ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell; Columbia Pictures
- Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
- Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Focus Features
- Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.
- Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson; Paramount Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- August: Osage County, Screenplay by Tracy Letts; Based on his play; The Weinstein Company
- Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Based on characters created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan; Sony Classics
- Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures
- Lone Survivor, Written by Peter Berg; Based on the book by Marcus Lutrell with Patrick Robinson; Universal Pictures
- The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter; Based on the book by Jordan Belfort; Paramount Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
- Dirty Wars, Written by Jeremy Scahill & David Riker; Sundance Selects
- Herblock – The Black & The White, Written by Sara Lukinson & Michael Stevens; The Stevens Company
- No Place on Earth, Written by Janet Tobias & Paul Laikin; Magnolia Pictures
- Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions
- We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks; Written by Alex Gibney; Focus Features
@ James,
Yes, American Hustle had a screenplay. That is, until David O. Russell got his hands on it, told his actors to improvise their lines, bloat out every scene with ‘character’ and ditch everything that had made Eric Warren Singer’s script one of the hottest properties in Hollywood.
So strange to see Before Midnight as Adapted and Blue Jasmine as Original. I know the reasons but it still doesn’t sit well with me. Despite being a very pessimistic fan, I still think Before Midnight will take the WGA.
American Hustle had a screenplay?
A screenplay is more than just back and forth dialogue.
of the remaining contenders:
Warner has Gravity and Her
Fox Searchlight has 12 Years
Columbia has Hustle and Captain Phillips
Paramount has Nebraska and Wolf
Why isn’t John Ridley a member of the WGA? Is it because he’s also a novelist and playwright and already belongs to other guilds?
Why isn’t Tarantino a member? Because he fancies himself a rebel?
I thought the WGA and DGA were filled with nothing but rebels.
But to me Captain Phillips simply isn’t a screenplay-driven film, like Gravity, Black Swan, Avatar, United 93 — all films that got major Oscar nominations but not for their scripts. And in the case of Black Swan and Avatar, got WGA nominations and pretty much every major precursor for a Best Picture nomination.
Maybe my slight bias against Captain Phillips is showing, but I don’t think Adapted Screenplay is that weak this year. It’s surely 12YAS’s to lose, for the wrong reasons (Best Picture favorite) as well as the right ones (great, important story; good dialogue). But there are 6 films for 5 slots, and even if Before Midnight, August: Osage County, and Philomena aren’t likely to get Best Picture nominations, they have the kinds of scripts the writers are likely to reward. And I still think Philomena and August will have their fans that may vaunt one of them to Best Picture nominations — Philomena is a wonderful movie, and it seems like I’m always reading a rave for August from a non-critic.
So to me, Captain Phillips, with its thin plot based on a true story and scant dialogue, is odd man out. But who am I kidding, because Captain Phillips has all the bells and whistles of an “important” Academy film. And it does attempt to present both sides of the conflict. I guess that leaves August, Before Midnight, and Philomena all vulnerable for various reasons, even if they would be sure bets in any other year. (Before Midnight is the least Best Picture-y, but it’s all in the writing; Philomena is smart but not flashy, though BAFTA should relaunch its chances; they may not want to reward Tracy Letts for adapting his own Tony-winning script if the results aren’t cinematic enough.)
And for another perspective, here’s John Ridley himself in an interview talking about his decision to go “financial core”:
PESCA: Well, the writer says check, but as of now, no longer a union writer. What is you status technically?
RIDLEY: You can’t leave the union. Your membership is compulsory to the union, so you can’t leave. But they have a status, which is called financial core and it’s basically a conscientious objector status, which says that you don’t politically agree with the guild anymore. You stop to pay your dues at a slightly and I do mean slightly reduced rate. So, you still support the guild, but you’re basically saying you don’t agree with the guild anymore and that is a real status by their own rules.
PESCA: What drove you to go fi-core?
