Thursday, March 24, 2022

Oscar Predictions: Original & Adapted Screenplay

It’s good to be back. I scaled things back last year, but I’m ready to resume my tradition of overly in-depth Oscar predictions for each category. The guilds, BAFTAs, critics, and supposedly Golden Globes have all made their picks. Now it’s my turn to figure out what it all means with my multi-part-Oscar predictions.

 

I'm going to go through each of the Oscar categories, tell you what has been nominated and won elsewhere, and order the nominees from who I think is most to least likely to win on Oscar night. That doesn't mean I'll be right, but it does mean I'll be informed. Wish me luck.

 

 

Previously:

Introduction & International Feature

Original Song & Score

Costume Design & Makeup and Hairstyling

Supporting Actor & Actress

Lead Actor & Actress   

Sound & Visual Effects

Director & Film Editing

Best Picture

 

Glossary

BAFTA - British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards

Golden Globe - Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association

WGA - Writers Guild of America Awards

 

Best Original Screenplay

(In Order of Likelihood)

 

Licorice Pizza

BAFTA - Original Screenplay - Winner

Golden Globes - Screenplay – Nominee

WGA - Original Screenplay - Nominee

 

Don’t Look Up

BAFTA - Original Screenplay - Nominee

Golden Globes - Screenplay – Nominee

WGA - Original Screenplay - Winner

 

Belfast

BAFTA - Original Screenplay - Nominee

Golden Globes - Screenplay – Winner

WGA - Ineligible

 

The Worst Person in the World

WGA - Ineligible

 

King Richard

BAFTA - Original Screenplay - Nominee

WGA - Original Screenplay - Nominee

 

Personally, I think this is more of a toss up than Best Picture. The precursors split three ways. Neither Best Picture favorite is in here. There’s hardly a narrative around anyone here. I’m just going to go with my gut. King Richard will have wins elsewhere on Oscar night, so there’s no reason to vote for it here. The Worst Person in the World didn’t show up in any of the precursors. That’s pretty uncommon. A film hasn’t won like that since The Pianist in 2002, which had more overall Academy love. No one paid attention to the Globes and Belfast couldn’t win the BAFTA. That’s a bad sign. The WGA win is pretty valuable for Don’t Look Up. Adam McKay already has an Oscar though. Paul Thomas Anderson has 11 nominations without a win yet. This could be a Spike Lee/BlackKklansman moment for him. There isn’t much buzz about that happening, but it's all I have.

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

(In Order of Likelihood)

 

CODA

BAFTA - Adapted Screenplay - Winner

WGA - Adapted Screenplay – Winner

 

The Power of the Dog

BAFTA - Adapted Screenplay - Nominee

Golden Globes - Screenplay – Nominee

WGA - Ineligible

 

Drive My Car

BAFTA - Adapted Screenplay - Nominee

WGA - Ineligible

 

Dune

BAFTA - Adapted Screenplay - Nominee

WGA - Adapted Screenplay – Nominee

 

The Lost Daughter

BAFTA - Adapted Screenplay - Nominee

WGA - Ineligible

 

I don’t trust this, but I’m going to go with it anyway. CODA won the WGA in a field without The Power of the Dog. However, there was no reason for it to win the BAFTA. The BAFTA has match 5 of the last Oscar 6 winners. The one exception was the Moonlight year when it qualified as Original Screenplay for BAFTA and Adapted for Oscar. With the exception of 2018, every time since 2010 that the eventual Oscar winner was eligible for the WGA, it also won the WGA. So, it’s possible for CODA to still lose the Oscar with the WGA/BAFTA combo, but it has the strongest argument to win it. I don’t think The Power of the Dog is that far behind though. That has a script that evolves with your understanding of the movie. And since I consider it my Best Picture favorite, a screenplay win would be likely. 15 of the last 20 Best Picture winners also won a Screenplay Oscar. That’s even better than the Best Picture/Director combo (13/20). Drive My Car, Dune, and The Lost Daughter certainly could win. Their cases just aren’t as compelling.

 

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