Oscar Volley: Adapted Screenplay - a wealth of good choices, but will the Academy make the right ones?
Monday, January 31, 2022 at 10:33AM The Oscar volleys continue. Today Lynn Lee, Mark Brinkerhoff, and Eurocheese sound off on this year’s Adapted Screenplay race.
a wealth of options for Oscar voters
Lynn: Gentlemen, I don’t know about you, but from where I’m standing, Adapted Screenplay is an embarrassment of riches this year. There are at least three contenders that tackle the incredibly difficult task of illuminating their characters’ inner lives and psychology (The Power of the Dog, Passing, and The Lost Daughter) with minimal to no voice-over narration and they all do it brilliantly. Then there are the play adaptations – everything from Shakespeare via Coen (The Tragedy of Macbeth) to Shakespeare / Sondheim / Laurents via Kushner (West Side Story) to Jonathan Larson via Lin-Manuel Miranda (tick, tick …BOOM!) to Stephen Karam doing Stephen Karam (The Humans) – where each manages to pull off a bold departure from previous iterations while retaining basic fidelity to the source text. And then there’s my personal favorite, Drive My Car, which manages to be at once an ambitious expansion of a Murakami short story and a spectacularly moving adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya at once.
That said, we can’t realistically expect most Oscar voters to be familiar with the underlying material for these screenplays. It’s a safer bet the nominations will align pretty closely with the Best Picture nominees or almost-nominees that don’t have original screenplays...
Which is why I’m thinking it’ll be Power of the Dog, West Side Story, Dune (even though it only adapts half a book!), plus some combination of CODA, The Lost Daughter, Macbeth, and Drive My Car. Not that that would be a bad lineup, but I’d love to see Passing and/or tick, tick…BOOM! in there.Mark, what do you think? Do Oscar voters draw any meaningful distinction between their picks for adapted screenplay (as opposed to original screenplay) and their feelings about the movie as a whole?
Mark: God, I wish Oscar voters drew discernable distinctions between adapted screenplays and the movies as a whole, but, if history is any indication, Best Original Screenplay is where the Academy’s writers branch goes bold, and Best Adapted Screenplay is where they play it safe. Which of course is a bummer since the technical challenges of adapting great literature (or even so-so ones) is huge, and it would be wonderful if that very real fact informed their nomination more than they appear to. Sadly, I can’t see Drive My Car making this lineup, despite the fact that international films (like City of God) occasionally do get nominated for writing.
A much likelier scenario is that The Lost Daughter gets in on the strength of its writer-director, previous (acting) nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal, as the Academy loves to recognize famous actors-turned-successful writer/directors… in the writing categories at least. (Thank God Bradley Cooper was recognized for more than simply his superlative acting in A Star Is Born.) Rebecca Hall is just as deserving for Passing as Gyllenhaal is for The Lost Daughter, but her extraordinary feat weirdly seems to be entirely lost on....well, far too many folks!
Tony Kushner seems like a slam dunk for West Side Story. So, given The Lost Daughter, West Side Story and the probable winner, The Power of the Dog, I suspect that leaves Dune and The Tragedy of Macbeth (as if we need another adaptation of this work honored). I’d love to see Tick…Tick…BOOM! here, too, though it’s hard to tell how warmly this film has been received, and if writing is going to be where voters champion its merits. Care to convince me otherwise?
Eurocheese: I don’t know, Mark – I agree with your top three, but Shakespeare isn’t as popular with the writers as you might expect. Even some of the big Shakespeare winners of the past, like Best Picture winner Hamlet, didn’t secure an Oscar nod for writing. (Funnily enough, a significant exception to this was Kenneth Branagh, securing a nomination for his Hamlet in 1996). In general, though, the craft branches seem to be more interested in Shakespeare than the writers unless we’re looking at a reinvention of his work, where West Side Story is a perfect example (though it's worth noting that that was the only Oscar nominated category the 1961 film lost, preventing a clean sweep). I don’t see them getting excited about Coen’s version of Macbeth... at least in this category.
