Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

It was pointed out at another site that among the Globes, BAFTA and WGA, there were five different winners for screenplay: La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Arrival and Moonlight. I don't know how far back you have to go to find an analogously split year -- it's definitely prior to 2000, when BAFTA re-oriented itself to join the Oscar precursor parade.

Much of the suspense left in major Oscar categories this year revolves around how much or how little affection voters have for Manchester by the Sea.

I'm glad Arrival won its category. I enjoyed Hidden Figures for what it was, but I do think Heisserer's screenplay is a marvel.

My wife's wondering why I just LOL'd.

Moonlight wins original. Which means the Oscar is delightfully up in the air.

One of BJ's wishes just came true. 'Arrival' just won Best Adapted Screenplay.

I cast my votes for Manchester by the Sea and Arrival.

Loving over Jackie is a real bummer -- ignoring a biography with wit, insight, and imagination for one without any point of view. I could have understood a nomination for Captain Fantastic -- especially for being a true original story -- but I just can't fathom how writers went for the dull biography over the lively one.

I did my part to try to stop Nocturnal Animals, folks! Don't blame me!

Jackie, like another first lady of 2016, continues not to get the credit she deserves. The film, of course, has a better shot at the Oscars because two of the films that topped it here will be moving over to the other column.

Unless Hidden Figures completely captivates the country over the next few weeks, it's hard to see how Arrival doesn't win adapted here.

Deadpool continues the Guardians of the Galaxy tradition of pop movie that gets WGA but vanishes at AMPAS. And Nocturnal Animals comes along to torment BJ.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Hell or High Water, Written by Taylor Sheridan; CBS Films
La La Land, Written by Damien Chazelle; Lionsgate
Loving, Written by Jeff Nichols; Focus Features
Manchester by the Sea, Written by Kenneth Lonergan; Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions
Moonlight, Written by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell McCraney; A24

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Arrival, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer; Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang; Paramount Pictures
Deadpool, Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick; Based on the X-Men Comic Books; Twentieth Century Fox Film
Fences, Screenplay by August Wilson; Based on his Play; Paramount Pictures
Hidden Figures, Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi; Based on the Book by Margot Lee Shetterly; Twentieth Century Fox Film
Nocturnal Animals, Screenplay by Tom Ford; Based on the Novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright; Focus Features