The WGA No-nos

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Big Magilla
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Re: The WGA No-nos

Post by Big Magilla »

Probably so, considering that Ridley was previously nominated for a WGA for Three Kings along with David O. Russell.
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Re: The WGA No-nos

Post by OscarGuy »

They could do something noble and create an award to give to emerging writers not currently members of the WGA.

And let's be clear, it's not just non-members who are excluded. Any film written outside of a WGA contract is also excluded. So, John Ridley, who's been writing for two decades, mostly on television, is probably a WGA member, but my guess is that 12 Years a Slave was written outside of the WGA contract, so he was disqualified on that basis. Writers of animated films may also be members of WGA, but since animated films are not under WGA contract, they are immediately disqualified.
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Re: The WGA No-nos

Post by Big Magilla »

Sabin wrote:The WGA Awards exist for two reasons: 1) for the Guild to honor excellence exercised by Guild member, and 2) to predict the Oscars in some capacity.
Agree with the first part, but not the second. To influence, but not to predict. Influence in the hope that a guild member might win, but hardly a prediction when often the alleged front-runner is missing in action. They probably should go back to doing what they used to - hand out their awards after the Oscars. That way they could give out their awards as consolation prizes to Oscar losers, but then they would get about as much publicity as they used to - none.
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Re: The WGA No-nos

Post by Sabin »

The WGA Awards exist for two reasons: 1) for the Guild to honor excellence exercised by Guild member, and 2) to predict the Oscars in some capacity. Why give somebody "Employee of the Month" if they don't work in your office?
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Re: The WGA No-nos

Post by ksrymy »

It pretty much looks like you're ineligible if you're not a member of the WGA. I see no reason why frontrunner 12 Years a Slave would be snubbed. Personally, I don't think it's great filmmaking, let alone a good script, but I'm not so sure the WGA would see it that way.
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The WGA No-nos

Post by Mister Tee »

While we were otherwise engaged with NY, the WGA issued its annual list of films that missed by some sort of technicality and can't compete for their prize.

The potentially pertinent films:

12 Years a Slave
Rush
Fruitvale Station
About Time
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
Short Term 12
Philomena
Blue Is the Warmest Color
The Past
Gloria
Frozen
Monsters University
Mandela: Long Walt to Freedom

Apart from Fruitvale, there's nothing much to affect the already-sizzling original screenplay race. But in the adapted arena (1) something else will now be able to win WGA and lose to John Ridley at the Oscars and (2) nominations morning will be decently suspenseful, as Blue, Philomena and Frozen are all gray-area candidates about which we'll no preview.
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