Lynn, I’m a huge Drive My Car fan as well and I could see it appealing to writers more than anyone. The way the script weaves Vanya into its plot feels like something that specifically appeals to writers. I was also convinced walking out of tick, tick… BOOM! that writers would champion the task of combining multiple Jonathan Larson’s past works into one cohesive package, but then the awards traction wasn’t there. CODA, on the other hand, pleasantly surprised me by picking up steam late in the season, and this would be a logical place to award Sian Heder for navigating the dynamics of representing actors with different levels of hearing so seamlessly, since she probably won’t be showing up in Director. Plus, I see that script as tugging the heartstrings of older Academy members. I’m landing on
Predictions:
- CODA
- Drive My Car
- The Lost Daughter
- The Power of the Dog
- West Side Story
Am I underestimating how impressed the writers might be with adapting Dune, or will that be saved for Dune: Part Two? And Mark, any more thoughts on what might hold Drive My Car back?
Mark: With Drive My Car, I think it may come down more to how widely seen it is, and how largely known (and appreciated) its adaptation bona fides are among Oscar voters. (Don’t get me wrong; nothing would please me more than to see it nominated here.) You make a good point, too, Brian, about Shakespeare not being that friendly with the Academy—the writers branch at least. Then again we must consider that this isn’t merely another adaptation of Macbeth, but rather a Coen’s adaptation of Macbeth. And the Academy has nominated the Coens for writing (both adapted and original screenplay) more often than not since their Oscar coronation year (excluding their old, dusty screenplays rescued from development hell): No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, True Grit, Bridge of Spies, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Will the Academy decide to skip Dune (till part two completion) in favor of CODA? The latter very well could be the sleeper, with wide-ranging appeal that's underestimated at the moment. (It does seem to continue to build, and build, and build.)
Any films with little to no shot at a nomination that we ought to light a candle for this year? Those Who Wish Me Dead—don’t @ me!—is mine.
Lynn: CODA’s Oscar stock is definitely rising, and Brian, that’s an interesting observation about the script meeting the challenges of integrating both deaf and hearing actors. My beef is that it milks all this drama from how much the family depends on Emilia Jones’ character – how ever are they going to function without her? – and then just kind of hand-waves these difficulties away. (Also, her romantic storyline is a snooze.) I’m not hating on the film; it’s a charmer, and I humbly acknowledge it reduced me to a blubbering mess. But the writing isn’t its chief strength.
Those Who Wish Me Dead...really? The Angelina Jolie forest fire movie? I have to hear your case for that!
If we’re talking fantasy Oscar nominations, it would completely make my day if Zola got a nod. I mean, the film adapts a goddam Twitter thread and transforms it into something else entirely – a tonal juggling act that somehow keeps all its balls (metaphorically speaking…mostly) in the air. The Last Duel is a severely underrated movie, and its tripartite Rashomon-inspired screenplay does really interesting things with a centuries-old story. And, from that same time period, let’s not forget that The Green Knight is another, quite creative literary adaptation: even if I have mixed feelings about what David Lowery did with his source material, it’s definitely a gutsy reimagining of the Arthurian ideal.
On the flip side, what are your “nightmare” nominations? For me, it’s gotta be House of Gucci. Because if it gets a screenplay nod, that means it’s getting a ton of other nominations, too, which means I’ll have to see it. And I really don’t want to!
Eurocheese: I was afraid we would have to discuss Gucci, and I could see it being a surprise that would sour my nomination morning. But let’s not put that into the universe. I’d also be disappointed to see Nightmare Alley in this category -- the script was far too straightforward for my taste.
Lynn, you stole my fantasy pick! Zola’s punchy dialog is such a joy. I also very much enjoyed Stephen Karam’s adaptation of his The Humans, where he doles out heartfelt moments to the family members in turn. My personal top five are all in the conversation though. And Mark, I’ll be tracking down Those Who Wish Me Dead now that you’ve piqued my interest.
As I am writing this, the WGA / DGA / PGA / ACE announcements (what a day!) are arriving. Are we seeing a surge for Tick, Tick… BOOM! with all this love? Are the House of Gucci misses significant? Is Nightmare Alley a potential threat? I’m feeling like a Tick, Tick… BOOM! surprise is possible now, and I’d be all for it.
