‘Promising,’ ‘Borat’ big winners
Two of this award season’s unique contenders triumphed Sunday night, as the dark dramedy “Promising Young Woman” and the heavily improvised “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” took honors at the Writers Guild of America ceremony.
In the original-screenplay category, “Promising Young Woman” writer-director Emerald Fennell faced stiff competition in the form of 13-time WGA Award nominee Aaron Sorkin, whose “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is also considered a top Oscar contender. But Fennell was nominated for a best-director Oscar while Sorkin was snubbed, and the WGA win for “Promising Young Woman” is another key laurel for that film as it heads into the homestretch of the season.
In his acceptance speech for “Borat,” Sacha Baron Cohen joked that the improvised movie may have won a screenplay award because it “employed 60% of the Writers Guild.” The large team of writers included Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern, with a story by Baron Cohen, Hines, Swimer and Nina Pedrad. Because the movie is a sequel based on a preexisting character, it won in the adapted-screenplay category.
In three of the past five years — including 2020, when “Jojo Rabbit” and “Parasite” triumphed — the two films that won the WGA Awards also went on to win their respective Oscar
races. But two years ago, the guild gave its original-screenplay prize to “Eighth Grade,” a script that Oscar voters had failed to even nominate.
Leonard Nimoy Day declared in Boston
In a perfectly logical move, Boston is paying tribute to the actor who played Mr. Spock in the “Star Trek” television show and movies.
Then-mayor Martin Walsh declared March 26 as Leonard Nimoy Day in the city, his daughter, Julie, shared on her Twitter account.
Nimoy, who died in 2015, was born in Boston on March 26, 1931.
Nimoy nurtured his acting talent as a youngster at the Elizabeth Peabody House and the West End Boys Club and as a teenager received a summer scholarship for acting lessons at Boston College, according to the proclamation.
He “brought honor upon his native city with his accomplishments as an actor, writer, producer, director, poet, photographer, and philanthropist,” according to the proclamation.
He also contributed to cancer research and arts and space research scholarship programs, and through the fictional halfhuman, half-vulcan Mr. Spock gave the immigrant, the refugee and the oppressed a hero, according to the city.
You can attend Elton’s Oscar party
Attending Elton John’s long-running Oscar-night party has always been one of the hardest tickets to get. Now you can go — if you have $20.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation is inviting everyone to an hourlong, virtual pre-show Oscar party special hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and with a performance by Dua Lipa. Tickets for the April 25 event are $19.99 and are available via Ticketmaster. Proceeds will go to young people at risk and living with HIV all over the world.