Oscar’s Favorite Screenplays - 2005

Oscar has given us a lot to think about this year. There really isn’t a clear-cut winner. My front runners, this could change in a month or so, are Finding Neverland and Million Dollar Baby for best adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind for best original screenplay.

One note of interest is the nomination of The Incredibles. A rarity for best original, this animated feature grossed 257 million to land at 29 on the all time box office list. Hmmm, I guess I should have seen this one on the big screen.

Over the next few weeks the debate should be far and wide spread over Oscar’s favorites for 77th Annual Academy Awards to be held on February 27th 2005.


WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

BEFORE SUNSET
Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Story by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan

SYNOPSIS
Jesse and Celine spent one night together nine years ago, and each has been haunted by the possibility of the life they might have shared. When a novel Jesse has written about the experience brings them together again, they find they have a second chance to recover their lost love.

FINDING NEVERLAND
Screenplay by David Magee

SYNOPSIS
When writer James M. Barrie meets the widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her four boys, the friendships they develop inspire Barrie to write his classic children's story, "Peter Pan." Barrie is particularly touched by young Peter, who has become depressed and withdrawn following his father's death.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Screenplay by Paul Haggis

SYNOPSIS
When Frankie Dunn, a fight trainer who runs a Los Angeles gym, is approached by Maggie Fitzgerald, a young waitress who is determined to become a boxer, he at first refuses her request to become her manager. Frankie's friend, Scrap, however, recognizes the determination behind Maggie's dream and convinces Frankie to reconsider.

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
Screenplay by José Rivera

SYNOPSIS
In 1952, two friends, Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado, set off on a motorcycle trip throughout South America. It is an experience that will shape the perceptions and philosophy of Ernesto, who as "Che" Guevara will later become a hero and martyr of the communist revolutionary movement.

SIDEWAYS
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

SYNOPSIS
As a wedding gift to his friend Jack, Miles Raymond plans a week-long trip through California's wine country. Divorced and lonely, Miles finds himself drawn to the sympathetic Maya, who works at a local restaurant, while Jack embarks on a pre-marriage fling with her friend, Stephanie.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

THE AVIATOR
Written by John Logan

SYNOPSIS
This biography of billionaire Howard Hughes follows his life from the time of his forays into filmmaking in the late 1920s to his battles with Congress in the 1940s. The film explores his relationships with Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner, his pioneering efforts in the field of aviation...and the beginnings of his descent into isolation and mental illness.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman; Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth

SYNOPSIS
When Joel Barish finds himself irresistibly drawn to the free-spirited Clementine, he is stunned to discover that she is, in fact, his ex-girlfriend...and that both of them have undergone a process to have their memories of each other erased.

HOTEL RWANDA
Written by Keir Pearson & Terry George

SYNOPSIS
Based on a true story, the film depicts the heroic actions of Paul Rusesabagina, who risked his life to save over a thousand Tutsis and Hutus marked for death during the Rwandan massacre. Using his connections as a four-star hotel manager, Paul cajoles, bribes and blackmails military and government officials in his frantic efforts to rescue 1200 people.

THE INCREDIBLES
Written by Brad Bird

SYNOPSIS
When a series of mishaps forces the world's superheroes into retirement, Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl, settle into a staid suburban existence with their three children. A mysterious offer to resume his superhero activities turns out to be a trap laid by the evil Syndrome, and the entire family must work together to save the world.

VERA DRAKE
Written by Mike Leigh

SYNOPSIS
Vera Drake is a cheerful, hard-working wife and mother in postwar England who, unbeknownst to her family, sometimes provides assistance to women who want to end their pregnancies. When Vera is arrested and put on trial, the event has powerful repercussions within her family.