Unlike last year, I don’t think 2008 was a good year for adapted screenplays, and to make matters worse, the actual best adapted screenplays didn’t earn nominations this year.
Of the five, the only one I particularly liked was “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” yet its script is easily its weakest element. My vote’s for “Doubt,” which, despite having some problems (chiefly Shanley’s stodgy direction), did not suffer from feeble writing in any stage of the film.
BW
I guess Frost/Nixon. This is an extremely weak category.
Ryan
Most definitely SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
Robert Hamer
I voted for The Dark Kni…oops, I mean Let the Right One-oh, that wasn’t nominated either? Fine, Slumdog it is.
I’m NOT going to support a writer who adapted a screenplay from their own stage play. Period.
Slightly surprised by the voting. I think THE READER seems like the only real competition for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
As I’ve said before: if you’ve read Q&A, the forgettable novel upon which SLUMDOG is based, you’ll understand why it’s a worthy winner. Aside from the premise, almost none of the enjoyable elements of the movie are derived from the source material. Simon Beaufoy improves upon it every possible way.
It’s a mark of how bad this category is this year that I ended up voting for Frost/Nixon.
I’d have taken Revolutionary Road over any of them, and I’m not even a particular fan of that film either.
Speaking English
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Beautifully detailed and written with an expressive, thoughtful eye.
And contrary to the others, but I find this to be a very strong category. Not a weak one in the bunch.
Alex
Not Benjamin Button since it was adapted from Forest Gump.
Frost/Nixon is a maybe
Doubt – hardly adapted at all
The Reader – awful adaptation
Slumdog – well written script that varies from the book, Best Picture winner.
Speaking English
***Not Benjamin Button since it was adapted from Forest Gump.***
This makes absolutely NO sense and is a thought you’ve only come to because you’ve been convinced so by other nitwits who find solace in freakishly bashing the film. Read the screenplay and see how beautifully it is written, how introspective and probing it is, Roth’s knack for dialogue, detail, and description… the movie has nothing to do with “Forrest Gump” outside of some basic (and shallow) narrative similarities.
Move on, sheep. Move. It will pass one day.
James
As a fan of Frost/Nixon (wow, never thought I’d say that about a Ron Howard film), and have read the play and the difficulty that must have gone into fleshing out the structure, I’m a fan.
But on the other hand, Simon Beaufoy’s script and structure must have taken some considerable time to make sure fit right. Though, I’m not the biggest fan of the cliches and the overly happy ending, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed with the achievement.
I went with Slumdog Millionaire, where I wish The Dark Knight had been in conention.
Speaking English
I can’t believe people honestly think “The Dark Knight” should have been nominated for Screenplay. Ludicrous. A script that practically panders to its audience by spoon-feeding us ever little last bit of slimy exposition and blatant philosophizing, themes that are made painfully clear for us lest we not understand them. And of course the magnificent depth of the film, which we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten unless we were told the movie was “deep.”
It’s a wonder it ever got that WGA nod. What a movie.
Alex
Speaking English – my (jocular) point was not necessarily or solely referring to the cosmetic similarities between Button and Gump; more to the fact that it takes less steps to get from Button to Gump than from Button back to Fitzgerald’s short story. Eric Roth completely changed the tone and focus of the short story, to the extent that his script had more in common with Gump than with the material from which he purports to have adapted Button.
English: All due respect, how can you accuse “The Dark Knight” of blatantly spoon-feeding philosophy after championing “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?”
And the “Forrest Gump” thing is tired. The films are not alike, they simply explore similar themes. I wish that would go away already, but then again, I’m sure everyone at Paramount feels the same way.
Robert Hamer
Kris, Forrest Gump is absolutely very much like The Curious Case of Forrest Gump to the point of being a ripoff. After seeing so many valid comparisons between the two, I have to conclude that you could only say something so asinine because you don’t WAN’T to think that Eric Roth just plugged Fitzgerald’s story into his Oscar-winning screenplay.
Speaking English
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” presents you with a simple idea, that of aging backwards, and opens up worlds of thought unto which you can project your own experiences and perceptions. You can watch it and be simply absorbed by it, enveloped by its mood and its cerebral mechanisms as its further layers and nuances reveal themselves to you only by way of your own independent thought-processes.
“The Dark Knight” doesn’t leave nearly enough room; almost every significant plot point/twist/theme is spelled out for the viewer in sluggish exposition.
This is a dismal category. I suggest a write-in vote for “Gomorrah.”
PJ
“Slumdog Millionaire”, but in a very weak field. “Revolutionary Road” deserved to be nominated though.
Scott Ward
Speaking English, you sure are a different one, calling Benjamin Button absorbing and TDK sluggish is mind boggling.
And I think it’s hilarious in how you want to put yourself intellectually above TDK because you thought it was so predictable, and then you seem to think that Button is some ingenious work that keeps you guessing. IF there is one single legit reason why one could justifiably prefer it over TDK, that is certainly not it, because it clearly makes no sense.
Comments
24 responses to “POLL: Who deserves it? — BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY”
Deja vu.
Doubt.
Blog post tag fail.
