’s adaptation of a Broadway play, in which London barber Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) seeks revenge on those who betrayed him. The movie underperformed at the domestic box office but fared better overseas and with the HFPA. Due to a WGA strike, the Golden Globes ceremony was canceled that year and replaced with a televised press conference.

- Director: Woody Allen
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 96 min

Considered one of the best films to emerge from Woody Allen’s European period, this one centers on a love triangle between two women (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) and a talented painter (Javier Bardem). Actress Penélope Cruz appears as the painter’s ex-wife and arguably steals the show, with an Oscar win to prove it. In an ironic twist of fate, Cruz and Bardem married in real life just two years after the movie’s release.

- Director: Todd Phillips
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 100 min

This mid-range comedy became one of the biggest success stories of the last two decades, dominating at the box office and boosting multiple careers. Set in Las Vegas on the heels of a crazy night, it earned zero acting nominations but still took home the Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. Director Todd Philips helmed two sequels before capturing the zeitgeist once again with 2019’s “The Joker.”

- Director: Lisa Cholodenko
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 106 min

Mixing heartfelt comedy with progressive themes, Lisa Cholodenko’s indie sensation defeated some downright lackluster competition at the Golden Globes. Other nominees such as “The Tourist” and “Burlesque” were widely panned, while “Red” and “Alice in Wonderland” weren’t exactly critical darlings. Ricky Gervais returned to host the ceremony for a second time, drawing jeers of his own.

- Director: Michel Hazanavicius
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 100 min

Employing a silent-film-era template, this acclaimed dramedy tells the story of an egocentric film star and his young protege. It racked up a deluge of major awards, including three Golden Globes and five Oscars. Competing nominees in the Best Musical or Comedy category included "Midnight in Paris" and "Bridesmaids," both of which have enjoyed longer legacies.

- Director: Tom Hooper
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 158 min

A star-studded cast helped turn one of the world’s best-known musicals into this blockbuster film. Set in post-revolutionary France, it blends harsh drama with ecstatic song-and-dance numbers. Departing from a Hollywood tradition of pre-recorded vocals, all the actors sang their songs live in front of the camera.

- Director: David O. Russell
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 138 min

Reuniting with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, director David O. Russell depicts the (mostly) true story of a massive FBI sting operation. The film snagged three Golden Globes out of seven nominations, winning Best Musical or Comedy over “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Nebraska,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” and “Her.” Russell and company didn’t fare as well at the Oscars, where the film failed to squeeze a single award out of 10 nominations.

- Director: Wes Anderson
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 99 min

An underdog going into the Golden Globes, this quirky Wes Anderson dramedy defeated “Birdman” in a surprise victory. Over a month later, “Birdman” turned the tables by winning Best Picture and three other Oscars at the Academy Awards. To date, this is Anderson’s highest-grossing effort at the worldwide box office.

- Director: Ridley Scott
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 144 min

Ridley Scott’s blockbuster stirred up some controversy when it won Best Musical or Comedy at the Globes, as it’s mostly a sci-fi drama. Director Judd Apatow openly criticized the victory, which was compounded when Matt Damon won for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The HFPA responded by changing the rules to exclude “dramas with comedic overtones” from the category moving forward.

- Director: Damien Chazelle
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 128 min

Not only was "La La Land" a shoo-in for Best Musical or Comedy, but it broke the record for most Golden Globe wins by any single film. Enamored with this story of love and ambition in the city of dreams, the HFPA handed it a total of six awards. It went on to win five Oscars, losing Best Picture to "Moonlight" after one of Oscar history's most famous flubs.

- Director: Greta Gerwig
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 94 min

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut opened to near-universal acclaim and scored two Golden Globes. Set in 2002, it follows Christine “Lady Bird” MacPherson (Saoirse Ronan) on various misadventures in a Catholic high school. Despite some autobiographical overtones, Gerwig claimed that she and the main character had very little in common.

- Director: Peter Farrelly
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 130 min

Warding off accusations of misrepresentation and other controversies, this historical dramedy won big at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Screenwriter Nick Vallelonga based the film on his father’s experiences in the 1960s, as a driver (Viggo Mortensen’s role in the film) for musician Don Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali). The real “Tony Lip” Vallelonga enjoyed a semi-successful acting career, playing Carmine Lupertazzi in “The Sopranos” and starring in several films.

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Awards voters are notoriously susceptible for favoring movies centering Hollywood and showbiz (see “La La Land” further up this list), and Quentin Tarantino delivered a love letter to the Tinseltown of yore with “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." It's 1969, and the fortunes of Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt man, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), have fallen since their heyday in the ’50s. Tarantino imagines an alternative timeline to the Mason killing of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) with the kind of gruesome scene Tarantino is known for, which includes death by dog and by flamethrower. 

Director: Jason Woliner

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” the sequel to the wildly popular 2006 film “Borat,” became the first work from a streaming service to win the category of best motion picture, comedy or musical at the Golden Globes. Sacha Baron Cohen, who wrote the screenplay, also won best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy for his starring role. After the awards ceremony, Baron Cohen told the press, "This was probably the most dangerous project I’ve ever had to work on. But we felt the risks were worth taking … because our democracy was at risk.”