The USC Scripter nominees are:
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Silver Linings Playbook
–A tie resulted in six sets of finalists for the 2013 honor, rather than the typical five.
The finalists are, in alphabetical order by film title:
- Joshuah Bearman, author of the article “The Great Escape,” Antonio J. Mendez, author of The Master of Disguise, and screenwriter Chris Terrio, for Argo
- For Beasts of the Southern Wild, dramatist Lucy Alibar, who wrote the play Juicy and Delicious, and screenwriter Benh Zeitlin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Alibar
- Novelist Yann Martel and screenwriter David Magee for Life of Pi
- Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and screenwriter Tony Kushner for Lincoln
- Stephen Chbosky, author of the novel Perks of Being a Wallflower, as well as the screenplay based upon the book
- For Silver Linings Playbook, author Matthew Quick and screenwriter David O. Russell
The Scripter Award honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author of the written work upon which the screenplay is based. The Friends of the USC Libraries established Scripter in 1988, presenting the inaugural awards to author Helene Hanff and screenwriter Hugh Whitemore for 84 Charing Cross Road. This year marks the award’s 25th anniversary.
Other previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of The Descendants, The Social Network, Schindler’s List and L.A. Confidential.