2017 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Adapted Screenplay
February 27, 2018
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at the two Screenwriting Categories, starting with Best Adapted Screenplay. We haven’t had a single competitive category so far, but that changes today. ... with the Best Original Screenplay. Best Adapted Screenplay is a one-horse race.
(Note: All previous awards listed are only for writing and not other categories. However, they are for both original, adapted, and combined writing categories, depending on the award in question. Previous awards and nominations are not for theatrical and not TV programs, on the other hand. )
Best Adapted Screenplay
James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for The Disaster Artist
Dee Rees and Virgil Williams for Mudbound
Aaron Sorkin for Molly’s Game
Conclusion: I was shocked to realize James Ivory had never won an Oscar. This makes it more likely that he will win a “Lifetime Achievement” Oscar. Fortunately, Call Me by Your Name is a fantastic movie and it deserves the Oscar.
Michael Green, Scott Frank, and James Mangold for Logan
Tomatometer Score: 93% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: WGA
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Writer's Previous Major Nominations: One Oscar, One Golden Globe, One Independent Spirit Award, and Two WGAs
Writer's Previous Major Wins: One Independent Spirit Award and One WGA
Notes: I’m really glad comic book movies are getting Awards Season recognition. Too many Awards Season voters disregard comic book movies as low art, but that’s changing and we should expect more of them to get nominations in the prestige categories. On the other hand, we won’t see many of them winning these awards. In fact, this film is arguably the longest of the long shots in this category.
Tomatometer Score: 96% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: BAFTA and WGA
Movie's Previous Major Wins: BAFTA and WGA
Writer's Previous Major Nominations: None
Writer's Previous Major Wins: None
Notes: James Ivory has earned three previous Oscar nominations, but for directing and not writing. He hasn’t won an Oscar during his entire career, which is surprising, as his career has literally spanned six decades and he was part of Merchant Ivory. Had he won an Oscar previously, then maybe this would be a close race, but Oscar voters tend to give out lifetime achievement Oscars.
Tomatometer Score: 91% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: WGA
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Writer's Previous Major Nominations: Two Independent Spirit Awards and WGA
Writer's Previous Major Wins: One Independent Spirit Awards
Notes: This film only has one major nomination and no wins. Even if there wasn’t a great story with James Ivory, this film would still be an underdog.
Tomatometer Score: 96% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: WGA
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Writer's Previous Major Nominations: None
Writer's Previous Major Wins: None
Notes: This film has earned amazing reviews, but it was mostly ignored by Awards Season voters. I wonder if it is because it is a Netflix film and there’s some backlash against Netflix. Without any previous wins, there’s not a lot to suggest it has a chance of winning.
Tomatometer Score: 82% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: Golden Globes, BAFTA, and WGA
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Writer's Previous Major Nominations: Two Oscars, Six Golden Globes, Three BAFTA, and Five WGAs
Writer's Previous Major Wins: One Oscar, One Golden Globe, One BAFTA, and One WGA
Notes: Aaron Sorkin has had an amazing career on both TV and in theaters. If he had never won an Oscar, I would consider him one of the favorites for this Oscar. However, he won not that long ago, so it’s a long shot here.
Filed under: Awards Season, The Disaster Artist, Molly’s Game, Call Me by Your Name, Mudbound, James Ivory, James Mangold, Aaron Sorkin, Michael Green, Dee Rees, Scott Frank, Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, Virgil Williams