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The film 鈥淭he Revenant鈥� won the Golden Globe award for best dramatic movie, a victory that many industry watchers found surprising.聽

Those behind the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, split the biggest movie prize into two categories: best comedy or musical and best drama. While some nominees in the best comedy or musical prize, such as this year鈥檚 winner, 鈥淭he Martian,鈥� can be thought of as contenders for the Best Picture Oscar as well, the best drama prize is often watched closely as a possible indicator for what鈥檚 in the lead when it comes to the Oscars race.聽

While 鈥淩evenant鈥� was considered a fairly sure thing for a Best Picture nod, many had thought the movie 鈥淪potlight,鈥� which stars Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams, was the best bet for the Golden Globe best drama prize and that nominees like 鈥淩oom鈥� and 鈥淐arol鈥� were also strong contenders.

Instead, 鈥淩evenant鈥� taking the prize and 鈥淩evenant鈥� director Alejandro Gonz谩lez I帽谩rritu winning the best director award means that an I帽谩rritu film may be in the lead for the Oscar Best Picture prize for the second year in a row. (Mr. I帽谩rritu鈥檚 movie 鈥淏irdman鈥� won Best Picture last year and I帽谩rritu won the best director award.)聽

Meanwhile, the comedy or musical award went to the film 鈥淭he Martian.鈥� Some found it baffling that 鈥淢artian鈥� was in the category at all, considering the movie isn鈥檛 exactly a laugh-a-minute film despite the many wisecracks of the protagonist portrayed by Matt Damon. But 鈥淢artian鈥� taking the comedy or musical prize will no doubt increase its chances of scoring a nod for the Oscar Best Picture.

What do these two movies, both of which had their Oscars chances strengthened by their Golden Globe wins, have in common? Both have been movies that have attracted audience interest. 鈥淢artian,鈥� which tells the fictional tale of Mark Watney, an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars, became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2015. 鈥淩evenant,鈥� which depicts the true story of a man named Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is wounded by a bear in the wilderness, opened in limited release at the end of 2015 and just expanded this past weekend. But its early numbers already showed that audiences would turn up 颅and when it expanded this past weekend, it scored impressive box office numbers, coming in second for the weekend behind only 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens.鈥澛�

But 鈥淢artian鈥� is a crowd-pleasing film suitable for most ages (those old enough to hear protagonist Mark鈥檚 language, anyway) with a hopeful message about humanity, as Mark鈥檚 co-workers band together to get him home, with some taking personal risks to do so.聽

鈥淩evenant,鈥� by contrast, is an incredibly violent film that many critics have said can be difficult to watch. Plot points involve the treachery of protagonist Hugh鈥檚 companions, one suggesting they murder the wounded Hugh because he is delaying them, and Hugh seeking revenge on those who betrayed him.聽

The Academy has selected both feel-good tales and darker stories as Best Picture in the past. We鈥檒l see as awards season goes on which the Academy will favor this year.