Friday, February 16, 2007

Favorite Original Screenplay winners

My fellow cubicle slave Dan Maley, as he was trying in vein to convince me that Gladys Knight is a better soul singer than Al Green, then explained "I just like making lists."

Well, so do I. They're not only a great way to waste time, but they also help you remember things that may have eluded your memory's grasp years ago. Today I've compiled a list of my favorite Original Screenplay winners at the Academy Awards. Why? Because I wanted to. Nuff said.

Looking at it, it strikes me that round about the late 70s to early 80s was when the Academy made this and the Adapted Screenplay category the real consolation prizes, giving them to the flicks they really knew were the best of the year. This year, those dubious honors will hopefully go to Guillermo del Toro for "Pan's Labyrinth," my favorite movie of 2006, and Alfonso Cuaron and his fellow writers for their adaptation of "Children of Men."

Anyways, here goes:

1952: The Lavender Hill Mob (T.E.B. Clarke)
Sure, it's pretty much a Keystone Cops-style screwball comedy, but as those go they don't get much funnier than "The Lavender Hill Mob." It made me laugh out loud as a kid, and it still does today.

1968: The Producers (Mel Brooks)
Before I went back and looked at the list of winners, I was convinced that the Academy's bias against comedy had been an affliction since the beginning. Even with that bias, it would have been nearly impossible to overlook this one, not my favorite Mel Brooks movie (still "Young Frankenstein"), but very funny all the same, and Zero Mostel is just perfect.

1972: The Candidate (Jeremy Larner)
Speaking of "Young Frankenstein," Peter Lorre was great as a campaign operative in this somewhat-too-preachy look at what happens to an idealist candidate (Robert Redford) after he actually gets elected to office. It's a bit dated now, but watching it recently I found it still has plenty to say about the grind politicians go through to win office.

1976: Network (Paddy Chayefsky)
This one may be best known for Peter Finch's "mad as hell" meltdown, probably the most quoted (and misquoted) speech in film history, but it has a lot more to say about the dangers of media consolidation. It's that rare movie that may be even more timely now than it was then. Watch it and be afraid, very afraid.

1979: Breaking Away (Steve Tesich)
This is easily my favorite among the movies on this list. Sports underdog fans may claim "Rudy" or "Hoosiers" as their top dog, but when I was 9 years old, there was nothing better than this tale of an Indiana dude who just wants to race his bicycle with the Italians. Jackie Earle Haley, nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year, was great as Moocher, basically a slightly older version of his "Bad News Bears" character.

1994: Pulp Fiction (Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino; Stories by Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino}
Not much needs to be said about this one. "Jackie Brown" is still my favorite Tarantino flick, but there are none quite as cool as "Pulp Fiction." If anyone who reads this actually lives in the Macon area, you can see it on the big screen again March 7 at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Regal Rivergate 14's Flashback Festival. If you're at the 7:30 show, I'll see you there.

1995: The Usual Suspects (Christopher McQuarrie)
The beauty in McQuarrie's script is in the puzzle it constructs, piece by piece. The first time I watched this Bryan Singer flick, I didn't get it. When it was over, I was just scratching my head and muttering that there was no way Verbal's story actually made sense. After multiple viewings, however, I eventually caught up.

1996: Fargo (Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
The Coens have a rare gift, when they choose to use it, of putting viewers completely in a specific time and place. They may have done it slightly better with "O Brother Where Art Thou," but thanks to a remarkable performance from Frances McDormand, this one comes in a close second.

2000: Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
Cameron Crowe's last two flicks ("Elizabethtown" and the simply unnecessary "Vanilla Sky") have just been real dogs. He needs to get working again to remind us that, when he sticks to the essentials - love and pop music - he can craft a timeless tale. According to the IMDB he has absolutely nothing on the horizon, so just go back and watch this one again (and avoid the "Untitled" cut - it really adds nothing but more time.)

