

| THE FIVE NOMINEES |
| 1/23/07 |
| A. CUARON & OTHERS |

| FOR IT |
| All of the contenders for Best Picture are likely suspects in this category, and anything directed by Scorsese will have buzz. |
| The film is doing well at the box office, and sometimes the writers' branch recognizes intelligent sci-fi. A nice inclusion. |
| AGAINST IT |
| AGAINST IT |
| Will this be deemed one of the auteur's genre-defining dramas (a la "Goodfellas") or merely a very well-made popcorn picture? |
| Without a Best Picture nomination attached, it has no shot at the gold. Perhaps an earlier release date would have done it. |
| 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. |
| MARCH 10 |
| DEPARTED |
| MARIE |
| FLAGS |
| KING'S MEN |
| W.T.C. |
| NOV 29 |
| DEPARTED |
| DREAMGIRLS |
| LITTLE CHILDREN |
| LAST KING |
| DEVIL WEARS |
| DEC 12 |
| DEPARTED |
| DREAMGIRLS |
| LITTLE CHILDREN |
| NOTES ON A |
| DEVIL WEARS |
| JAN 9 |
| DEPARTED |
| DREAMGIRLS |
| LITTLE CHILDREN |
| NOTES ON A |
| DEVIL WEARS |
| THE DEPARTED |


| The other contenders... |

| 1 |
| Keeping Track: |
| WILLIAM MONAHAN |
| CHILDREN OF MEN |
| FOR IT |
| JAN 16 |
| DEPARTED |
| BORAT |
| LITTLE CHILDREN |
| NOTES ON A |
| DEVIL WEARS |
| S. COHEN & OTHERS |
| It seems odd to include "Borat" in this list, but the Academy will want to honor it somewhere, and Best Actor is just a bit too crowded. |
| AGAINST IT |
| But how "adapted" is it? And how unscripted is it? These are things that may nag at members of the writing branch. |
| BORAT |
| FOR IT |
| 2 |
| T. FIELD, T. PERROTTA |
| LITTLE CHILDREN |

| The pic may struggle to make it onto the shortlist, but voters will find the "Little Children" script worth their playtime. Expect a nod. |
| AGAINST IT |
| Then again, voters may be apt to find some of the performances stronger selling points than the screenplay. (But that's unlikely.) |
| FOR IT |
| 3 |
| PATRICK MARBER |
| NOTES ON A SCANDAL |

| FOR IT |
| Raves have greeted this relationship drama since its release. As Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench win prizes, so might the script. |
| AGAINST IT |
| Voters may decide to go for something more populist this year, and reward a film here that won't fare so well in the other categories. |
| 4 |