If the Oscars were a game, Harvey Weinstein would win. Courtesy Salon.
Here is the second entry in our weeks-long analysis of the most coveted categories in the Academy Awards. For more posts, check here. Today, the category is Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Nominees
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Eric Roth)
Every other screenwriter came into this category with only one nomination. Roth comes in with three and a win for Forrest Gump in 1994 (perhaps explaining the similarities between the two films). But Ben Button has a lot working against it. For one, the film rides on its technical marvels. The screenplay is certainly nice, but it’s a visual film through-and-through. More importantly, it’s the only screenplay to have a short story as source material. And although Brokeback Mountain, another adapted short story, took the win in this category in 2005. The last time before that? All About Eve. In 1950. But this is a film that could sweep the technical categories and a win here could be the Academy’s concession toward David Fincher’s epic, similar to what the Brokeback win was in 2005. Unfortunately, this is a very loose adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s shorty story and that could hurt its chances.
Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)
John Patrick Shanley joins Roth as the only previous winner for Moonstruck–his only previous nomination. Plays tend to be unsuccessful–the last winners were Sling Blade and Driving Miss Daisy–in this field. Shanley’s picture, however, is one that hinges almost exclusively on acting and the screenplay. But its hype is minimal at this point and as mildly topical as it is, it’s almost too heavy-handed to merit serious consideration.
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Penelope Cruz. Courtesy Boston Globe.
The Award
The Best Supporting Actress category features the most diverse selection of actors in acting races this year, as it is the only acting category with non-white nominees.
The Nominees
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Cruz, who plays Javier Bardem’s semi-insane ex-girlfriend in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, is definitely the front-runner at the moment. Cruz has already picked up a handful of awards for her neurotic character, and the fact that she switches back and forth between Spanish and English shows she’s got that international flavor the Academy loves (remember when… every actor who got an Oscar last year was not American?). Plus, Cruz has clocked in some very critically acclaimed roles in the past (Volver, Elegy) and also is incredibly entertaining and funny in VCB. Happy movies are clearly the thing this year (cough, economic crisis, cough).
Amy Adams & Viola Davis, Doubt
Don’t be surprised to see either of the two Doubt ladies, Viola Davis and Amy Adams, steal the statue from Cruz. Both Davis and Adams have gotten rave reviews for their performances as Mrs. Miller and Sister James respectively. Davis is incredibly empathetic and Adams is considered as one of Hollywood’s favorite success stories (especially after last year’s Enchanted). Both performances are creations of the brilliant John Patrick Shanley, and as Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman generally seem unlikely winners in their acting categories, the Academy might want to honor the film with an award here.
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Oscar predictions have been coming in for months at other blogs. We at the Playground don’t need to spend months speculating. One (expansive) list (with some obscure categories) shall do. It seems these things are pretty much set at this point, so I threw in some surprises because you never know with L.A. Check back Jan. 22 for an analysis of the awards and until Feb. 22 for our take on the major categories. And without further ado, here’s the list.
Best Adapted Screeplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Screenplay
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Synecdoche, NY
The Visitor
The Wrestler
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