2001: Gosford Park (Julian Fellowes)
Fellowes' challenge here, which he accomplished with style, was to craft a great Robert Altman movie not written by Altman himself. With this murder mystery set at an English country estate, he managed to craft one of the better ensemble movies for the master of that genre.

So, there you have it. I'm now running very late for work. Hope you found something here for your rental queue, and please feel free to add any titles you think I snubbed.

20 comments:

Terence Towles Canote said...

Well, when it comes to winners for the Original Screenplay Oscar, I have a few favourites. Of course, Citizen Kane and The Apartment are up there, but I also like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Chinatown, and Almost Famous. As to this year, I am hoping it goes to Pan's Labyrinth, which should have gotten a Best Picture nod (for that matter, del Toro should have gotten a Best Director nod, too...).

Reel Fanatic said...

Pan's Labyrinth was the all-around biggest snub this year to me, Mercurie, which says a lot considering it did manage to snag six nominations in all ... And I'm definitely with you on Butch Cassidy . that one almost made my top 10

Christopher55 said...

Love Butch, too. I'd have to include on my list: The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Sunset Blvd. and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Of course, the story of how Casablanca was written is too cool.

Reel Fanatic said...

Those are all great choices, Christopher, though I don't think they were all winners in this Oscar category ... To Kill a Mockingbird, in particular, is just a flawless adaptation of a timeless book

Mimi Fink said...

A discerning list here. I'm impressed. I have too many favorite movies. My list would be the ones I didn't like.

In the original screenplay category, that award usually matches to a best motion picture nominee, and/or the Writer's Guild nominee. This year, all five best motion picture nominees are in the screenplay categories, four in directing.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE won the Writer's Guild award for original screenplay, but the director is not nominated. THE QUEEN has won a number of screenplay awards. If BABEL wins best director, it will probably win this category, and best motion picture, too.

In the adapted screenplay, THE DEPARTED won the W. G. Award, and if it wins best director, it will probably win this category, and best motion picture, too.

Conversely, whomever wins either of the screenplay categories, and best director, usually wins the best motion picture Oscar for the associated movie. Watch who wins best director. If either of the winning movies in the screenplay categories match the movie for which the director won, that should be the best motion picture. Announce it as the winner before the motion picture award and impress your friends. Sh-h-h-h, don't tell them how you knew. :-)

Of course, look out for a curve ball if UNITED 93 wins the drector award, or the "sleeper" that might slip though if the votes are close.

Enjoy the "crap shoot" fun of guessing.

Reel Fanatic said...

Thanks for the tips, Mimi ... I already filled out my Oscar pool at work, though ... For best picture, I picked The Departed, but it basically came down to a last-minute choice between that or Little Miss Sunshine .. All the finalists this year are great movies, so I'll be happy whatever happens

Christopher55 said...

Original screenplay ... shouldn't write when I'm tired. I named three adapted from books and one from an unproduced play. My apologies. Let's just say Butch and Chinatown and I'll go stand in the corner.

Anonymous said...

I, too, didn't feel particularly impressed by The Usual Suspects first time around. Not sure why now (so long ago). But I have since watched it a further four or five times and really like it.

Reel Fanatic said...

No need to apologize, Christopher ... I usually write these things very early in the morning, so often make similar mistakes

Matt said...

Good list. I'd include Shakespeare in Love, myself, just because I'm a Stoppard fan from way back and (frankly) I loved that movie. (Sappiness left over from Valentine's Day, perhaps.)

Reel Fanatic said...

Shakespeare in Love is indeed a good choice, Lizard ... I can remember the outcry when it beat out Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture, and at the risk of provoking a backlash, I'd have to say it was better than Spielbergo's movie

Mr. Middlebrow said...

Not to pick nits, but I'm pretty sure you mean Peter Boyle, not Peter Lorre, was great in The Candidate and Young Frankenstein.

Great blog, btw.

Reel Fanatic said...

You're certainly right, Mr. Middlebrow, and I never mind when people correct me, as long as they do it politely .. I tend to write these things fairly early in the morning, so I sometimes do slip up that way

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