Analysis: WGA nominations build momentum for ‘Dallas,’ ‘Jasmine,’ ‘Her’

Writers who are not members of the guild, films made with production companies that are not WGA signatories and productions otherwise made outside of the guild’s guidelines are deemed ineligible year after year, leading to such high-profile recent disqualifications as “The Artist,” “District 9,” “Amour” and Best Original Screenplay Oscar winners “The King’s Speech” and “Django Unchained.”
Read more at https://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/exclusive-12-years-a-slave-rush-and-mandela-among-2013-films-not-eligible-for-wga-awards#rDeutqyjLykHeKP1.99Writers who are not members of the guild, films made with production companies that are not WGA signatories and productions otherwise made outside of the guild’s guidelines are deemed ineligible year after year, leading to such high-profile recent disqualifications as “The Artist,” “District 9,” “Amour” and Best Original Screenplay Oscar winners “The King’s Speech” and “Django Unchained.”
Read more at https://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/exclusive-12-years-a-slave-rush-and-mandela-among-2013-films-not-eligible-for-wga-awards#rDeutqyjLykHeKP1.

The Writers Guild of America screenplay nominations can’t be truly indicative of what the Motion Picture academy’s writing slate might look like, simply because guild rules make many of the year’s best scripts ineligible.

John Ridley’s screenplay for “12 Years a Slave,” the front-runner for adapted screenplay honors, isn’t WGA eligible. Neither is Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope’s “Philomena,” which won the screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival and has a strong shot at landing an Oscar nomination. Over on the original screenplay side, “Fruitvale Station” wasn’t eligible, either.

That said, Friday’s WGA nominations, taken with the Producers Guild nominations Thursday, continue to add a measure of definition to how Oscar nominations will play out when announced Jan. 16.

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The WGA’s five original screenplay nominations -- “American Hustle,” “Blue Jasmine,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Her” and “Nebraska” -- came from movies that were also recognized by the Producers Guild. “Dallas Buyers Club,” a movie many pundits considered on the fringe of the best picture field, has now picked up nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, WGA and PGA. It’s hard to argue against that kind of success.

The WGA ignored the Coen brothers’ period folk drama “Inside Llewyn Davis,” as did PGA voters Thursday. Based on these precursors, “Llewyn Davis” could easily be seen to be sliding out of the race. Like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” last year, it may be a movie loved more by critics than voters.

The exclusion of Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron’s “Gravity” for original screenplay confirms that it remains something of a long shot to break into the Oscars’ writing race. It is possible to win best picture without a writing nod -- “Titanic” was the most recent movie to do so in 1998 -- but it’s rare. After “Titanic,” you have to go back to 1965’s “The Sound of Music” for the last time it happened.

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On the adapted screenplay side, the WGA nominated “August: Osage County,” “Before Midnight,” “Captain Phillips,” “Lone Survivor” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Ridley’s “12 Years a Slave,” ineligible because Ridley is a non-voting member of the WGA, figures to take one of those slots for the Oscars, with “Philomena” maybe taking another. “Lone Survivor” would be the likeliest WGA nominee to be jettisoned by academy voters. The fifth slot might come down to two Weinstein Co. entries -- “Philomena” and “August.”

The WGA deems screenplays ineligible if they’re written by writers who are not guild members or if the movies were made with production companies that are not WGA signatories or outside the guild’s guidelines.

Two recent original screenplay Oscar winners -- “The King’s Speech” and “Django Unchained” -- were not WGA eligible. We’re guessing Ridley’s “12 Years a Slave” will add to that list.

Winners will be honored at the 2014 Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 1 at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

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