Here are the details:
Saturday, February 7, 2009
COCKTAIL RECEPTION — 4:00 p.m.
BANQUET DINNER — 5:00 p.m.
AWARDS PROGRAM — 6:00 p.m.
The WGA, in recent years, has matched Oscar win for win. The last few years has seen the real race being for best picture while the screenplay and acting categories have been mostly locked. This year the opposite is true (which makes for a boring race, there, I said it). The acting categories are up in the air, screenplay feels open for now, and Best Pic is tight as a drum.
The WGA awards should give clearer focus as to where this thing is going. Slumdog appears to be clear frontrunner in the adapted category, having already won the Globe, the Scripter and the Critics Choice. Simon Beaufoy will likely win the WGA, then the BAFTA and then the Oscar.
Original is wide open as can be. Let’s take a look at all of the contenders.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Focus Features
Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Written by Woody Allen, The Weinstein Company
The Visitor, Written by Tom McCarthy, Overture Films
The Wrestler, Written by Robert Siegel, Fox Searchlight Pictures
This category is made more perplexing by two of the strongest contenders for this award, Courtney Hunt for Frozen River and Andrew Stanton for Wall-E are not nominated here. Only one of these scripts, Milk, went on to be nominated for an Oscar. The BAFTAs have two in common with Oscar, Milk and In Bruges. One would suspect from this that the Oscar nominee can be the only winner. That is the SAG rule anyway. That makes me think that Dustin Lance Black has this particular win in the bag. I’m going to test the theory out anyway, since is a great year to do it, with only one contender in the running for Oscar.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Screenplay by Eric Roth;
The Dark Knight, Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Doubt, Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Screenplay by Peter Morgan
Slumdog Millionaire, Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
A sweep is a sweep is a sweep is a sweep. Slumdog will take this in a walk.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, Written by Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker, InterPositive Media
Chicago 10, Written by Brett Morgen, Roadside Attractions
Fuel, Written by Johnny O’Hara, Greenlight Theatrical / Intention Media
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Screenplay by Alex Gibney, From the Words of Hunter S. Thompson, Magnolia Pictures
Waltz with Bashir, Written by Ari Folman, Sony Pictures Classics
I have a feeling that Ari Folman wins this. But who knows. It’s a toss-up.
Charts posted later today.
won WGA | won Oscar
2008
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Milk, Dustin Lance Black | Milk, Dustin Lance Black |
The Wrestler, Robert Siegel | Wall-E, Andrew Stanton |
The Visitor, Tom McCarthy | Frozen River, Courtney Hunt |
Burn After Reading, the Coens | Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh |
Vicky Cristina, Woody Allen | In Bruges, Martin McDonagh |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy | Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy |
The Dark Knight, Jonathan and Christopher Nolan | The Reader, David Hare |
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan | Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan |
Benjamin Button, Eric Roth | Benjamin Button, Eric Roth |
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley | Doubt, John Patrick Shanley |
2007
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Juno, Diablo Cody | Juno, Diablo Cody |
Knocked Up, Judd Apatow | Ratatouille, Brad Bird |
Lars and the Real Girl, Nancy Oliver | Lars and the Real Girl, Nancy Oliver |
Michael Clatyon, Tony Gilroy | Michael Clatyon, Tony Gilroy |
The Savages, Tamara Jenkins | The Savages, Tamara Jenkins |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
No Country for Old Men, Coens | No Country for Old Men |
Into the Wild, Sean Penn | Atonement, Christopher Hampton |
Diving Bell, Ronald Harwood | Diving Bell |
There Will Be Blood, PT Anderson | There Will Be Blod |
Zodiac, James Vanderbilt | Away from Her, Sarah Polley |
2006
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Babel | Babel |
The Queen | The Queen |
Stranger than Fiction | Letters from Iwo Jima |
Little Miss Sunshine | Little Miss Sunshine |
United 93 | Pan’s Labyrinth |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
The Departed | The Departed |
Thank You for Smoking | Notes on a Scandal |
