..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

PictureX Director
xx...Actor/Supporting Actor XActress/Supporting Actress
xScreenplay/Adapted Screenplay

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Writer(s) - Film	Comment
Munich - Tony Kushner, Eric Roth, Charles Randolph	Spielberg has a history of adapting into original screenings... Unless something goes very wrong, this one front runs across the board
Crash - Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco	The other lock for nomination
Match Point - Woody Allen	If it is nearly as good as Cannes audiences felt, it's Woody and it's a lock.
Elizabethtown - Cameron Crowe	The Post-Vietnam Generation's Woody Allen, A Likely Nominee Unless The Murrow Film Leaps Up Strongly
The New World - Terence Malick	Malick continues to make films about the power of the earth and the fickle nature of the humans on it. Few filmmakers inspire more passion.
The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada - Guillermo Arriaga	Passed over on the first two high profile dramas (not being WGA doesn't help), this could be the moment
Good Night. And, Good Luck - George Clooney, Grant Heslov	The film drives the nomination possibilities
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - Terence Winter	Jim Sheridan's name on this script would help
Broken Flowers - Jim Jarmusch	A delightful script, but will probably have to settle for Indie Spirits

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Writer(s) - Film	Comment
The adapted category is going to be particularly interesting this year. There seem to be seven distinct leaders in the Best Picture race right now and five of the seven are adapted... and only Ask The Dust seems to have a shot at BP amongst the other 11 or so other adapted contenders.
Memoirs of a Geisha - Robin Swicord & Doug Wright	Will have to really crash hard for this nod not to happen, Best Picture nod or not.
Walk The Line - Gill Dennis & James Mangold	The nod comes with a Best Picture nod... or as a consolation on a near miss.
All The King's Men - Steven Zallian	Zallian is a 3-time nominee... the movie will have to be seen as by a lot of people who remember the original (AMPAS members) as a significant downgrade not to score here
The Producers - Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan	If it falls off the Oscar pace in general, could miss, but unlikely... Brooks won Oscar and WGA for original
Jarhead - William Broyles, Jr., Anthony Swofford	Academy has not been overly generous to Broyles... could be replaced by one of the many fine and familial writers in next group
Ask The Dust - Robert Towne	A long road to this film... Towne is an industry legend... being "good" gives him an edge over others that might be "great," being "great" should guarantee a nod.
The Constant Gardener - Jeffrey Caine	A brilliant adaptation and film, but not the joy of Lost In Translation... Focus needs to fight hard to keep this one in voter's memories
A History Of Violence - Josh Olson	Will this wonderful film be able to overcome snobbery about Cronenberg and its graphic novel origins?
Brokeback Mountain - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana	Sure to domainte with gay cowboy voters. A film that could end up surprising... or fading completely.
North Country - Michael Seitzman	Charlize and Niki = Oscar bait.
Oliver Twist - Ronald Harwood	Harwood won with Polanski at the helm on The Pianist, but there won't be too many surprises here
Cinderella Man - Cliff Hollingsworth, Akiva Goldsman	Will need to come back with all of Jim Braddock's intesity.
King Kong - Peter Jackson	Oooooohhhh!!! A monkey!
Proof - David Auburn	How do you light a fire under old kindling without burning down the house?
In Her Shoes - Susannah Grant	The Erin Brockovich screenwriter is back... but word is that the film is more fun than Oscar-y
Capote - Dan Futterman	Book those Indie Spirit tables now!

 

July 27 , 2005
- David Poland