RIDLEY: A lot of things. It’s not really just about the strike. For a long time, I’ve had political opposition to certain things that the guild has done, which is all right. It’s a large group and no one is going to agree 100 percent with everything that is being done. But increasingly, the guild has gone a place where they don’t really appreciate any kind of contrary voice. And, obviously, with the strike, that’s reached a fever pitch. And when I was at a guild meeting prior to the holidays, just the (unintelligible) that was expressed, not just towards me but to any writer who question the leadership and what was being done, and why the strike was dragging on, and why a deal was not being made, was basically and literally – I can’t use the language on the air, was just told to sit down and not talk about it.
PESCA: And you didn’t just chalk this up to the need to rally troops, circle the wagons, I don’t know, can you think of another cliche? But when you’re striking, you have to show a united front, no?
RIDLEY: I think when you’re striking you have to show a united a front, but when you’re in a meeting with writers and when you have writers asking legitimate questions about the writer’s guild’s own rules and how they follow rules. For example, these interim agreements that are being made are actually supposed to be voted on by the membership. They can’t just be handed out in an arbitrary fashion. Why isn’t the membership allowed to vote? They may carry any way, but when the guild isn’t following their own rules, how can they affectively lead a strike? And when you’re sitting in a meeting among writers and can’t ask these questions, or when a groups’ leadership, when perhaps their cause – they don’t feel their causes just enough that it cannot stand up to some criticism, you have to wonder where your place is in that organization.
PESCA: IF you are so persuasive that a whole bunch of writers follow you out or follow you towards fi-core and it really hurts the strike, do you feel that you will be hurting, if not destroying the livelihoods of a lot of work-a-day writers?
RIDLEY: Well, first of all, I’m not asking anybody to follow me. And originally, I not had any intention of going public at all with my actions. It was meant to be a signal to the leadership. Here’s how I feel and here’s what I’m doing. Other people made it public and at that point, you can’t shy away from it. You can’t pretend that what you’re doing is wrong or that you should be in the closet, and I had no problem talking about it. What other writers do at this point, honestly, is not any concern to me. People should be able to do as they please. Some writers have asked me – and I’ve actually cautioned them against going financial core, because of the potential of a great listing. So, I don’t think it’s for everyone, I don’t think it should be for everyone. And again, to me it was a signal to the leadership, but if people want to make it public, I’m not going to hide from my decisions.
From the WGA press release at the time of the strike:
“While others forfeited paychecks to stand in unity with their fellow Guild members, many who went financial core continued to collect salaries. Without concern for their colleagues, they turned their backs and tossed the burden of collective action onto the rest of us, taking jobs, reducing our leverage and damaging the Guilds for their own advantage.
Even in cases of deep financial distress, there were other options, including generous no-interest loans from our strike funds, which would have sustained them until the end of the strike and beyond. That’s what unions are for.
Those who went financial core did not share in the adversity; and should not share in our victory. They cannot vote in our elections, run for Guild office, attend Guild meetings and other events, or participate in the Writers Guild Awards. Further, it has been determined by the National Council of the Guilds West and East, and affirmed by Guild East Council and the Guild West Board, that we send this joint letter with a link to a list on respective websites of those who went financial core during the strike. To view it now and for future reference, you can find it at: http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2828 “
Zach, its a sure thing because Adapted Screenplay is such a weak category this year.
Also, to answer everyone’s question about 12 Years A Slave:
The writer of the film, John Ridley, was indeed a member of the WGA for quite some time, but he is one of the few writers who crossed the picket lines and accepted work during the writer’s strike a few years ago. When the WGA found out about these writers, they named their names in a press release and subsequently Ridley left the WGA. So anything he does from now on is not eligible for consideration from the Writer’s Guild.
Even “Enough Said” won Boston Film Critics and “Gravity” and “Saving Mr. Banks” have the PGA nominations, which bode well for them taking possibly the 5th slot in the Best Screenplay category. I hope Llewyn Davis gets the nod, because it’s one of my favorite films this year.
As much as I love Woody Allen (seen every single one of his films), I found “Blue Jasmine”, except for Cate’s acting, disappointing. There wasn’t a single likeable character in the whole film. And that includes Sally Hawkins’ character.
