THE FIVE NOMINEES

1/23/07

MICHAEL ARNDT

GUILLERMO ARRIAGA

PETER MORGAN

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

FOR IT

FOR IT

FOR IT

Comedies that rack up nominations in other categories sometimes find solace in a consolation screenplay victory.

The buzz is simply too strong for voters to overlook Arriaga's work.   "Babel" may falter in other categories, but not here.

Princess Diana will be hard for the Academy to overlook.   Not even royalty could refuse nominating a script of this caliber.

AGAINST IT

AGAINST IT

AGAINST IT

Then again, it's hard to overlook more "serious" choices when they present themselves.   It'll be a close race until the end.

"Babel" might simply be a hit-or-miss affair with Oscar:  Either voters dive in all the way, or it gets completely shut out.

...but as with the other categories, is "The Queen" just about Helen Mirren's performance, or the entire picture as a whole?

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

MARCH 10

SHEPHERD

SCOOP

INLAND EMPIRE

CARS

STRANGER THAN

NOV 29

LITTLE MISS

VOLVER

BABEL

THE QUEEN

STRANGER THAN

DEC 12

LITTLE MISS

VOLVER

BABEL

THE QUEEN

IWO JIMA

JAN 9

LITTLE MISS

VOLVER

BABEL

THE QUEEN

IWO JIMA

The other contenders...

1

Keeping Track:

THE QUEEN

2

BABEL

JAN 16

LITTLE MISS

PAN'S LAB

BABEL

THE QUEEN

STRANGER THAN

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

FOR IT

The buzz was late-breaking for this WWII fantasmagoria, but the reviews were excellent and there's a lack of depth in this category for once.

AGAINST IT

It's unlikely that two Oscars will go to foreign scripts in such a short amount of time -- but you never know in this odd year for cinema.

PAN'S LABYRINTH

P. HAGGIS, I. YAMASHITA

Paul Haggis is a prior winner for "Crash," and with Iris Yamashita, wrote a beautifully epic and mournful anti-war screenplay.

AGAINST IT

My hunch is that folks won't be remembering "Iwo Jima" for its script; this show's all about Clint.   But I'm glad it made it here.

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

FOR IT