Small Films Carry Off Top WGA Prizes

Small was big in the feature film screenplay honors Saturday night at the 56th annual Writers Guild Awards as Sofia Coppola took the nod for her original script for “Lost in Translation” and Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman shared honors for their adaptation of “American Splendor.”

“Lost in Translation,” an eccentric, intimate film about two jet-lagged Americans stuck in a hotel in Tokyo, has also been nominated for four Academy Awards: best picture, Coppola for best original screenplay and best director, and Bill Murray for best actor.

The quirky “American Splendor,” adapted from the comic books by Harvey Pekar and the novel by Pekar and Joyce Brabner, bested major-movie competition from “Cold Mountain,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Mystic River” and “Seabiscuit.” Pulcini and Berman have been nominated for an Oscar for adapted screenplay.

In its category, “Lost in Translation” beat “Bend It Like Beckham,” “In America,” “Dirty Pretty Things” and “The Station Agent.”

If there were any grumblers over challenges facing the Writers Guild of America, they kept a low profile at the Century Plaza Hotel ceremony as President Charles Holland, who took over for the disqualified Victoria Rifkin, opened the evening to warm applause -- and no boos.

Holland, who faces a potential recall challenge amid a U.S. Labor Department inquiry into the guild’s last election, was applauded again when he vowed to fight for “non-paid, underpaid and underappreciated writers” in upcoming contract negotiations with producers. In particular, writers are seeking a bigger share of DVD revenues.

Television winners:

* Original long form: “And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself,” written by Larry Gelbart (HBO)

* Adapted long form: “Out of the Ashes,” teleplay by Anne Meredith, based on the book “I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz” by Dr. Gisella Perl (Showtime)

* Episodic drama: “7:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M.” (“24”), written by Evan Katz (Fox)

* Episodic comedy: “No Sex, Please, We’re Skittish” (“Frasier”), written by Bob Daily (NBC)

* Animation: “The Dad Who Knew Too Little” (“The Simpsons”), written by Matt Selman (Fox)

* Comedy/variety -- music, awards, tributes, specials, any length: “The Kennedy Center Honors,” written by George Stevens Jr., Sara Lukinson and David Leaf (CBS)

* Comedy/variety (including talk) series: a Penn & Teller show, written by Penn Jillette, Teller, David Wechter, John McLaughlin (Showtime)

* Daytime serials: “All My Children,” written by Agnes Nixon, Megan McTavish, Gordon Rayfield, Anna Theresa Cascio, Frederick Johnson, Jeff Beldner, Janet Iacobuzio, Lisa Connor, Addie Walsh, Victor Miller, Mimi Leahey, Bettina F. Bradbury, John PiRoman, Karen Lewis, Amanda Robb, Rebecca Taylor, Christina Covino, David A. Levinson (ABC)

* Children’s script: “Maldonado Miracle,” teleplay by Paul W. Cooper, based upon the novel “The Maldonado Miracle” by Theodore Taylor (Showtime)