‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’, ‘Eighth Grade’ win WGA awards
Major TV trophies go to ‘Americans’, ‘Mrs Maisel’
LOS ANGELES, Feb 18, (RTRS): In a pair of upsets, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” has won the Writers Guild of America’s adapted screenplay award for Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty and Bo Burnham has won the original screenplay award for “Eighth Grade”.
The major television trophies went to “The Americans”, “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel”, “Homeland” and “Barry” for the 71st Writers Guild Awards, held at dual ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif, and the Edison Ballroom in New York City. It was the last major awards show before the Feb 24 Academy Awards.
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, based on the memoir of the late Lee Israel, topped the screenplays for “Black Panther”, “If Beale Street Could Talk”, “A Star Is Born” and “BlacKkKlansman”. Though the script for the comedy-drama – the story of how Israel discovered her talent for forgery – has received an Oscar nomination, “Beale Street” and “BlacKkKlansman” were regarded as the front-runners. It appears that the tale of the travails and redemption of a professional writer clearly resonated with Hollywood writers.
“I want to thank Lee,” Holofcener said in her acceptance. “She’d probably be sitting in the room judging all of us. She though she was the smartest person in the room and she probably was.”
A stunned Burnham credited star Elsie Fisher for his winning the WGA award. Burnham won over Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma”; Adam McKay’s “Vice”; Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”; and Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Currie’s “Green Book”. “Roma”, “Vice” and “Green Book” are all nominated for Academy Awards along with “The Favourite” and “First Reformed” while “Eight Grade” did not receive an Oscar nod.
“Eighth Grade”, which stars Fisher as an awkward teen dealing with the final week of eighth grade, also won the first-time Directors Guild of America Award for Burnham on Feb 2. The film is also up for four Spirit Awards on Feb 23.
Acceptance
“To the other nominees in the category – Have fun at the Oscars, losers!” Burnham joked in his acceptance. “No, I prepared nothing. This all belongs to Elsie Fisher who performed the script. No one would care about the script if she hadn’t done it.”
“Eighth Grade” is the first film to win the WGA Original Screenplay award without being nominated for an Academy since Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” in 2003.
“The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” won the comedy series award for Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman Palladino. Starring Rachel Brosnahan, “Mrs Maisel” won the Emmy for best comedy series last year.
The final season of “The Americans” took the drama series award for Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg and Tracey Scott Wilson.
Bill Hader and Alec Berg won the episodic comedy award for the opening segment of HBO’s “Barry”, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (“Barry”). They also won the new series award.
Stephanie Gillis won the animated award for the “Bart’s Not Dead” episode of “The Simpsons” – which was just renewed for its 31st and 32nd seasons by Fox – and showrunner Alex Gansa took the episodic drama award for the “Paean To The People” segment of “Homeland”. “Bathtubs Over Broadway” took the documentary award and “God of War” won the videogame trophy.
Hulu’s “Castle Rock” won the long-form original award and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” took the adapted long-form trophy. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won the comedy-variety series category.
Chelsea Peretti hosted the West Coast ceremonies while Roy Wood Jr was the emcee in New York. “All the glitz and glamor of the Oscars without the pressure of public interest,” Peretti said in her intro.
Jordan Peele’s horror-comedy “Get Out” won the WGA Award for original screenplay and James Ivory’s coming-of-age drama.