Mark: “Super Thursday” really brought the onslaught (ACE + DGA + PGA + WGA noms), but little to no big surprises that would prompt a radical rethink. Granted, one could say House of Gucci underperformed, while Tick, Tick…BOOM! outperformed. And Nightmare Alley clearly isn’t as DOA as one might have thought given its poor box-office performance. Which begs the question: How much do box-office figures figure in today’s pandemic-skewed film awards ecosystem? House of Gucci was a hit, Nightmare Alley…not, and tick, tick…BOOM!—who the hell know how widely streamed it has been on Netflix? But guild and, presumably, Oscar voters at large have seen and at least responded in part to these, which means we may not (?) be due for major upsets this year, as much as in years past. And yet…
I’d love, LOVE, love! for a Zola—can’t believe this one slipped my mind for adapted screenplay—to get in at the Oscars and even foreshadow a complete 0/5 match-up with WGA: the aforementioned Drive My Car, The Lost Daughter, Passing, The Power of the Dog, and Zola. Which would be, of course, one of the best lineups of all time in this category. This is wishful (or magical?) thinking on my part, though it would be thrilling if there were as many creative, curve-ball choices in adapted as there often are in original screenplay.
Oscar voting started the same day as all of those guild announcements so do wethink that this avalanche of consensus-building will influence voting at all? Or is that a fait-accompli, and we’re simply off our heads to envision a scenario where, say, The Green Knight or The Last Duel are more than a blip on the radar of non-craft voters at this point?
Lynn: I say HURRAH for House of Gucci underperforming and Tick, Tick, Tick...BOOM! overperforming. May that trend continue right into the Oscars! As for the box office factor, I’m inclined to think it’s less causative than correlative: even Academy members are more likely to prioritize seeing the movie(s) other people are seeing and talking about/up, which becomes self-perpetuating.
We do appear to be approaching a consensus shortlist consisting mostly of the candidates we’ve already been talking about. One contender I think is probably out at this point is The Tragedy of Macbeth. Nathaniel noted, in the context of the WGA awards, that it was eligible and the WGA loves the Coens...but it still missed. Not a good sign, although I don’t know how much the WGA membership overlaps with the Academy’s screenwriting branch. And while I love the film, it’s easier to recognize it as a triumph of design, staging, and cinematography than as a written adaptation of Shakespeare’s text.
tick, tick...BOOM! and Nightmare Alley seem to be the longer shots that still have a chance of getting in, but what, for you guys, would be the biggest surprise snub that’s still within the realm of possibility? I have my doubts about The Lost Daughter’s Oscar prospects outside of Olivia Colman, given how polarizing it’s been among general audiences as opposed to critics. (Then again, you could say the same about Power of the Dog yet no one thinks it’s anything but a lock.) Is it crazy that I’ve also wondered if West Side Story is as safe as it seems to be? It’s done well in the precursors but had some significant misses, and while Kushner’s Oscar track record is strong, his imprint on such a well-established story might be less apparent to those who aren’t fans of the musical or the 1961 film version.
Eurocheese: I’ve wondered about the strength of West Side Story here myself, and with its weird misses at SAG, ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) and now ACE, it does feel like a random snub could happen somewhere. The late screeners may also have been a factor. Kushner made some notable updates, but as much as I liked some of the changes, that Maria/Anita dynamic late in the film still doesn’t quite work, which could be an issue.
I agree with you on Macbeth, and feel like even if Gucci has a good morning, it probably won’t show here. It’s easy to chalk Nightmare Alley’s WGA nomination up to all the openings created by that guild's disqualifications. As far as The Lost Daughter is concerned, it feels like Gyllenhaal has been rewarded all season and while she’s still in the running for Director, I expect they will want to reward her here. I can’t tell what's going on in Actress, but Colman’s strength there tells me this is a screener that voters will watch, which is always a factor. Her being a potential winner will get the film more attention than, say, Ruth Negga being on the bubble for a nomination in Supporting Actress for Passing.
