Tonight, the Writers Guild of America handed out their awards for achievements in writing for 2014, with The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game winning top honors, as was fully expected.
As I’ve already mentioned, the win here for The Grand Budapest Hotel doesn’t mean a thing, as it didn’t have to go up against its main competition, Birdman, which, if it had been eligible, would have easily taken the category this evening (the last six eligible screenplays to win both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards have gone on to win here). This category actually means a lot more for Boyhood, which has now had the last nail driven into its coffin with its loss here tonight. The least a film has won Best Picture with in the last 25 years (since the inception of the PGA awards) has been a WGA award (Braveheart), meaning Boyhood would now have to pull the biggest upset in at least the last 25 years to take the top prize next Sunday.
Looking over at Adapted Screenplay, with its wins here tonight and from the USC Scripter, Graham Moore’s excellent screenplay for The Imitation Game appears to be the clear favorite to take the Oscar next week. Even if Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl had been nominated at the Oscars, its losses in both of these categories would have spelled doom for a screenplay that had been a clear favorite of the critics.
So, in conclusion, tonight was all about getting confirmation on two things: 1) The Imitation Game‘s frontrunner status for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar and 2) Boyhood‘s complete demise (there is no precedent for a film to win the Best Picture Oscar after losing the PGA, DGA, SAG (Best Cast), and WGA). We got these confirmations as we expected to, and now we just need to sit back and wait until the big show finally happens.
Be sure to join us on Sunday, February 22nd for our real-time coverage of the winners of The 87th Annual Academy Awards. Until then, please see below for tonight’s winners:
Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Documentary Screenplay: The Internet’s Own Boy
Drama Series: Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective
Comedy Series: Louis C.K., Louie
Episodic Drama: Robert King and Michelle King, “The Last Call,” The Good Wife
Episodic Comedy: Louis C.K., “So Did the Fat Lady,” Louie
New Series: Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective
Long Form Original: Melissa Carter, Deliverance Creek
Long Form Adapted: Jane Anderson, Olive Kitteridge
Animation: Brian Kelley, “Brick Like Me,” The Simpsons
Comedy/Variety (including Talk) – Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Comedy/Variety – Music, Awards, Tributes – Specials: Barry Adelman, The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards
Short Form New Media – Original: Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, “Episode 113: Rachel,” High Maintenance