It’s not looking good for Llewyn Davis – it just hasn’t gotten the precursors it needs to get a nod for Best Screenplay. On the National Board of Review gave it Best Screenplay. It needs more than that.
Really, someone will have to explain to me why Captain Phillips is a sure thing for Screenplay.
Was The Act of Killing ineligible for documentary screenplay?
I guess Llewyn Davis made as much sense on paper as it did on the screen.
Her
Captain Phillips
Stories We Tell
@the Pope — Whew! Okay, I see now.
(where’s the edit button?)
I don’t understand. Wasn’t 12 Yrs based on a book, an adaptation? Why was IT eliminated? Okay, I get it. The fix is in.
Shocked and disappointed to see 12 Years a Slave not on the list. That was until I was very relieved to read that it was not eligible.
There are several key differences, though, between Moonrise Kingdom and Her. Her has won BP prizes already, including some of the most high-profile (tied at LAFC, NBR etc). Moonrise won none of these or even came close. Her was released late in the year and is fresh in voters minds, whereas Moonrise was released in the spring or early summer. Spike Jonze also has a better track record with the Academy than Wes Anderson does.
In fact, I sometimes wonder if the strong showing for Her is one of the factors that’s hurting Inside Lwelyn Davis–Her is stealing the arty/inspired indie thunder!
We shouldn’t make too much of August getting a SAG Ensemble nomination. That does not automatically transfer into a BP nomination, and it doesn’t automatically mean that actors love the movie. It might just mean the movie has a damn big cast with lotsa stars. Often there’s at least one SAG Ensemble nominee every year that doesn’t make the BP cut. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Bridesmaids, and Nine are just the most recent examples. Remember in 2007, when SAG Ensemble only matched with one BP nominee?
I understand the argument, though, that if August gets two acting nominations and a screenplay nod, its chances are pretty good to sneak into BP. I think screenplay is key. If August gets just one or even two acting nods, I don’t think it makes BP. If it manages a screenplay nod, its changes are much better, but I’m not all that convinced it will get a screenplay nod. 12 Years, Captain Phillips, and Before Midnight are probably good to go, so August will have to fight with WoWS, Philomena and others to get in.
Wait I’m blanking out because Llewyn Davis has a strong chance of being nominated for cinematography and original song, and possibly direction and editing (most likely not, a lot of contenders for those)
And btw Llewyn Davis is gonna get an Original Screenplay nod people, because A. The movie will be nominated for ablest Picture and if it doesn’t get the screenplay favor it would be an awkward single Best Picture nomination.
B. It’s just common sense that the screenplay was great and will get nominated over Dallas Buyers Club (which will probably still be nominated in the cat.. Watch it happen) and Woody Allen
I saw Dallas Buyers Club with my mom and I hate to be over simplistic, but that movie was emotionally arresting and to me I didn’t mind the problems that people find so prevalent about the film. I’d love for it to get a Best Pic nomination, it would warm my heart
Oh Shit!! Ooops. I didn’t do my homework. You’re right Mobyz. John Ridley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
John Ridley, the screenwriter for 12 Years a Slave is actually an American. He’s just not a member of the WGA.
“A Serious Man” did have only one Golden Globe nomination (Stuhlbarg), no love from PGA, DGA and SAG, but it did have that crutial WGA nod, that seemed like a no brainer, but eventually it got the Coens two oscar nods including BP. “Inside Llewyn Davis” doesn’t have shit so far (apart from the two GG nods, songs don’t count) and it is a more accessable material than “A Serious Man”. I fear it might get snubbed big time at the Oscars. Worst case scenario – 1 nod for Delbonell and that’s it.
It helps to know 12 Years A Slave was ineligible, though I have to say some of these eligibility rules really frustrate me. Granted, it’s not as bad as the music categories at the Oscars, which have a terrible tendency of disqualifying or simply ignoring worthy nominees….or Best New Artist at the Grammys. Even so, the writing for that movie was first class and it’s too bad that it couldn’t be recognized. Having said that, since it made the cut at the Globes (which only takes five), I think it’s a safe bet for an Oscar nod.
