The Writer’s Guild of America Awards were notable for many reasons. Finally there is some top awards recognition for Christopher Nolan and Inception, who walked off with the Original Screenplay award and very well deserved because it was one of the most unique and intelligently structured screenplays of the last couple of years. No surprise also that Aaron Sorkin picked up Adapted Screenplay for his script for The Social Network, a feat he will almost certainly carry off at the Oscars.
Whether the same will happen for Inception is a different matter. The WGA Awards were notable for the absence of The King’s Speech, it is the only guild award where the screenplay was ineligible, if it was there was a strong possibility that David Seidler’s script would have walked off with the award. At the Oscars it is entirely possible that Seidler will win, whether he deserves it or not, simply because there is so much momentum surrounding the film now. I’m secretly hoping that Nolan will win for Inception because the screenplay is better. I’m sorry, it just is.
In the TV categories, it was definitely a Mad Men night which contrasts heavily with the Globes, the DGA and the SAG awards where it was Boardwalk Empire all the way. Mad Men picked up the award for Best Dramatic Series and Episodic Drama. Although I can imagine the awards sweep for Matthew Weiner’s ad man drama becoming quite dull I still think that team deserve it because it is still the finest, classiest, most intelligent show on televison.
There is a full list of winners below:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Inception by Christopher Nolan
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Inside Job by Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck & Adam Bolt
DRAMA SERIES
Mad Men by Jonathan Abrahams, Lisa Albert, Keith Huff, Jonathan Igla, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Tracy McMillan, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner
COMEDY SERIES
Modern Family by Jerry Collins, Paul Corrigan, Alex Herschlag, Abraham Higginbotham, Elaine Ko, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker
NEW SERIES
Boardwalk Empire by Meg Jackson, Lawrence Konner, Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki, Margaret Nagle, Tim Van Patten, Paul Simms, Terence Winter
EPISODIC DRAMA
Mad Men – “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” by Erin Levy
EPISODIC COMEDY
30 Rock – “When It Rains, It Pours” by Robert Carlock
LONG FORM – ORIGINAL
The Special Relationship by Peter Morgan
LONG FORM – ADAPTATION
The Pacific – “Part Eight” by Robert Schenkkan and Michelle Ashford