Oscars: Adapted Screenplay

The debate between original and adapted screenplay has been ongoing since the Academy split the award in the 40s. The argument about which is more complicated is ongoing, but the difficulty in adapting a screenplay is clear, since it requires an understanding of the source material and the ability to turn something not intended for the screen into a film. Creating a film out of another form of media doesn’t always end well, but all of this year’s nominees succeeded tremendously.

The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are:

• Call Me by Your Name – This film took a novel that no one had heard of and turned it into one of the greatest films of the year. The film only adapts the first portion of the novel, but there is already talk of revisiting these characters in other films, and if the same team is behind it, I have no doubt that it will be as successful as this one.
• The Disaster Artist – This is an interesting case of adaptation inception, since the book that this film is base do on is based on a movie itself. There is a lot to love about the way this film takes a look at the behind-the-scenes world of the film industry and how realistic it is. Adapting this film from the novel by Greg Sestero worked surprisingly well and told a very entertaining story.
• Logan – This might be the first time that a film has been nominated based on a comic book series, and if there needed to be a first one, this is as good as it gets. The way this story is told in a gritty and realistic way does justice to the source material and breathes new life into these characters. A great send off for one of the longest running character in film history.
• Molly’s Game – Sorkin is a master of turning the lives of interesting people into really interesting films. The way that he tells the story of Molly Bloom is creative and does justice to her memoir and the way that she wanted the story told. Sorkin has a lot of potential to tell interesting stories and his interpretation of this story is well written and well made.
• Mudbound – Stories about racism and inequality are fairly common and it takes a unique eye to turn it into something original. The way this film frames the characters against the backdrop of rural Mississippi offers a visual story that was, before, only left up to the reader’s imagination. Not a heart-warming tale, but told in a very real and interesting way.

My Prediction to win is…

Call Me by Your Name