And I vote “Slumdog.” It’s one of the only awards it’s poised to win that it actually deserves.
“Slumdog “. The story is simply more entertaining and more well-rounded than the other nominees.
D it is written.
Unlike last year, I don’t think 2008 was a good year for adapted screenplays, and to make matters worse, the actual best adapted screenplays didn’t earn nominations this year.
Of the five, the only one I particularly liked was “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” yet its script is easily its weakest element. My vote’s for “Doubt,” which, despite having some problems (chiefly Shanley’s stodgy direction), did not suffer from feeble writing in any stage of the film.
I guess Frost/Nixon. This is an extremely weak category.
Most definitely SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
I voted for The Dark Kni…oops, I mean Let the Right One-oh, that wasn’t nominated either? Fine, Slumdog it is.
I’m NOT going to support a writer who adapted a screenplay from their own stage play. Period.
Slightly surprised by the voting. I think THE READER seems like the only real competition for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
As I’ve said before: if you’ve read Q&A, the forgettable novel upon which SLUMDOG is based, you’ll understand why it’s a worthy winner. Aside from the premise, almost none of the enjoyable elements of the movie are derived from the source material. Simon Beaufoy improves upon it every possible way.
It’s a mark of how bad this category is this year that I ended up voting for Frost/Nixon.
I’d have taken Revolutionary Road over any of them, and I’m not even a particular fan of that film either.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Beautifully detailed and written with an expressive, thoughtful eye.
And contrary to the others, but I find this to be a very strong category. Not a weak one in the bunch.
Not Benjamin Button since it was adapted from Forest Gump.
Frost/Nixon is a maybe
Doubt – hardly adapted at all
The Reader – awful adaptation
Slumdog – well written script that varies from the book, Best Picture winner.
***Not Benjamin Button since it was adapted from Forest Gump.***
This makes absolutely NO sense and is a thought you’ve only come to because you’ve been convinced so by other nitwits who find solace in freakishly bashing the film. Read the screenplay and see how beautifully it is written, how introspective and probing it is, Roth’s knack for dialogue, detail, and description… the movie has nothing to do with “Forrest Gump” outside of some basic (and shallow) narrative similarities.
Move on, sheep. Move. It will pass one day.
As a fan of Frost/Nixon (wow, never thought I’d say that about a Ron Howard film), and have read the play and the difficulty that must have gone into fleshing out the structure, I’m a fan.
But on the other hand, Simon Beaufoy’s script and structure must have taken some considerable time to make sure fit right. Though, I’m not the biggest fan of the cliches and the overly happy ending, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed with the achievement.
I went with Slumdog Millionaire, where I wish The Dark Knight had been in conention.
I can’t believe people honestly think “The Dark Knight” should have been nominated for Screenplay. Ludicrous. A script that practically panders to its audience by spoon-feeding us ever little last bit of slimy exposition and blatant philosophizing, themes that are made painfully clear for us lest we not understand them. And of course the magnificent depth of the film, which we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten unless we were told the movie was “deep.”
It’s a wonder it ever got that WGA nod. What a movie.
Speaking English – my (jocular) point was not necessarily or solely referring to the cosmetic similarities between Button and Gump; more to the fact that it takes less steps to get from Button to Gump than from Button back to Fitzgerald’s short story. Eric Roth completely changed the tone and focus of the short story, to the extent that his script had more in common with Gump than with the material from which he purports to have adapted Button.
Quite contrary you are
Ben button is nothing Like Forrest gump.
Forrest Gump was actually a good movie.
Slumdog will win this , any one who does not see this is blind.
English: All due respect, how can you accuse “The Dark Knight” of blatantly spoon-feeding philosophy after championing “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?”
And the “Forrest Gump” thing is tired. The films are not alike, they simply explore similar themes. I wish that would go away already, but then again, I’m sure everyone at Paramount feels the same way.
Kris, Forrest Gump is absolutely very much like The Curious Case of Forrest Gump to the point of being a ripoff. After seeing so many valid comparisons between the two, I have to conclude that you could only say something so asinine because you don’t WAN’T to think that Eric Roth just plugged Fitzgerald’s story into his Oscar-winning screenplay.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” presents you with a simple idea, that of aging backwards, and opens up worlds of thought unto which you can project your own experiences and perceptions. You can watch it and be simply absorbed by it, enveloped by its mood and its cerebral mechanisms as its further layers and nuances reveal themselves to you only by way of your own independent thought-processes.
“The Dark Knight” doesn’t leave nearly enough room; almost every significant plot point/twist/theme is spelled out for the viewer in sluggish exposition.
This is a dismal category. I suggest a write-in vote for “Gomorrah.”
“Slumdog Millionaire”, but in a very weak field. “Revolutionary Road” deserved to be nominated though.
Speaking English, you sure are a different one, calling Benjamin Button absorbing and TDK sluggish is mind boggling.
And I think it’s hilarious in how you want to put yourself intellectually above TDK because you thought it was so predictable, and then you seem to think that Button is some ingenious work that keeps you guessing. IF there is one single legit reason why one could justifiably prefer it over TDK, that is certainly not it, because it clearly makes no sense.