Oscars 2011: Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

The Adapted Screenplay Oscar rewards a screenwriter’s ability to turn artwork from another medium, usually the novel, into compelling cinema. This year’s crop includes four novel-based scripts with varying degrees of faithfulness to the original works, and one addition because of one of the Academy’s occasionally weird rules that mandates a sequel must come under the ‘adapted’ category.

 

The Social Network — Aaron Sorkin (1)

 

The story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg could have been a staid, boring retelling of technological breakthroughs with lawsuits thrown in for good measure, but celebrated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing) punches up the story with clever manipulation of time, smart, concise scenes, and his trademark snappy dialogue. Adapted from The Accidental Billionaires, Sorkin’s powerful script helped make this one of the most talked about movies of 2010, and a virtual lock for this award.

True Grit — Joel and Ethan Coen (2)

 

Adapted from Charles Portis’s book of the same name, the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross’s quest for revenge in the Wild West adds the Coen brothers’ characteristic wit (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) to classic Western tropes. Getting a child to seem tremendously mature and vulnerable at the same time is no easy task, and while most of the credit goes to actress Hailee Steinfeld, the brothers’ script does much of the heavy lifting by weaving a wonderfully cathartic story arc that remains faithful to the spirit and conventions of the genre.

Toy Story 3 — Michael Arndt (3)

 

Making an unusual appearance in the adapted screenplay nominations, not just because it is animated but also for being a sequel, the latest entry from Pixar tells the story of our favourite toys coming to terms with becoming obsolete. Their owner is heading out to college, and the toys have nothing but being stuffed in an attic-bag to look forward to. Placed in the ‘adapted’ category because it is the third film in the Toy Story series, Toy Story 3 is everything a movie needs to be — adventurous, funny, packed with an emotional punch and insightful. This Michael (Little Miss Sunshine) Arndt script deserves its unexpected spot on the shortlist.

 

127 Hours — Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle (4)

 

This claustrophobic alone-in-the-wild drama comes to life by going far beyond just the eye-opening plot revolving around a rock climber who gets stuck in a canyon for nearly five days and is finally forced to amputate his arm to get free. Adapted by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) from the autobiography of Aron Ralston, the nuanced screenplay of 127 Hours makes it clear Ralston’s loneliness isn’t confined to his time in the canyon and instead applies to most of his life as well, making the film a compelling emotional watch even for the squeamish.

 

Winter's Bone — Debra Granik, Anne Rossellini (5)

 

This bleak adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s novel about a girl who has to take on the responsibilities of a dysfunctional rural family becomes even more harrowing when a father disappears and the family needs to find him, dead or alive, to stay afloat. Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini’s script uses the delicate intricacies of tone and mood to great effect, immersing the audience in the sheer drama of the girl’s life. While the dour subject matter and somewhat lethargic pace might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the haunting emotional impact of Winter’s Bone’s script earns itself a nod from the Academy.

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Despite the overall strength of the field — and no film on hand produces a this-shouldn’t-be-here reaction — the topicality and intelligence of Sorkin’s script for The Social Network, coupled with his success on the pre-Oscar awards circuit, make it a near lock-in for the award. That said, nearly everyone had Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman winning this category for Up in the Air last year, but the prize eventually went to Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious. If anyone had to muddy the water for the voters, it would be the Coen brothers with their amazing ear for dialogue and sense of what each scene should accomplish, so while an upset two years in a row is unlikely, the presence of such strong competition means Sorkin would be wise to wait to hear his name being read out before running up to collect what would be the celebrated screenwriter’s first Oscar, and a well-deserved one at that.