The Original vs. Adapted Debate

[dreaMaker]

Under current Oscar rules, a film whose characters are based on character from a previous film is considered an adaptation.

Absurd... the best example of it is Adaptation. One of the most original films ever... Unbelievably imaginative, how can a film/script can be more original than this? However, it was placed on Adapted!!! Absurd...

I agree, but on the For Your Consideration DVD that producers gave to the voters you can clearly see:
BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

[Penelope]

Incidentally, the funniest thing about The Concorde is actually the Mad Magazine parody of it, titled The Corncorde Airplot '79: after reporter Susan Blakely announces the arrival of the Concorde and the testing of Robert Wagner's missile, she says, "Can you see what's coming or do I have to draw you a picture?"; when the Concorde has its emergency landing in Paris, instead of nets across the runway, it's a tennis court. Funny stuff; it was in the same issue as The Calamityville Horror.

[barrybrooks8]

Where, technically, would Kill Bill Vol. 2 have fallen into?

[Damien]

The opening shot of Airport 1975 of Karen Black walking through Dulles with that wonderful, 1970's overly-dramatic score in the background is a personal favorite. I won't get into it because Reza will probably just use it as more material to make fun of what gay guys do, but remind me to tell you something about that film off-line sometime.

I had hot gay sex with the soundtrack of Airport 75 blaring from the stereo, the aroma of poppers wafting through the bedroom . . .

By the way, Concorde was written by Eric Roth, who later did Forrest Gump and now Benjamin Button.



Edited By Damien on 1223501552

[flipp525]

Poor little Cicely Tyson. I just wanted to scoop her up out of the movie to save her from all the awfulness.

The opening shot of Airport 1975 of Karen Black walking through Dulles with that wonderful, 1970's overly-dramatic score in the background is a personal favorite. I won't get into it because Reza will probably just use it as more material to make fun of what gay guys do, but remind me to tell you something about that film off-line sometime.



Edited By flipp525 on 1223497286

[Penelope]

It's funny, because Airport 1975 is my least favorite in the series--that, to me, is the one that is truly godawful.

My favorite part in The Concorde Airport '79: after opening the cockpit window to shoot flares at the missiles being shot at them by a rogue French military jet, George Kennedy remarks "Damn, I wish I knew what my horoscope said today!"

[flipp525]

It was hilariously awful, but for some reason I just couldn't take it. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood. I love Airport 1975 though!

[Damien]

Big, the nominees in the Motiom Picture Story were original works.

Wow, Flipp. I saw The Concorde . . . Airport 79 in the theatre with 2 friends when it was released and it was one of the most fun times I've ever had at the movies. The film is so hilariously awful in so many ways it borders on the brilliant.

My favorite moment, Martha Raye who had been relieving herself when the plane gets attacked, coming out of the bathroom, soaking wet and saying "The bathroom's broke."

And also the fact that the plane is attacked and after each attack the passengers blithely board it again.

A wondrous film. And Charo rocks my world!

[Penelope]

Even though it wasn't nominated, a better example might be Airplane! Not only is it a parody of the Airport films, but the entire plot is lifted directly from another Arthur Hailey movie, Zero Hour, but features no credit as such.

Speaking of the Airport films, I TiVoed "The Concorde...Airport '79" since I had seen the three previous ones. I had to shut if off after about 45 minutes and then erase it from my TiVo. It was the most abonimable thing I've ever seen. The other ventures at least had a fun campy quality (Karen Black flying the plane in Airport 1975, Lee Grant shrieking underwater in Airport '78), but this one managed to be boring, trite and even completely sexist (I'm thinking George Kennedy's "that's why they call this the COCKpit, honey" line) all at once. And it didn't even feature the all-star casts the others boasted. Mercedes McCambridge played a Russian gymnast instructor for godssakes. I mean, Charo? Really. Truly execrable.

Oh, trust me, it's a masterpiece when your mind has been chemically altered.

