Welcome toFor Your Consideration, the Collider show that breaks down awards season with hostsScott Mantz,Perri NemiroffandJeff Sneider, who offer their Best Adapted Screenplay predictions. The category is wide open this year even though two recent Oscar winners are back in the mix again betweenMoonlight’sBarry Jenkins(If Beale Street Could Talk) andSpotlight’sJosh Singer(First Man). Here’s how things played out…
Bradley Cooper’sA Star Is Bornseems destined to become an awards juggernaut at this point in the year, with bothVarietyand The Ringer hinting at the possibility that it could become the first film to sweep the Oscars sinceThe Silence of the Lambs. However, Collider’s panel of experts doesn’t necessarily agree. There’s already aStarbacklash brewing, and while Cooper andLady Gaga’s acting nominations feel undeniable, this is the fourth version of this timeworn tale, and the Academy may hold that against its screenplay, which follows the same story beats.
The FYC hosts agree that ifBlackKklansmanis going to garner any kind of support within the Academy, it starts with this category.Spike Leehas only been nominated once before as a writer, and that was forDo the Right Thing, so while this script originated with a pair of white writers inCharlie WachtelandDavid Rabinowitz, Lee and writing partnerKevin Willmottcertainly put their own stamp on this incredible true story. The script seems a shoo-in for a nomination, and the same can be said for Jenkins' adaptation ofJames Baldwin’sIf Beale Street Could Talk. The film itself received relatively muted reviews out of Toronto, but even its fiercest critics note Jenkins' artistry in adapted Baldwin’s acclaimed novel.Beale Streetwill have its passionate supporters this season, and passion goes a long way within the Academy.
And then there are the “boy” movies.Beautiful BoyscreenwriterLuke Daviesdrew upon his own experiences as a young heroin addict in adapting father-and-son memoirs, and thanks to two incredibly committed performances, the film itself is emotionally devastating. But is that enough? TheFYChosts are currently giving an edge toBoy Erased, which director/co-starJoel Edgertonadapted from the unforgettable memoir byGarrard Conley, who is played in the film byLucas Hedges. Jeff preferredBeautiful Boy, but grants that the Academy may respond toBoy Erasedmore.
As for Scott, he’s still stumping forFirst Manand Josh Singer, who adaptedJames R. Hansen’s book aboutNeil Armstrong. Scott thinks that voters will appreciate the restraint that Singer and directorDamien Chazelleshow in telling the Armstrong story, but Jeff argues that there’s no room for subtlety anymore, and suspects that the Academy will blame the script for the film’s middling box office haul thus far. While art and commerce are two distinctly different arenas, it’s naive to think that voters will ignore a film’s financial performance. But perhapsFirst Manwill prove to have legs throughout the holiday season.
Finally, the gang kicks aroundCan You Ever Forgive Me?written byNicole HolofcenerandJeff Whitty. This is a really well-written two-hander brought to life by two perfectly-cast actors inMelissa McCarthyandRichard E. Grant, and Holofcener is an indie darling with plenty of support within the Academy. It’s a movie about a struggling writer, and it’s hard to imagine that it won’t resonate with that branch of the Academy. Another indie darling making her presence felt this awards season isDebra Granik, writer and director of the acclaimed dramaLeave No TracestarringBen Fosterand newcomerThomasin McKenzie. She’s firmly in the mix this season, and halfway through the episode she stops by the set ofFYCfor an interview with Perri, who asks her about the trick behind a good adaptation.
In the end, Scott, Perri and Jeff come to a compromise regarding their predictions, so tune in to see where they settled. To keep up with all thingsFor Your Consideration, follow the gang on Twitter and Instagram at @MovieMantz, @PNemiroffand @TheInSneider. Stay tuned next week for more awards talk, and we’llFYC-ya later!