Little Children | Little Children |
Borat | Borat |
Devil Wears Prada | Children of Men |
2005
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
40 Year Old Virgin | Syriana |
Crash | Crash |
Cinderella Man | Match Point |
Good Night, and Good Luck | Good Night |
Squid and the Whale | Squid and the Whale |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Brokeback Mountain | Brokeback Mountain |
Capote | Capote |
Constant Gardener | Constant Gardener |
History of Violence | History of Violence |
Syriana | Munich |
2004
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
The Aviator | The Aviator |
Eternal Sunshine | Eternal Sunshine |
Garden State | Vera Drake |
Hotel Rwanda | Hotel Rwanda |
Kinsey | The Incredibles |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Before Sunset | Before Sunset |
Mean Girls | Finding Neverland |
Million Dollar Baby | Million Dollar Baby |
Sideways | Sideways |
Motorcycle Diaries | Motorcycle Diaries |
2003
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Bend it Like Beckham | The Barbarian Invasions |
Dirty Pretty Things | Dirty Pretty Things |
In America | In America |
Lost in Translation | Lost in Translation |
The Station Agent | Finding Nemo |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
American Splendor | American Splendor |
Cold Mountain | City of God |
ROTK | ROTK |
Mystic River | Mystic River |
Seabiscuit | Seabiscuit |
2002
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | Oscars |
Chicago | Chicago |
The Hours | The Hours |
About Schmidt | The Pianist |
Adaptation | Adaptation |
About a Boy | About a Boy |
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | |
Far From Heaven | Far From Heaven |
Gangs of New York | Gangs of New York |
Antwone Fisher | Talk to Her |
My Big Fat Greek Wedding | Greek Wedding |
Bowling for Columbine | Y Tu Mama Tambien |
2001
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | |
Gosford Park | Gosford Park |
The Man Who Wasn’t There | Amelie |
Monster’s Ball | Monster’s Ball |
Moulin Rouge | Memento |
The Royal Tenenbaums | The Royal Tenenbaums |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | |
A Beautiful Mind | A Beautiful Mind |
Black Hawk Down | Shrek |
Bridget Jones’s Diary | In the Bedroom |
Ghost World | Ghost World |
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Lord of the Rings |
2000
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | |
Erin Brockovich | Erin Brockovich |
Almost Famous | Almost Famous |
Best In Show | Gladiator |
Billy Elliot | Billy Elliot |
You Can Count On Me | You Can Count On Me |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
Chocolat | Chocolat |
High Fidelity | O Brother Where Art Thou? |
Traffic | Traffic |
Wonder Boys | Wonder Boys |
1999
Original:
American Beauty | American Beauty |
Being John Malkovich | Being John Malkovich |
Magnolia | Magnolia |
The Sixth Sense | The Sixth Sense |
Three Kings | Topsy-Turvy |
Adapted:
The Cider House Rules | The Cider House Rules |
Election | Election |
The Insider | The Insider |
October Sky | The Green Mile |
The Talented Mr. Ripley | The Talented Mr. Ripley |
for 1998:
ORIGINAL: | |
Bulworth | Bulworth |
The Opposite of Sex | Life Is Beautiful |
Shakespeare In Love* | Shakespeare In Love* |
Saving Private Ryan | Saving Private Ryan |
The Truman Show | The Truman Show |
ADAPTED: | |
Gods and Monsters | Gods and Monsters |
A Civil Action | The Thin Red Line |
Primary Colors | Primary Colors |
A Simple Plan | A Simple Plan |
Out Of Sight* | Out Of Sight |
WINNERS CHART
+Won Best Picture
*nominated for Best Pic
WGA | OSCAR
2007: Juno | Juno* |
No Country | No Country+ |
2006: Little Miss Sunshine | Little Miss Sunshine* |
The Departed | The Departed+ |
2005:Brokeback Mountain | Brokeback Mountain* |
Crash | Crash+ |
2004: Eternal Sunshine | Eternal Sunshine |
Sideways | Sideways* |
2003: Lost in Translation | Lost in Translation* |
American Splendor | Return of the King+ |
2002: The Hours* | The Pianist* |
Bowling for Columbine | Talk to Her |
2001: A Beautiful Mind | A Beautiful Mind+ |
Gosford Park | Gosford Park* |
2000: Traffic | Traffic* |
You Can Count on Me | Almost Famous |
1999: American Beauty | American Beauty+ |
Election | The Cider House Rules* |
1998:Shakespeare in Love | Shakespeare in Love+ |
Out of Sight | Gods and Monsters |
1997: L.A. Confidential | L.A. Confidential* |
As Good as it Gets | Good Will Hunting* |
1996: Sling Blade | Sling Blade |
Fargo | Fargo* |
1995: Braveheart | The Usual Suspects |
Sense and Sensibility | Sense and Sensibility* |
1994: Forrest Gump | Forrest Gump+ |
