Oscar’s Best Screenplay Awards

Guest Post By Molly Duke

On Sunday, March 10, 2010, The 82nd Academy Awards will broadcast live from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. The nominations will be announced on February 2, 2010, so we don’t yet officially know which talented screenwriters are in the running for this year’s most prestigious awards in writing for the silver screen. We also don’t know who will emerge as this year’s Oscar losers. What we do know are which wordsmiths have won the coveted golden statue for the past 81 years.

Many awesomely talented screenwriters have walked away with an Oscar, leaving behind lessons that the rest of us movie lovers and fledgling screenwriters can learn by asking the question, What does it take to write the best screenplay?

Before the 2010 Oscar buzz begins, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at eight decades of Oscar’s best screenplays. That’s a lot of film titles to get through in one post, so I’ll highlight one best screenplay from each decade, and I’ll choose screenplays that not only won the Oscar, but also led to timeless and legendary films.

…and the Award for Best Screenplay Went To…

The 1920s – 1930s

In 1939, Gone with the Wind screenwriter Sidney Howard was posthumously (he was killed by a tractor – no joke) awarded the Oscar for best screenplay. The script for Gone with the Wind was based on the novel by the same name, and while the film deviates heavily from the book, both were huge successes. In other words, lots of people made lots of money. Sidney Howard was also a Pulitzer Prize winner and a playwright by trade.

The 1940s

Citizen Kane is one of the earliest and best-known films to engage movie-goers’ curiosity by employing the brain twister. As the rich and famous Charles Foster Kane dies, he utters one last word: “Rosebud.” This film tells the story of a reporter who embarks on a quest to find out what “Rosebud” meant to Kane. The ending is unforgettable (watch it for yourself and find out why). It’s no wonder this film won best screenplay in 1941. Welles co-wrote the script with Herman J. Mankiewicz.

The 1950s

There’s a famous scene right on the cover of the DVD. If you ever see a clip showing a man and woman rolling around in a suggestive way on the shore, being lapped by the waves (and each other), you’re either seeing a scene, a parody or a rip-off from the movie From Here to Eternity. Even if you’ve never heard of this movie, you’ll probably recognize that one snippet of the film. Daniel Taradash took home the Oscar for best screenplay in 1953.

The 1960s

Most young people will be amazed that just over forty years ago, a movie depicting an interracial marriage caused such a stir. But interracial marriage actually used to be illegal in the United States. In fact, it was still illegal in 17 (southern) states until the same year this film came out, just as the civil rights movement was drawing to a close in those parts. Screenwriter William Rose won the golden statue for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? in 1967.

The 1970s

Usually, when a screenplay is adapted from a novel, the filmmakers destroy the integrity of the original story but Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman didn’t do that to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Then again, how can you go wrong when you’ve got Jack Nicholson in the leading role? This one took home the Academy Award for best screenplay adapted from other material in 1975. Read the book, watch the movie, and question your sanity!

The 1980s

Being an 80s movies buff, you’ll have to excuse me for getting a little carried away in this decade.

Some excellent 80s movies that were awarded the statuette for best screenplay are Witness, Rain Man, and Dead Poets Society.

Noteworthy screenplays that were nominated for best screenplay in the 80s but didn’t take home the gold are Fame, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, WarGames, Back to the Future, and When Harry Met Sally.

The cream of the crop for the 1980s is Moonstruck. It’s refreshing to see the Academy award a screenplay that’s somewhat lighthearted. Historically, comedies and science fiction or fantasy films don’t get a whole lot of love from Oscar, but in 1987, John Patrick Shanley proved it could be done with his quirky love story Moonstruck.

The 1990s

Don’t tell the 80s I said this, but I think the 90s produced even better films than the 80s. Actually, let me qualify that statement: The Academy made even better choices for best screenplay in the 90s. They did such a good job, in fact, that we have a tie for best of the best screenplays.

Pulp Fiction was immediately heralded as a cult classic, both for its screenplay by Quentin Tarantino and for the innovative way that it was directed and produced. This movie boasted a killer cast and some original stories woven together in a way that was both entertaining and at the time, somewhat shocking. Tarantino took home the golden statue in 1994.


Another killer film from the 90s that simply must be mentioned is The Usual Suspects, a film that takes you on a wild ride that makes you question, think, guess, and then guess again. Christopher McQuarrie deservedly got the gold for best screenplay in 1995.

The 2000s

The only thing you need to know about best screenplays of the past decade is that Diablo Cody won for Juno. And hopefully you all know how Diablo Cody got discovered? No, she didn’t get discovered as a stripper (although she did a stint as a stripper for a year – for fun!). Diablo Cody started out as a blogger. That’s right, she was once just like us. Her story of a quirky, knocked-up teen building a relationship with adoptive parents will pull your heartstrings, but not in that cheesy, fake way that after-school specials do. Cody won best screenplay in 2007.

Molly Duke is a throwback to legwarmers and boom boxes. She blogs about the 80s and spends a lot of time ogling totally vintage goodies on eBay while waxing nostalgic about pop culture and the days when MTV Music Television actually played music.

January 28, 2010 | Filed Under Home Movies 

Comments

Got something to say?