I think 12 Years a Slave wasn’t eligible because John Ridley (the screenwriter) is not a writer’s guild member. They have strict guidelines about not nominating people without guilds membership. SAG also have the same strict rules. Quentin Tarantino is also a WGA non-member which is why Django Unchanged also failed to receive a WGA nomination last year. But the film ended up winning Original Screenplay at the Oscar anyway.
I think only WGA members can get WGA screenplay nominations and many non-U.S. writers don’t belong to the WGA.
Is ILD a big ‘script’ movie like the typical Coen film? Seems like more music than anything else.
Dallas is firing on all cylinders now. I would be surprised if it missed Best Picture. It might even get a DGA nomination.
I can see August getting the script nod. Isn’t Captain Phillips, like Gravity and Black Swan, not very script-dependent? Strong precursor support, yes. But I can easily see it missing for the other 5. The script was actually one of the weaker aspects of the film.
The screenwriters that is, not Solomon Northup.
Was 12 Years a Slave ineligible because the writers are British?
Pepper
It is a film that appeals to actors and most Oscar voters are actors. That’s why I think August is still a viable possibility. The SAG ensemble proves that it has wide support.
Ah. Okay. Thanks Mike and Ryan. I guess I somehow never knew that. That makes it so much easier to figure out for future movies if it’s Original or Adapted.
Why was 12 Years a Slave ineligible?
“12 Years” wasn’t eligible. Same with “Philomena”, “Fruitvale Station” and others. This is VERY good for “Blue J.” Don’t be surprised if they nominate Woody for Best Directing AND Best Screenplay AND Sally Hawkins could get in, too, as the saintly sister of Cate. It feels like a “BJ” sweep.
But this is VERY bad news of “Llewyn”:(
Al: Before midnight is adapted bc it has characters that were in another work beforehand. Since those characters were already in a previously published work (before sunrise/before sunset) its adapted according to academy and wga rules. Same for any sequel; Toy story 3 etc.
No way is August getting a BP nom. It’s the kind of big-budget, star-studded affair that would have had a Producer’s Guild nom if it had any BP traction.
It may not get a screenplay nom either. Ridley and a number of others in that category didn’t qualify for WGA.
Someone please help answer my question.
How is Before Midnight an Adapted Screenplay??
What was it adapted from???
Al Robinson, the WGA and Oscar’s writers branch both consider a screenplay to be adapted if it’s a sequel or if it involves characters who already existed in previous films.
points to SS for lone Survivor pick.
I would have bet actual money on Llewyn over Dallas
Updated Predictions:
Best Picture:
12 Years A Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
The Wolf Of Wall Street
Alt. August: Osage County or Lee Daniels’ The Butler (aka the Harvey slot)
Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Spike Jonze – Her
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf Of Wall Street
Alt. Paul Greengrass or Alexander Payne
Best Actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Leonardo Dicaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street
Alt. Tom Hanks or Christian Bale or Forest Whitaker
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Judi Dench – Philomena
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Alt. Adele Exarchopoulos or Amy Adams
Best Supporting Actor
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years A Slave
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Alt. Daniel Bruhl or Jonah Hill
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave
June Squibb – Nebraska
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Alt. Sally Hawkins or Scarlett Johansson
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle
Her
Nebraska
Inside Llewyn Davis
Dallas Buyers Club
Best Adapted Screenplay
12 Years A Slave
Before Midnight
The Wolf Of Wall Street
August: Osage County
Captain Phillips
Where’s 12 Years a Salve?
Well with such strong guild support (PGA, WGA, SAG Ensemble), Dallas Buyers Club does seem like a lock for a BP nod but we shouldn’t underestimate August : Osage County that also has the most dominant Academy branch on its side (suggested by the three SAG nods including Ensemble) and now this WGA nod makes it remarkably easy to imagine it will get at least two acting nods and one for the script…and a BP nod can’t be that far from those, especially when one of your potentially nominated producer is Clooney, your campaign manager is Harvey and your stars include two of the greatest female movie stars of all time. Obviously Streep is superior in the acting department but one cannot deny that Roberts will be remembered as one of the greatest movie stars of our time.