[flipp525]

Even though it wasn't nominated, a better example might be Airplane! Not only is it a parody of the Airport films, but the entire plot is lifted directly from another Arthur Hailey movie, Zero Hour, but features no credit as such.

Speaking of the Airport films, I TiVoed "The Concorde...Airport '79" since I had seen the three previous ones. I had to shut if off after about 45 minutes and then erase it from my TiVo. It was the most abonimable thing I've ever seen. The other ventures at least had a fun campy quality (Karen Black flying the plane in Airport 1975, Lee Grant shrieking underwater in Airport '78), but this one managed to be boring, trite and even completely sexist (I'm thinking George Kennedy's "that's why they call this the COCKpit, honey" line) all at once. And it didn't even feature the all-star casts the others boasted. Mercedes McCambridge played a Russian gymnast instructor for godssakes. I mean, Charo? Really? Truly execrable.



Edited By flipp525 on 1223514637

[Penelope]

Well, and again I hate to be technical here, but the credit in Young Frankenstein does say "Based on characters in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley"....

Even though it wasn't nominated, a better example might be Airplane! Not only is it a parody of the Airport films, but the entire plot is lifted directly from another Arthur Hailey movie, Zero Hour, but features no credit as such.

[Big Magilla]

The Academy got it right they nominated the Bowery Boys' High Society as an Original.

But, Damien, they didn't do that. They nominated it for best motion picture story, which does not signify either original or adaptation. Original and adapted screenplay were separate categories in 1956.

As you well know, they thought they were nominating the the Cole Porter musical of the same name, which was, of course, an adaptation of The Philadelphia Story.

Apparently Academy rules for story (or treatment) didn't distinguish between originals and adaptations. Broken Lance, which won in the category two years earlier, was based on the screenplay for 1949's House of Strangers. This category was even more confusing than the distinction between original and adapted screenplays and has rightly gone the way of the dodo bird immediately after that fiasco.

How the mix-up even occurred since the Bowery Boys film was released the previous year is even more intriguing, but that's another story.

[Damien]

To me, the only guidelines that make sense is that an adaptation is a script based on and reworking a pre-existing novel, play or movie. If it's a new screenplay with characters who we've seen before but who are now doing different things and having new experiences, such as in series films, where each new entry is original (the Academy got it right they nominated the Bowery Boys' High Society as an Original).

I think the most absurd example of the Academy getting it wrong was when Young Frankenstein was nominated as Adapted. That was in no way an adaptation of Mary Shelley, it was a satire.

[Big Magilla]

I don't recall the situation surrounding The Barbarian Invasions. I know the characters were used by Denys Arcand in a previous work but since this is a Canadian, not a U.S., release the rules of disclosure may be different. Canada's Genie Awards considered it original as did BAFTA, so AMPAS may have been just following precedent set by country of origin.

[Big Magilla]

Loose adaptations are adaptations. Without the original idea, the adapter wouldn't have gotten the idea in the first place, but then so are ideas based on real life people and events which is what makes it all so confusing.

Academy rules draw a distinction between real life characters and created characters. Titanic is considered an original screenplay because it is not taken from a previously published work on the disaster. O Brother Where Art Thou? is considered an adaptation because it is based on Homer's Odyssey.

Before Sunset is no different than say, The Thin Man Goes Home, because its characters, though in a completely different situation than before, are based on characters in a previously published or produced work. The screenplays for Hotel Rwanda and The Aviator are considered original because although Howard Hughes and Idi Amin are well known real life people, the character rule doesn't apply to them as long as the screenplay itself is not an adaptation of a previously produced or published work.

I guess since the rules are so clearly defined we should follow them in the game, unlike the category of dramatic score and comedy score where either category would apply since the placement is arbitrary in the first place, which is why I repeat my mantra about comedy and dram being the better distinction. We may argue about a film's placement, but we would not be constrained by any rigid rule to make up our own minds as to which category it more fairly represented just as we do with lead vs. supporting acting placements.