OSCAR
RACE 2008
commentary
by Nathaniel R
Approximately
days until Oscar's High Holy Night
Best Screenplays
Original Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Adapted Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Final Predictions I scored 5/5 in the adapted screenplay category but it was easy as pie (I knew they wouldn't go comic book with Batman and Revolutionary Road had been dying in precursor season. Original Screenplay was a nightmare of too many candidates though. I scored 2/5... only guessing WALL•E and Milk correctly (and I assume they're battling it out for the gold too).
Readers Choice WALL•E for Original / Slumdog for Adapted
Nathaniel's Choice Rachel Getting Married for Original / The Class for Adapted
My Original ballot matches Oscars 3/5 (I'm surprised it matched that well though I'm very sad to see Rachel Getting Married getting the big snub. That's a major shame) Adapted preferences matched Oscar's ballot 2/5 in a weak year for Adapted work .
Original
Screenplay Nominees |
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| Frozen
River Courtney Hunt 1st nomination! |
Happy-Go-Lucky Mike Leigh 1st nomination! |
In
Bruges Martin McDonagh 1st nomination! |
Milk Dustin Lance Black 1st nomination and win |
WALL•E Andrew Stanton 3rd nomination |
| Other
Awards:
None |
Other
Awards:
LAFCA & NSFC |
Other
Awards:
Phoenix |
Other
Awards:
SEFCA, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston Selling point: Undeniably moving story. A strong Best Picture contender. |
Other Awards: Chicago, AWFJ Selling point: A great writer/ director, an optimistic film and everyone knows it's a classic even if they're foolishly not nominating it for Best Picture |
Adapted
Screenplay Nominees |
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Slumdog
Millionaire Simon Beaufoy 2nd nom/1st win |
Frost/Nixon Peter Morgan 2nd nomination |
The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button Eric Roth 4th nom / 1 win |
Doubt John Patrick Shanley 2nd nom / 1 win |
The
Reader David Hare 2nd nomination |
| Other
Awards: Adapted
From: |
Other
Awards:
AWFJ, Satellites, St. Louis, Las Vegas, San Francisco Adapted From: His own play Selling point: That Pulitzer and TONY + Thematic drama + heavyweight cast |
Other
Awards : NBR (tie) Adapted From: F Scott Fitzgerald's short story Selling point: Ambitious, big, auteurial. Interesting premise |
Other
Awards: None Adapted From: His own play Selling point: The TONY prestige + The Queen momentum + politics |
Other
Awards :
None Adapted From: Bernard Schlink's novel Selling point: Holocaust & WW II are favored Oscar themes + Kate Winslet's Year |
MORE TO COME
