comment #1

Sabina E says ...

It's definitely going to win an Oscar for Best Adapted screenplay. and I hope MILK wins for Original Screenplay.

comment #2

Phatang! says ...

MILK winning the WGA award just proves that screenwriters know absolutely nothing about screenwriting.

comment #3

/3rtfu11 says ...

MILK winning the WGA award just proves that screenwriters know absolutely nothing about screenwriting.

So is giving it to Slumdog.

comment #4

BurmaShave says ...

I watched THE DARK KNIGHT again tonight. The film of the year, warts and all, and one of the essential films of our age. Shame on the academy.

comment #5

bridgeman says ...

I finally saw Slumdog Millionaire today. An excellent film - better than I thought it would be considering the hype. I figured I'd hate it.

I'm happy for it to win lots of Oscars.

comment #6

bfm says ...

I didn't think that Slumdog was perfect, but I'm very impressed with it as an adaptation. If I'd been given the book, I wouldn't have begun to know where to start with turning it into a screenplay.

Frost/Nixon was good, but it was already a play wasn't it? How much did it take to adapt it?

comment #7

Rod32303 says ...

Thrilled for MILK. BEAUTIFULLY written piece (saw it again yesterday). Would have preferred The Dark Knight or Doubt over Slumdog, which wowed me in many ways but didn't stick with me like those others.

comment #8

MindlessObamaton says ...

I will NEVER get the MILK love. It's such a by-the-rote movie. You don't even have to see it to know everything about it. It just boggles the mind that anyone thinks it's great and that anyone could think the screenplay was anything special. Despite some great films no one is going to see, 2008 was the year of bland. Just complete crap. Again, if PTA had waited released TWBB in 2008, he would've cleaned up this year.

comment #9

MindlessObamaton says ...

Just to add: Am watching a screener of NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. Gotta say I really am liking it. Where was Vera Farmiga's nom? She was robbed for THE DEPARTED as well.

comment #10

MindlessObamaton says ...

Ok, so I finished NBTT and the last scene was pretty awful. Won't spoil it but the bitch shouldn't of used it. Period.

comment #11

Rod32303 says ...

I will never "get" people who talk of Milk being "rote" or who think that the screenplay isn't special. Obviously, these people went into the theater with an attitude, or a "prove to me" mentality, instead of watching and listening and feeling. Or maybe they didn't and they were just disappointed in what they saw. They have that right, to talk of THEIR misgivings, but to denounce or dismiss those of us who were moved...as if liking something they didn't means it isn't worthy. And I doubt TWBB would be winning against the Slumdog fanboys.

Fuck the haters.

comment #12

cinefan says ...

I know Milk won the WGA award but I am still very dubious about it being the favorite in that category. I can see a lot of people voting for Wall-E for best screenplay as a way of honoring an exceptional animated film that didn't make it into the best picture category.

comment #13

Phatang! says ...

I hated Slumdog, but the script at least required a certain amount of cleverness to structure and write. There was nothing intelligent or creative about MILK -- nothing that said it was anything but a first draft based on two viewings of the doc., written by a second year MFA student, then rushed into production because of Sean Penn's schedule.

comment #14

the400blows says ...

MindlessObamaton says ...
"I will NEVER get the MILK love. It's such a by-the-rote movie. You don't even have to see it to know everything about it. It just boggles the mind that anyone thinks it's great and that anyone could think the screenplay was anything special. Despite some great films no one is going to see, 2008 was the year of bland. Just complete crap. Again, if PTA had waited released TWBB in 2008, he would've cleaned up this year."

I'm with you, Mindless Obamaton. I'm tired of biographical films that were written in a linear format with no imagination whatsoever, such as Milk, Walk the Line, Ray, Gandhi, etc. I mean, how hard was it to write a screenplay like Milk? All you pretty much have to do is read all these articles about Milk in the San Francisco Chronicle's archives. Yeah--that was an ORIGINAL idea for a screenplay that deserved an award for it! I would've given the Best Original Screenplay award to In Bruges. Now that was original.

comment #15

/3rtfu11 says ...

Milk has to win something and I don't believe Sean Penn is a lock.

If it could only win one I'd love for Danny Elfman to get it!

comment #16

MindlessObamaton says ...

