CELEBRATE the WRITERS BEHIND ACADEMY AWARD MOVIES

By Nick Rolon

                                                                                                         

 Let’s roll out the red carpet for writers. Tonight, the 91^st Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California (8pm EST), broadcast live on ABC. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor the best films of 2018 with Oscars awarded in 24 categories. For the first time in over three decades, the ceremony will have no host. Yes, we will see many actors and actresses, directors, and producers walk the stage to receive their Oscar but behind each Academy Award movie is outstanding writing. There would be no Academy Award winning movies without great writers.

Screenwriters bring the script to life using original works or adaptations from books. The writers capture the movement, actions, expressions, and dialogue of the characters on screen. Of the eight Best Picture nominations, seven have been nominated for Best Writing in adapted or original screen play.

Since the inaugural Academy Awards in 1928, more than sixty Best Picture winners derive from literature whether it be a novel, biography, play, or short story. Thirty-seven Best Picture winners originated from books including Kramer vs. Kramer, The Sound Of Music, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Godfather. Twelve Years a Slave, an autobiography published in 1853 and written by Solomon Northrup, who was kidnapped and put to work on plantations in Louisiana for 12 years, won the Best Picture Oscar in 2014.

The first Oscar awards for writing were given in 1940 (Original Story) to Lewis R. Foster for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and (Screenplay) to Sidney Howard  for Gone With The Wind. Frances Marion was the first female writer to win an Academy Award in 1931. Ben Affleck is the youngest writer, at the age of 25 for Good Will Hunting, he co-wrote the screenplay with Matt Damon. In 2009, Geoffrey Fletcher was the first African American to win a Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) award for the movie Precious and in 2017, Jordan Peele was the first African American to win for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Get Out.

The written words behind these great movies have inspired us during our most challenging historical and personal times including the Great Depression (The Grapes of Wrath), the Civil Rights Movement (Selma), Space Exploration (First Man). They gave us triumph in sports (Rocky), and hope (It’s a Wonderful Life). The movies have provided us with a moment to escape and be entertained. The written words brought to life by the actors/actresses inspire us with understanding, comfort, determination, and good will.

Tonight, make a bowl of popcorn, relax watching the 91^st annual Academy Awards, and give thanks to the writers who made it all possible.

 Below is a list of the 2018 Best Picture Nominees and the respective Screenwriters:  

Best Picture Nominee	Screenwriter(s)	Notes
Black Panther	Ryan Coogler/Joe Robert Cole	Adapted from the comic books by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Nominated for Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay
Bohemian Rhapsody	Anthony McCarten	Movie name from the song made popular by the British rock band Queen in 1975
The Favourite	Deborah Davis/Tony McNamara	The written script began over 20 years ago and finally becoming an Oscar nominated film in 2018. Nominated for Best Writing- Original Screenplay
Green Book	Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Currie	Inspired by a true story with the written script based on interviews and letters by family members Nominated for Best Writing- Original Screenplay
Roma	Alfonso Cuaron	Alfonso chose to withhold the script from many of the actors so that none of the cast members would know where the film was headed. Nominated for Best Writing-Original Screenplay
A Star is Born	Bradley Cooper, Eric Roth, Will Fetters	A remake from the original movie and script in 1937 Nominated for Best Writing -Adapted Screenplay
Blackkklansman	Spike Lee, Kevin Wilmott, David Rabinowitz, Charlie  Wachtel	Spike Lee also directed the movie based on the 2014 memoir of Ron Stallworth. Nominated for Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay
Vice	Adam McKay	Adam McKay also directed the movie which follows the path of former Vice President, Dick Cheney. Nominated for Best Writing- Original Screenplay