The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has announced this year’s list of narrative and documentary feature screenplay nominees, and given the wave of ineligibilities, which included such Oscar players as “12 Years a Slave,” “Philomena” and “Fruitvale Station,” it was a much smaller crop for the guild to choose from.
“American Hustle” is there. “Dallas Buyers Club” is there. Both are notable because they are now the only two films to receive all three major guild nominations: SAG ensemble, PGA and WGA. “Gravity” failed to show up today, however, which is disheartening. I’m blue in the face from calling it deceptively simple at this point. But at the same time, that original screenplay category is packed this year. So packed, in fact, that apparently the guild couldn’t find room for the Coen brothers, as “Inside Llewyn Davis” takes another shot after missing with the PGA tomorrow.
It’s been in the air for this film, that it’s leaving people cold, that it’s not registering like it has for critics. It’s starting to look like a Best Picture nomination is an incredibly uphill climb and if it does indeed miss, I think that will be one of the great embarrassments for the Academy this year. But hope is not lost yet.
In the adapted field, the only real surprise is “Lone Survivor” showing up, but the category is thin enough as it is without the ineligibilities. “The Wolf of Wall Street” popped up, keeping a steady guild keel after predictably missing out with SAG (as many members had not yet seen the film by the time ballots were turned in).
That’s pretty much all there is to say. How will this list be different from the Academy’s? We’ll know in just under two weeks.
Check out the full list of WGA nominees below.
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