Rod3203 says:

" will never "get" people who talk of Milk being "rote" or who think that the screenplay isn't special. Obviously, these people went into the theater with an attitude, or a "prove to me" mentality, instead of watching and listening and feeling. Or maybe they didn't and they were just disappointed in what they saw"

MO responds:

Rod, for me, the problem with MILK, the BIG problem with it, is that it is basically a retelling of the great, masterful documentary about the real guy. Have you seen the doc LIFE AND TIMES OF HARVEY MILK? All the screenwriter of MILK did was sit down, read the book and watched the doc and that's it. Screenplay done and a boring, by the numbers one at that. Why even bother if you're not gonna bring something new to the table?

comment #17

the400blows says ...

And Rod--we the haters are not saying that Milk isn't "special"-I'm saying it's not ORIGINAL. And that's the award that Milk won: Best Original Screenplay.

comment #18

Phatang! says ...

This "hater" is saying it isn't special or original. But there weren't many screeners sent to WGA members of "original" scripts. The competition was basically nil.

comment #19

MindlessObamaton says ...

MILK is up for original scrreenplay? How? How can it be original and NOT based on the doc or the books or accounts or anything? That makes no sense at all. I saw the film but honestly must've forgotten that it wasn't adapted. Doesn't anyone investigate these things?

comment #20

MindlessObamaton says ...

Just got done checking out RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. I get the love for Hathaway, at least in a couple of her scenes (the one where she tells about her brother) and some others but did anyone else find htis film a choore to sit through? All that fuckin' music drove me up the fucking wall and this whole East Coast, do what you want liberal BS was really grating on the nerves, I tells ya.

I had heard this film compared to some of Altman's work and that's pretty laughable. Bob would've whipped this thing into shape and cut the fat out. None of the maby pamby crap/

there were good things in it, namely Dewitt and AH, but enough is enough.

Also, did Demme not know that he was making an indictment against liberalness? I know the guy's a rampant homosexual and that's all well and fine, god love ya, but clearly, in the scene between Kim and her mom, it is a scathing indictment against hands off parenting and all that "if it feels good, do it." I don't know a parent, personally, who'd leave a child alone with a junkie, family or not.

I don't think AH gets the Oscar this year, but's she obviously a good actress and going to get one sooner than later. She really stands out in a few of the scenes here.

Jesus, I'm not even going to talk about the black guy singing Neil Young. at the ceremony.

One time viewing here.

NEXT!

comment #21

Rod32303 says ...

I have seen The Life and Times of Harvey Milk - older than most of you and saw it WHEN IT WAS RELEASED IN 1984 (I was 20). I will never forget that documentary...but that was a DOCUMENTARY. There are things in THIS Milk that aren't even hinted at in the documentary. And I think all these actors - Penn, Hirsch, Brolin, Franco, Pill, Luna, Garber - they all fleshed out people that are only hinted at (with the exception of Cleve Jones) in the documentary. Also, the students I teach have no interest or access really, to that documentary...but they are being moved by this film.

Good for Van Sant and company.

You all assume all Lance Black did was look at the documentary, but I listened to Black on NPR talk about the research he did, the interviews, etc. I find the criticism reductive and best and insulting at worst. SO...

I hope he continues to win, and fuck the haters. Continue to hate as you sit and type while Black and company continue to win...voted on by people who actually DO that job.

Loved In Bruges, and it wasn't even NOMINATED for the WGA - thank goodness the Oscars had sense.

comment #22

Rod32303 says ...

"I know the guy's a rampant homosexual and that's all well and fine, god love ya,

Demme is a homosexual? This will come as some news to his wife, Joanne Howard. Maybe even his FIRST wife, Evelyn Purcell, with whom he had three children.

Just sayin'

comment #23

/3rtfu11 says ...

Why MindlessObamaton is not mindless at all-nor is he an Obamaton. Who knew? He's just a regular(straight) white(entitled) guy who feels threated by the progression of all other groups that don't include his own. Well have you read any good history books lately? You've guys have a had quiet a run. Jesus.

comment #24

Gordon27 says ...

I think 'Slumdog' is a great script; I had just assumed the competition was between 'Frost/Nixon' and 'Doubt'.

When I fill out my Oscar pool, I'm still going with 'Doubt'.

comment #25

Colin says ...

In Bruges really should be the winner for Original Screenplay. Frost/Nixon, Doubt and Milk were based on prior materials and Vicky Christina Barcelona was absolute shite. McDonagh took a movie about very cliche'd people (hitmen) and made it interesting again.