Oscar 2013 - Adapted Screenplay

I'm not in a very good mood. But I said that it might be productive to "release" some nerves in writing, so I've decided to risk an entry that I usually avoid. Reason 1: it's probably gonna be boring because for scripts I'm not in the mood and I don't have the patience anyway to search any exemplifying clip = what follows is just text. Reason 2: it's hard to evaluate a script when you don't have the script in front of you, and I don't have the patience to search online and look through them. So I'm going to resume to a general impression, a bit of intuition, and to the adapted category (because for the original I didn't have time to see all the nominations). So .. let's get to business ...

Jack O'Donnell: If we wanted applause, we would have joined the circus.

"Argo" is an adaptation based on an autobiographical book and on a magazine article having as subject a 1979 rescue operation of a group of employees from the U.S. embassy of Teheran. How did that end up as a movie subject .. well .. probably it candidates somewhere to a top 10 (if not even higher) as "eccentricity" of such an action. Sufficiently to look like a fiction movie, and not like a real case. If the subject is not known already, in brief the mentioned exfiltration (to use some "technical" terms) was done under the cover of a fake film production crew that was supposedly looking for a filming location in Orient. Crew that had a movie title, a Hollywood producer, press coverage, and even .. a script. At a first sight the story might look like a gift for a subject to adapt, but you realize that's not that simple when you compare the movie with the trailer that's much more alert. In the movie you don't have as much action as you may be tempted to believe, but the adaptation is done in such a way that it doesn't create unnecessary lengths. So I've been a bit surprised by the script's tempered tone, but it's fine, because it stays believable for most of its length - and that's the purpose after all. And to this you can add also that there isn't much cliche compared with what you might find in an U.S. production with an obvious patriotic feel (and an example for that is somewhere below). To conclude, for me it looks to be the script with the highest chances to get an Oscar here. Although, subjectively, I would also pay attention to another one ...

Hushpuppy: I see that I am a little piece of a big, big universe, and that makes it right.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" would probably qualify as the most original script in the adaptations section, given that the adaptation is of a play written by one of the screenwriters. To summarize, what we have here is the story of a 7 years old girl from a poor community, living in an improvised shack somewhere in the Louisiana bayou swamps. Without giving much detail, the movie is a drama focused on a early coming of age, the script being mostly made of a monologue of the main character. A monologue that I assume that wants to sound like having a high degree of philosophical depth. Well, I guess it's really up to each viewer to appreciate that .. I, personally, am a bit hard to impress lately :) And for the rest of the script .. I doubt that it rises up to the level of others around here.

Pi Patel: So which story do you prefer?
Writer: The one with the tiger. That's the better story.

"Life of Pi" is a subject that I've discussed before. And talking about philosophical depth, although it might look slightly more superficial, the essence is much deep that the previous title - mostly because the movie has lots of parts that can be interpreted in various ways. I think it's pretty clear that I would like for this one to get an Oscar here. As a support for the claim, technically speaking a script's value doesn't come only from the character lines but also from the context and the situation description. However, for this particular case, I tend to believe that for the movie's central part which is heavily context-based = the tiger interaction, surviving in the boat, etc .. the merit for how these came out is mostly the director's and less of the script. And if we look at the script we probably have as much monologue as in the previous title, and that's a bit of a downside after all regarding the complexity, even if is more quantitatively speaking. Not to say that here we also have a success novel as a base (which actually has some inspiration in another novel). So, as much as I liked the movie, if I would be objective ...

Abraham Lincoln: I am the president of the United States of America, clothed in immense power! You will procure me those votes!

"Lincoln" is pretty self-explaining in order to jump quickly over the subject. It's based mostly on a book analyzing the political activity of the American president and is centered on the times close to the Civil War end. More exactly the central subject is the addition of the slavery abolition to the U.S. constitution. Very good as history lesson :) As script though, we have a typical Spielberg production = nice, for all the ages, with a ton of cliche in it .. So, really, "ending spoiler" - if the script would have stopped at the moment when Lincoln left for the theater where he was assassinated, scene shot and edited beautifully .. I would have been less acid. But it really needed another chunk of patriotic speech and cliche afterwards too. Well, I assume that a certain public likes this. I really prefer more discrete references even when dealing with major historical characters (did I say the scene was beautifully shot and edited ? ... that was enough). About the rest, I have to admit that a plus point of the script is the English used in the lines that's adapted to the period. But still .. the ton of cliche .. and for the Oscar I'm really worried about the quote in the beginning, in case the reference wasn't clear enough :)

Tiffany: You let me lie to you for a week?
Pat: I was trying to be romantic.


"Silver Linings Playbook" is closing the today's list. Since this entry is already too long (even I'm getting sleepy), let's be short: it's a romantic comedy (with some drama inside) - adaptation of a novel. Adaptation in which I really don't see anything to give something special to the script. The lines are ok, the movie rolls on pleasantly, but I don't know what would separate it from other genre production in terms of script, especially since it's not an original one. That's pretty much all about it; will discuss the subject some other time; it's late :)

Oscar 2011 - Adapted Screenplay

I was thinking to jump completely over this section. Usually I'm not very accurate with the predictions here (but this year is easy :-p). The reason for that it's quite simple. I don't read the scripts because I don't have enough time (by the way, generally these are surprisingly short ... but even so ..). And from the script to the final screen version there is a (sometimes long) way, and things are lost along it. Even if the main impression is given by the aspect of the story you see on screen, what matters for the script is also what's on paper and how much does add the directing to that. This year I managed to take a quick look on the written material last weekend = not more than one page from every screenplay, so I'm gonna take my chances and try writing a few lines :) It will be probably the most boring entry because considering the "literature oriented" topic I chose to give script quotes instead of clips today :-p ...

