71st Writers Guild Awards Winners

Yesterday the guild had their awards ceremony and as many comment, there is no clearity in what could happen at the Oscars as industry guilds, societies and groups have been honoring different movies.  Tend to agree but when review winners it's noticeable that top prizes went, with one exception, to movies that are expected to get a nomination for best picture.

Writers guild have not a good record of predicting Oscar winners as often do not include critically acclaim movies because writers are not guild members.  Nevertheless there are years when they coincide and maybe this year will happen in the adapted script category as WGA winner is at least nominated, which is not the case for original script.

As the Oscars ceremony comes near, yes it's next Sunday, there are chances that could be interesting for me as my attention is set into what's going to happen with Roma.  Used to think that IF film wins foreign-language then the rest was over; but, after BAFTAs, where movie won both not-in-English-language and Best Film, now will have to watch the complete show to see if repeats.  Roma is a masterpiece that deserves many honors in general and many Oscars honors, original script should be one but doubt will get the Oscar and undoubtedly Cuaron wrote film scipt to be very unconventional, which is why deserves award.  Still wish Rome swept the Oscars because WE, the audience. need the industry to CHANGE and IF Netflix wins Oscars then its success will become the first steps toward change.  Sigh.

Usually do not talk about television but as the 2019 awards season fade to off have to comment that I'm quite pleased with all the honors bestowed to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel a wonderful series I highly recommend with only one fault, there are only 10 episodes each season, we need more!!! (lol)

Winners are in *BLUE.  To check winners in all categories, including TV, go to official site here.

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1/8/19
Another guild also announced its nominations for the current edition of their annual awards, now is the turn to the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW).  The guild(s) announced their nominees for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2018.

It's good to remember the following, so we are clear which screenplays qualify and which do not.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2018 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Writers Guild of Ireland, Writers’ Guild of South Africa, New Zealand Writers Guild, Film Writers’ Association (India), La Guilde Francaise des Scénaristes (France), Scriptwriters Guild of Israel, Société des Auteurs de Radio, Télévision et Cinéma (Québec), or Verband Deutscher Drehbuchautoren (VDD/Germany), collectively known as affiliate Guilds. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an onscreen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in Los Angeles or New York for one week during 2018. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

A film could be as good as the story it tells, not an absolute truth as there are many films that awe your eyes but make your brain wonder and are as a whole a complete cinematic experience; but, the point is that Roma as a whole is more than the sum of its parts and yet, the story it tells is one that touches me profoundly.  Obviously the way the story is told is what makes this film unique.  So no more blah blah, my award goes to Roma for the touching and emotional story it tells, the way the story is written and even those unexpected one liners that blew my mind! Fabulous!

But know Roma has strong competition in this category as there a couple of films with good scripts in the Original Screenplay category, Eighth Grade and Green Book.  In the Adapted Screenplay category is so hard to even consider A Star is Born that will forget is nominated, but the other four have an open race as do not think is crazy to consider Black Panther screenplay as was very interesting to see how it played with real-life very important moments in Black American struggle story.

Most interesting to realize that none of the four documentary nominees have been up-to-this moment in the current award season buzz, so better pay more attention to these films; but wonder if its wiser as believe we all know which doc will get the Oscar as who could not fall for Mr. Rogers?

These are the nominees

Original Screenplay
*Eighth Grade, Written by Bo Burnham
Green Book, Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly
A Quiet Place, Screenplay by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and John Krasinski, Story by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck
Roma, Written by Alfonso Cuarón
Vice, Written by Adam McKay;

Adapted Screenplay
Blackkklansman, Written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee, Based on the book by Ron Stallworth

Black Panther, Written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

*Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Based on the book by Lee Israel

If Beale Street Could Talk, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Based on the novel by James Baldwin

A Star is Born, Screenplay by Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Will Fetters, Based on the 1954 screenplay by Moss Hart and the 1976 screenplay by John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion and Frank Pierson, Based on a story by William Wellman and Robert Carson

Documentary Screenplay
*Bathtubs Over Broadway, Written by Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant
Fahrenheit 11/9, Written by Michael Moore
Generation Wealth, Written by Lauren Greenfield
In Search of Greatness, Written by Gabe Polsky

The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories. To check winners in all categories go to official site here.

The 2019 Writers Guild Awards will be presented at concurrent ceremonies on Sunday, February 17, 2019, in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton and in New York City at the Edison Ballroom.