I’m not worried about Inside Llewyn Davis, it is acclaimed and beloved enough to deliver the 5% No1s it needs for a BP nod… although that’s pretty much what I said about The Master last year, too. I guess The Tree of Life rule doesn’t apply every year.
Which film could be vulnerable ? Crazy thought but I AM scared for Her and Captain Phillips. Former could be just another Moonrise Kingdom with great BP precursors and then only a script nod at the Oscars, and latter doesn’t seem to have the kind of passionate fanbase contenders considered weaker do have (Wolf, Llewyn), the kind of passionate fanbase that is CRUCIAL in this 5% No1 voting system and I have a hunch CP may be the No2-No5 type as far as Oscar voters go. We’ll see ! Although if Jonze and/or Greengrass got some love from the DGA on Tuesday, my doubts would instantly evaporate.
WTF is going on with Inside Llewyn Davis?? If any movie deserves an original screenplay nom (besides Her probably), it’s that. “Dallas Buyers”? Fine movie. But it becomes far too obvious and black-and-white good-guy-bad-guy and loses its potential for great movie status. Suck.
Gravity is out of competition now. From now on it is between AH vs. HER vs. 12 YAS.
I am starting to think Dallas will be in next week!!! But who will be out?
Wow, Blue Jasmine again! Very well Deserved. Love the praise for Her from the guilds all of a sudden.
Damn – I KNEW the Coen’s should have included a scene with a “science oven”. Not enough knee slappers I guess.
Ha, but Steve, one would think the return of John Goodman in a Coens film would fulfill that knee-slapping quotient for the WGA voters. That and “Where’s its scrotum, Llewyn?!?”
Admittedly I am worried now that the guilds don’t seem to be going for Llewyn Davis – I mean the last time a Coens film that was a legit Oscar contention (in some form) missed at the WGA was O Brother, Where Art Thou.
Still, I maintain that the AMPAS Minnesota Nice groupies will rope Llewyn Davis in on nomination morning.
12 Years a Slave was not eligible.
Damn – I KNEW the Coen’s should have included a scene with a “science oven”. Not enough knee slappers I guess.
All I can think of is that these syndicates have a shitload of members most of which can’t attend “industry screenings” so they just haven’t seen INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS. Now I have no idea about this but is there anyone campaigning for this movie? I still think it’s going to have a strong showing come the morning of Oscar nominations for all the reasons already stated. AMPAS Coens groupies will come through.
Was 12 Years A Slave ineligible or is it DOA?
Both the screenplays of Gravity and of Inside Llewyn Davis deserved recognition more than Blue Jasmine and Dallas Buyers Club.
Oscar Noms Projection after 5 out of 6 major precursors:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle (83.33%)
Blue Jasmine (66.66%)
Her (66.66%)
Inside Llewyn Davis (50%)
Nebraska (50%)
Alt: Saving Mr. Banks (33.33%)
Dallas Buyers Club (16.66%)
Enough Said (16.66%)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years A Slave (66.66%)
Before Midnight (50%)
Captain Phillips (50%)
Philomena (50%)
The Wolf of Wall Street (50%)
Alt: August: Osage County (33.33%)
Lone Survivor (33.33%)
Oscar Noms Projection after 5 out of 6 major precursors:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle (83.33%)
Blue Jasmine (66.66%)
Her (66.66%)
Inside Llewyn Davis (50%)
Nebraska (50%)
Saving Mr. Banks (33.33%)
Dallas Buyers Club (16.66%)
Enough Said (16.66%)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Llewyn was passed over? Oh my. Not good.
I’m glad to see Wolf up there. The suggestions of misogyny and homophobia (Salon.com) are, as Kate Hepburn might say, “bunk.”
I thought the screenplay for Gravity was very good, too, but I guess there weren’t enough words to qualify.
What is this motherfucking shit?! DALLAS BUYERS CLUB over INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS?! Bunch of goddamn illiterates!!