I must admit I’m cooler on Passing than you two, but since you both mentioned your love for it, any thoughts on whether or not voters would rally around it? WGA didn’t help us there. It does feel much further outside the Best Picture conversation than the other films we’re discussing, and they tend to stay safe in this category. It would be a surprise, but not a huge one.
Lynn: Alas, I still don’t see Passing making it in, though I agree its inclusion would be less a shock than a pleasant surprise. Anyway, as post time approaches, here are my final predictions for the five nominees:
- Power of the Dog,
- Dune
- CODA
- The Lost Daughter
and...no guts, no glory... - Tick, Tick...BOOM! as the lone musical!
Although I’m still holding out hope for Drive My Car squeezing in there somewhere.) What about you, Mark and Eurocheese – where are you placing your bets?
Eurocheese: You're talking me into a West Side Story snub in place in favor of the other musical. I should also say Dune would make my personal line up, so if it sneaks in, I’ll be happy to see it. The adaptation stuck the landing, but I expect the credit will go to Denis Villeneuve in Best Director
Mark, are you completing our triple by throwing in Tick, Tick... BOOM! as well?
Mark: La-la-la-la-la-la-la—I can’t hear you, Lynn, when it comes to Passing getting passed over. (It’s just too dispiriting that a work that wonderful, from an underrewarded actress-turned-writer/director natural right out of the gate, would go overlooked this year in favor of…West Side Story redux. But here we are.) And it would be equally galling if the Academy opts out of nominating Maggie Gyllenhaal, in addition to Rebecca Hall, another celebrated actress-turned-supremely confident writer/director. So I shan’t indulge that notion, and will go no-guts, no-glory, all-in on The Lost Daughter in adapted screenplay (also known as a consolation prize for first-time directors not able to crack the directing five).
Predictions:
- The Lost Daughter
- CODA
- Dune
- Power of the Dog
- West Side Story
Which means tick, tick…BOOM! is just on the outside looking in—in my predictions anyway. But happy to be proven wrong there, anywhere. And that does it, I guess, for spirited conversation on adapted screenplay. This year’s crop really was quite strong!
How about your, dear reader, what are you expecting here and what are you rooting for if they're different.
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Reader Comments (6)
Boy, did this make me anxious.
What I want: Passing, tick, tick…BOOM!, West Side Story + 2
What I’m getting: Dune, The Lost Daughter, The Power of the Dog, tick, tick…BOOM!, West Side Story
What I want: Passing, Power of the Dog, The Green Knight + 2 - so, I guess I'll get 1/3
What I'm guessing: The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, Dune, The Lost Daughter, and Drive My Car
I’ve been having this gut feeling for a while now about Dune slightly underperforming, and while I’m starting to go back on that lately, I’m going to be stubborn and stick with my initial inclination just in case it turns out to be right. So I’m predicting Dune still lands a more than hefty tally of 9 nominations, but that will still be considered underperforming given that I’m predicting it will be left out of both Best Adapted Screenplay and (more surprisingly) Best Director. It wouldn’t be the first time a sci-fi Best Picture contender thought to be safe in the Best Director category misses (see Inception and The Martian), so yeah, I’m just gonna stick with that.
So my predicted 5 for Best Adapted Screenplay:
CODA
Drive My Car
The Lost Daughter
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Having seen both CODA and the original French movie La Famille Bélier, I can attest that Sian Heder did an amazing job adapting the script, scrapping all the stuff that didn't work in the original and adding an emotional core that far surpasses the French film.
I kind of hope Dune gets nominated here. I had never read the book, nor seen any of the other films of it. I was nervous going in thinking huge chunks of the movie would just fly over my head, but I didn't feel lost and could easily follow plot and characters. Bravo to the screenwriters for adapting such a massive work and make it digestible to the uninitiated.
i think Dune is missing here, the writers branch tends to overlook blockbusters unless they're absolutely undeniable (Lord of the rings) and the screenplay is the one aspect that hasn't been praised. Also think West side story is quite vulnerable mostly due to the bias against musicals, only in this category approximately 10 have been nominated in 93 years of history
The power of the dog
CODA
Drive my car
Lost daughter
Tragedy of Macbeth