"127 Hours" - is the script that's probably the most descriptive of all. And I also think that it's the most original from the adaptations although I didn't read the book that tells the guy's story. However I really doubt that's composed more than 50% from describing what you should see in front of your eyes. And I'm telling it again ... it's enough variation for 127 hours about a guy being stuck under a rock to be watchable enough. And due to that, I prefer this title among the rest although I have to admit that's probably not the best script.

INT. CANYON. C/U BOTTLE NECK
The bottle neck stares at Aron.

INT. CANYON. C/U ARON.
Aron’s eyes stare at the bottle neck.

INT. CANYON. NIGHT.
Aron shakes the bottle. Water splashes inside. Not much water. Puts the bottle back down. Moves to pop a contact lens out of his eye and into his mouth.

INT. ROPE BAG. PRE-DAWN.
In big close-up, an ant crawls across Aron’s face. His muscles twitch in response.

INT. ROPE BAG. PRE-DAWN.
Aron’s eyes, open a slit. That’s as much asleep as he gets. Targets some puffs of breath at the ant. Doesn’t work. Flicks the ant away with a finger. Eyes close again.

"The Social Network" - at least at this category is probably one of the safest Oscar bets. I would really like to see a surprise although it's hard to believe it will be so. It's the longest and most dialogue rich script among all. I have no idea how much does matter the quantity, but it seems it does considering the amount of awards received so far. I have to be fair and say that it is a good script, but as a story (with the title above counting as one of the few exception) I never was very impressed by the movies with real basis. Anyway, I don't think that for the origins of Facebook you can get something much better than we have here. It's dense and has enough tension to get close to a thriller feeling at some points, and for the spoken lines it's probably the best this year at the same level with one title below.

ERICA
I have to go study.

MARK
You don't have to study.

ERICA
How do you know I don't have to study?!

MARK
Because you go to B.U.!

Erica stares at him...

MARK (CONT'D)
(beat)
Do you want to get some food?

ERICA
I'm sorry you're not sufficiently impressed with my education.

MARK
And I'm sorry I don't have a rowboat.

ERICA
I think we should just be friends.

MARK
I don't need friends.

ERICA
I was being polite, I had no intention of being friends with you.

"Toy Story 3" - I have no idea what's with this movie that deserves to be here. I'll continue my small boycott and I won't comment too much. It won't take the Oscar - that's the essential part. The script is ok on the comic side for an animation, although there were better titles for this, and for the drama side is the tearlake direction - trademark Pixar. As a sample I prefer the first side:

Rex sticks a finger in Buzz’s re-set hole.

WOODY
Okay, now what?

HAMM
All right, let’s see... “Caution: Do not hold button for more than five
seconds.”

Abruptly, Buzz BEEPS loudly, falls limp, face plants. The others all look at Rex. Rex lifts his finger.

REX
It’s not my fault!

Suddenly, Buzz leaps up, knocking the Toys off him. He strides forward, flips his wrist radio.

SPANISH BUZZ
Bitácora Espacial -- Me he despertado de hipersueno en un planeta extrano.
(Star Log -- I’ve awakened from hypersleep on a strange planet.)

The Toys are speechless. Hamm glares at Rex.

"True Grit" - it's as good if not even better than "The Social Network" for the witty lines. Thing that's actually specific for Coen Brothers. The problem is that doesn't have so much dialogue, and for the descriptive parts it's not the most complex scenario, at least from a quick look on it + what you see on the screen + what you get from make-of clips. It seems that the directing had more to do with the final result than the script, changing here & there what didn't look right enough when shooting the movie. Besides that it's a script that after all tells a wild west revenge story, which was already adapted one time, and even if they say that's an original view on the book I really doubt that the first script written didn't count at all. The idea is that for a good screenwriter I think to be much easier to get something of good quality based on an already done movie that got a bit lost in time (just look at Tarantino with "Inglorious Basterds").

MR. GOUDY
Thank you, Mr. Barlow. In your four years as U.S. marshal, Mr. Cogburn, how many men have you shot?

MR. BARLOW
Objection.

MR. GOUDY
There is more to this shooting than meets the eye, Judge Parker. I will establish the bias of this witness.

JUDGE
Objection is overruled.

MR. GOUDY
How many, Mr. Cogburn?

COGBURN
I never shot nobody I didn’t have to.

MR. GOUDY
That was not the question. How many?

COGBURN
. . . Shot or killed?

MR. GOUDY
Let us restrict it to “killed” so that we may have a manageable figure.

"Winter's Bone" - it's probably the most balanced script as quality = it's quite good at the descriptive level and pretty much the same for the dialogues. From my point of view it is the best script from the ones here, although I'm for "127 Hours" :). Unfortunately the movie is too much of an outsider in front of "The Social Network". I didn't see for a long time something so well done considering the tension level, although for this the directing has also a big part. But if you take a look on the script you can see clear enough in what detail is a scene described and that the script's feeling it's what it gets finally on the screen also. On the other hand, the director - Debra Granik - is also the screenwriter in this case :) so, she didn't do anything else than to prepare a detailed plan for the next step.

Baskin and Ree register Teardrop’s accusation. Baskin, apprehensive, makes eye contact with Ree and draws his pistol from the holster. Attempting to regain control, he taps the side of the truck with his gun.

SHERIFF BASKIN
I know you. I know your family. Get out of the car now.

Teardrop raises his rifle and rests it on the open window, staring Baskin down in the side mirror. Baskin shifts uneasily, again looking to Ree.

TEARDROP
Is this gonna be our time?

Teardrop and Baskin hold each other’s eyes in the mirror as Baskin slowly backs away, still brandishing his flashlight.

One more step until best movie - next time: directing