Of all the various guild awards, the Writers Guild nominations are traditionally the least likely to match up with the Oscars. This is because their eligibility rules are notoriously strict, and every year several major contenders are deemed ineligible. This year that list includes, among others, Blue is the Warmest Color, Fruitvale Station, Philomena, Rush, and the prohibitive winner of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar: 12 Years a Slave.
There are still surprises to be had, though. In the Original category, Inside Llewyn Davis was eligible but still missed a nomination. The excellent Dallas Buyers Club nabbed its spot. Gravity missed the boat too, which is a real shame, though not all that surprising. All the talk surrounding that film has been how it’s screenplay is its weakest link. This is totally bogus, of course; just because it’s dialogue is sparse doesn’t mean it’s not a deeply layered and inventively structured story. It wouldn’t be tied for the lead in the Best Picture race if it’s script was really as unmemorable as they say.
In the Adapted category, the biggest surprise is Lone Survivor, which gets its first mention of the season. I haven’t seen that film yet, but from everything I’ve been reading, if this weren’t such a competitive year, I imagine we’d be looking at a potential Best Picture with this one.
Here the full list of WGA nominees…
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell; Columbia Pictures
- Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
- Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Focus Features
- Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.
- Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson; Paramount Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- August: Osage County, Screenplay by Tracy Letts; Based on his play; The Weinstein Company
- Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Based on characters created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan; Sony Classics
- Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures
- Lone Survivor, Written by Peter Berg; Based on the book by Marcus Lutrell with Patrick Robinson; Universal Pictures
- The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter; Based on the book by Jordan Belfort; Paramount Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
- Dirty Wars, Written by Jeremy Scahill & David Riker; Sundance Selects
- Herblock – The Black & The White, Written by Sara Lukinson & Michael Stevens; The Stevens Company
- No Place on Earth, Written by Janet Tobias & Paul Laikin; Magnolia Pictures
- Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions
- We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks; Written by Alex Gibney; Focus Features
The Screen Life 