Monday, February 18, 2013

85th Academy Awards – 'Best Adapted Screenplay'


  



Adapted Screenplay is my wheelhouse.  I am 3 for 3.  However, the field this year is tough…

For a complete look at eligibility and voting procedures, please take a look at last year’s post:  84th Academy Awards – Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Nominations:

·         Argo
o   Chris Terrio – 1st nomination.

This is Terrio’s first major writing credit for a full-length feature.

He has already won the Writers Guild of America Award, Austin Film Critics Award, Florida Film Critics Circle Award, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Online Film Critics Society Award, Phoenix Film Critics Society Award, San Diego Film Critics Society Award, and Southeastern Film Critics Association Award.


·         Beasts of the Southern Wild
o    Lucy Alibar – 1st nomination.
o    Benh Zeitlin – 1st nomination, also nominated for best Director

I am rooting for Beasts mainly because of my connection to Lucy Alibar.  A year ago Lucy was renting out a walk-in closet in an old friend of mines apartment, stand-up comedian David Lee Nelson.  Oddly enough, years ago David and I appeared on stage together in Angels in America, written by Tony Kushner, who is also nominated in this category.

So far, Lucy and Benh have won the Humanitas Prize and the Nantucket Film Festival.


·         Life of Pi
o    David Magee – 2nd nomination.  Previously nominated for Finding Neverland.

Honestly, I thought Magee would have a real shot at this, especially since many people thought the book Life of Pi would be unfilmable.  Although he has been nominated for many awards, he has only won the Satellite Award.


·         Lincoln
o   Tony Kushner – 2nd nomination.  Previously nominated for Munich.

Kushner is a highly decorated writer.  He has won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2 Drama Desk Awards, 2 Tony Awards, and a Primetime Emmy.  If Kushner wins the Oscar, he will have won every major award a playwright/screenwriter can earn.

That said, for Lincoln, Kushner has already won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award, Chicago Film Critics Association Award, National Society of Film Critics Award, New York Film Critics Circle Award, and San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award.


·         Silver Linings Playbook
o   David O. Russell – 1st nomination for writing, he is also nominated for Best Director for Silver Linings Playbook and was previously nominated for directing The Fighter.

Russell as already won the BAFTA Award, National Board of Review Award, and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award.


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My Two Cents:

The Writers Guild of America has the best odds at predicting the Oscar.  In the last 23 years, 17 their winner, for adapted screenplay, has gone on to win the Oscar; giving Argo the best odds of winning.


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Prediction: 

1.      Argo
2.     Lincoln
3.     Silver Lining Playbook
4.     Beasts of the Southern Wild
5.     Life of Pi

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