Four Weddings/Funeral | Pulp Fiction* |
1993: Schindler’s List | Schindler’s List+ |
The Piano | The Piano* |
1992: The Crying Game | The Crying Game * |
The Player | Howards End* |
1991: The Silence of the Lambs | The Silence of the Lambs+ |
Thelma and Louise | Thelma and Louise |
1990: Dances with Wolves | Dances with Wolves+ |
Avalon | Ghost* |
1989: Driving Miss Daisy | Driving Miss Daisy+ |
Crimes and Misdemeanors | Dead Poets Society* |
1988: Dangerous Liaisons | Dangerous Liaisons* |
Bull Durham | Rain Man+ |
1987: Roxanne | The Last Emperor+ |
Moonstruck | Moonstruck* |
1986: A Room with a View | A Room with a View* |
Hannah and Her Sisters | Hannah and her Sisters* |
1985: Witness | Witness* |
Prizzi’s Honor | Out of Africa+ |
1984: The Killing Fields | Amadeus+ |
Broadway Danny Rose | Places in the Heart* |
1983: Tender Mercies | Tender Mercies* |
Reuben, Reuben | Terms of Endearment+ |
1982: Missing | Missing* |
Tootsie | Gandhi+ |
1981: Reds | Chariots of Fire+ |
On Golden Pond | On Golden Pond * |
Rich and Famous | |
Arthur | |
1980:Ordinary People | Ordinary People+ |
Airplane, Private Benjamin | |
Melvin and Howard | Melvin and Howard |
1979: Kramer vs. Kramer | Kramer Vs. Kramer+ |
Breaking Away | Breaking Away* |
The China Syndrome, Being There | |
1978: Midnight Express | Midnight Express* |
Coming Home | Coming Home* |
Heaven Can Wait | |
Movie, Movie | |
1977: Annie Hall | Annie Hall+ |
Julia | Julia* |
The Turning Point, Oh, God | |
1976: All the President’s Men | All The President’s Men* |
Network | Network* |
Pink Panther Strikes Again | |
1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest+ |
Dog Day Afternoon | Dog Day Afternoon* |
The Sunshine Boys | |
Shampoo | |
1974: Godfather Part II | Godfather Part II+ |
Chinatown | Chinatown* |
Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz | |
Blazing Saddles | |
1973: A Touch of Class | The Exorcist* |
Save the Tiger, Paper Moon | The Sting+ |
Serpico | |
1972: The Godfather | The Godfather+ |
The Candidate | The Candidate |
What’s Up, Doc? Cabaret | |
1971: The French Connection | The French Connection+ |
The Hospital | The Hospital |
Kotch; Sunday, Bloody, Sunday | |
1970: Patton | Patton+ |
M*A*S*H | M*A*S*H* |
I Never Sang for My Father, The Out-of Towners | |
1969: Midnight Cowboy | Midnight Cowboy+ |
Butch Cassidy | Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid * |
Goodbye, Columbus; Bob, Ted, Carol and Alice | |
1968:Lion in Winter | The Lion in Winter* |
The Producers | The Producers |
Funny Girl, Odd Couple | |
1967: The Graduate | In the Heat of the Night+ |
Bonnie and Clyde | Guess Who’s Coming… * |
Thoroughly Modern Millie | |
1966: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? | A Man for All Seasons+ |
The Russians are Coming | A Man and a Woman |
1965: A Thousand Clowns | Dr. Zhivago* |
The Sound of Music, The Pawnbroker | Darling* |
1964: Becket | Becket |
Dr. Strangelove, Mary Poppins | Father Goose |
1963: Hud | Tom Jones+ |
Lillies of the Field | How the West Was Won |
1962: The Kill a Mockingbird | To Kill a Mockingbird * |
That Touch of Mink, Music Man | Divorce Italian Style |
1961: the Hustler | Judgment at Nuremberg |
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, West Side Story | Splendor in the Grass |
1960: The Apartment | The Apartment+ |
Elmer Gantry | Elmer Gantry |
The Bells are Ringing | |
1959: The Diary of Anne Frank | Room at the Top * |
Some Like it Hot, Five Pennies | Pillow Talk |
1958: Gigi | Gigi+ |
The Defiant Ones | The Defiant Ones |
Me and the Colonel | |
1957: 12 Angry Men | Bridge on the River Kwai+ |
Love in the Afternoon | Designing Women |
Les Girls | |
1956: Around world/80 Days | Around world/80 Days+ |
The King and I | The red Balloon |
Friendly Persuasion | |
1955: Marty | Marty+ |
Mr. Roberts | Interrupted Melody |
Love Me/Leave Me | |
1954: On the Waterfront | On the Waterfront+ |
Sabrina, Seven Brides/Seven Bros. | The Country Girl |
1953: From Here to Eternity | From Here to Eternity+ |
Lili, Roman Holiday | Titanic |
1952: High Noon, The Quiet Man | Lavender Hill Mob |
Singing in the Rain | Bad and Beautiful |
1951: An American in Paris | An American in Paris+ |
A Place in the Sun | A Place in the Sun* |
Father’s Little Dividend | |
1950: All About Eve | All About Eve+ |
Sunset Boulevard | Sunset Boulevard * |
Broken Arrow, Annie Get Your Gun | |
1949: All the King’s Men | All the King’s Men+ |
A Letter to Three Wives, on the Town | Battleground* |
1958: The Snake Pit | Treasure of the Sierra Madre* |
Sitting Pretty, Easter Parade | |