The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) tonight announced the winners of the 2015 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories at simultaneous ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Winning the WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay was Wes Anderson’s script for The Grand Budapest Hotel. And earning Best Adapted Screenplay distinction was Graham Moore for The Imitation Game.
Rounding out the feature film winners was Brian Knappenberger for Best Documentary Screenplay on the basis of The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz.
Here’s a full rundown of Writers Guild Award winners spanning theatrical features, TV, new media and other categories:
FILM WINNERS
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness; Fox Searchlight
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Imitation Game, Written by Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges; The Weinstein Company
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, Written by Brian Knappenberger; FilmBuff
TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA WINNERS
DRAMA SERIES
True Detective, Written by Nic Pizzolatto; HBO
COMEDY SERIES
Louie, Written by Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K.; FX
NEW SERIES
True Detective, Written by Nic Pizzolatto; HBO
EPISODIC DRAMA
“The Last Call” (The Good Wife), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS
EPISODIC COMEDY
“So Did the Fat Lady” (Louie), Written by Louis C.K.; FX
LONG FORM – ORIGINAL
Deliverance Creek, Written by Melissa Carter; Lifetime
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Olive Kitteridge, Teleplay by Jane Anderson, Based on the novel by Elizabeth Strout; HBO
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL
“Episode 113: Rachel” (High Maintenance), Written by Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair; helpingyoumaintain.com
ANIMATION
“Brick Like Me” (The Simpsons), Written by Brian Kelley; Fox
COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Writers: Kevin Avery, Tim Carvell, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Juli Weiner; HBO
COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS
71st Annual Golden Globe Awards, Written by Barry Adelman; Special Material by Alex Baze, Dave Boone, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Jon Macks, Sam Means, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Mike Shoemaker; NBC
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter; NBC
DAYTIME DRAMA
General Hospital, Written by Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Elizabeth Page, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten; ABC
CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – EPISODIC & SPECIALS
“Haunted Heartthrob” (Haunted Hathaways), Written by Bob Smiley; Nickelodeon
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
"United States of Secrets: The Program (Part One)” (Frontline); PBS; Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Nelson Mandela: A Man Who Changed the World” (World News with Diane Sawyer), Written by Dave Bloch, Lisa Ferri, Diane Sawyer; ABC News
TV NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Nowhere to Go” (60 Minutes), Written by Oriana Zill de Granados, Scott Pelley, Michael Rey; CBS
RADIO WINNERS
DOCUMENTARY
“Three Shots Rang Out: The JFK Assassination 50 Years Later,” Written by Darren Reynolds; ABC News Radio
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“World News This Week,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Civil Rights at 50,” Written by Jane Tillman Irving; WCBS Radio
PROMOTIONAL WRITING WINNERS
ON-AIR PROMOTION (TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA OR RADIO)
“How I Met Your Mother” Written by Dan Greenberger; CBS
VIDEOGAME WINNER
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING
The Last of Us: Left Behind, Written by Neil Druckmann; Sony Computer Entertainment
(There were no nominees in Children’s Script – Long Form or Special or Television Graphic Art and Animation categories this year.)
SPECIAL HONORS
The Writers Guild of America, West presented several special honors during its ceremony: Scandal co-star Scott Foley presented the WGAW’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement to Scandal/Grey’s Anatomy Creator and How to Get Away with Murder Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes, WGAW President Chris Keyser presented the Guild’s Valentine Davies Award to Academy Award-winning filmmaker/advocate Ben Affleck (Argo) for his humanitarian efforts, Cougartown Co-Creator Bill Lawrence presented the WGAW’s Morgan Cox Award to TV writer-producer and WGAW Showrunner Training Program co-founder Jeff Melvoin (Army Wives) for Guild service, Rescue Me Co-Creator Peter Tolan presented the WGAW’s Screen Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement to late screenwriter-director Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day), which was accepted by the Ramis family on his behalf, and TV writer/playwright Winnie Holzman (Wicked) presented the WGAW’s Paul Selvin Award to screenwriter Margaret Nagle for her screenplay, The Good Lie. Iconic Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar accepted the WGAW’s Jean Renoir Award for Screenwriting Achievement via a special video presentation introduced by WGAW Vice President Howard A. Rodman.
Meanwhile The Writers Guild of America, East presented several special honors during its ceremony: Edward Zwick (thirtysomething, Shakespeare In Love) presented Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby) with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement in Writing. Journalist Bill Moyers presented legendary television writer/producer Norman Lear (All In The Family, The Jeffersons) with the Evelyn F. Burkey Award for Bringing Honor and Dignity to Writers. WGAE Vice President Jeremy Pikser (Bulworth) was presented with the Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild by last year’s recipient Philip V. Pilato. WGAE Executive Director Lowell Peterson presented Megan Rico with the Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting, which is funded by the Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation. WGAE President Michael Winship presented Liz Essley Whyte with the John Merriman Memorial Award for the Study of Broadcast Journalism at American University in Washington, D.C.
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More