Best Original Screenplay: Ranking Every 96th Academy Award Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
This article is a part of the Academy Awards Project, where Andreas Babiolakis from Films Fatale ranks every Oscar nominee from worst to best, and goes through every category once a day five days a week.
We’re wrapping up this week with two of the biggest awards of the Oscars: the screenplay categories. Starting off with the less competitive but still-stacked Best Original Screenplay category, I’m looking at quite a few different pieces of criteria. Firstly, which of these nominees is flat-out a well-written story? I’m taking into consideration organic narrative flow, the brushing-off of cliches, strong character development, proper story arcs, and a proper start and conclusion (or, if these are missing, intentional and clever reasons as to why any rules are broken). I’m also looking for dialogue that is both memorable and realistic; it’s all well and good to have quirky one-liners, but do these feel like the words of an actual person, or those of a fabricated character in a film? I’m also interested in films that I don’t feel like I’ve seen before, so truly original ideas are a must for me. There are quite a few moving parts here, and most of the nominees are my favourite examples of original screenplays in 2023. Having said that, this category isn’t quite as near-perfect as the adapted screenplay category (I usually think the original screenplays are stronger each year, so this is a nice change of pace), so ranking these nominees feels rather simple for me; even though I adore four of these nominees, I’ll go into why they have been ranked as they are.
Here are your nominees for Best Original Screenplay ranked from worst to best.
Biggest Snub: La chimera-Written by Alice Rohrwacher
I don’t think Alice Rohrwacher’s La chimera ever had a snowball’s chance in hell of being nominated here, but I want to give the film its flowers while I can. This film’s take on romance and the heist thriller is so clever and fresh. The genre-bending is quite seamless as well, which is a testament to how in control Rohrwacher’s direction and writing are (especially the latter regarding jokes and dramatic lines being distinctive but similar). I know that the Academy is friendly enough to films in a foreign language (in fact, two have been nominated for screenwriting this year, via Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, and Past Lives is non-English enough to also stick out in this way), but if the Academy was even kinder to international titles, I could imagine a film like La chimera getting noticed here (or, you know… at all). It’s a great film that I instantly thought of when I was considering what original idea was missing from these nominees.
5. Maestro-Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer
This is instantly last place in my opinion. While I don’t think this is a bad screenplay by any means, it’s a no-brainer that it cannot compete with the other nominees. The two major strengths are the lines of dialogue (that turn this biopic, of sorts, into the diary entries of two lost souls that happen to be partnered together) and the decision to focus on the romantic element of Mr. and Mrs. Bernstein (outside of how little Leonard Bernstein’s legacy is actually referenced to here, which is a little baffling). As a story, it goes where you’d expect it to, even if you don’t know the history of these real people. It’s nicely written enough, but I for sure feel like I’ve seen films like Maestro before, which is not something I can automatically say about the other four nominees (which either feel like brand new ideas or the strengthening of tired ideas). Maestro is here because it is a popular film that got nominated across the board. It doesn’t compare with its peers at all, I’m sorry to say.
4. May December-Screenplay by Samy Burch, Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
As we take quite a large leap in quality for the rest of the nominees, I’m actually quite sad that I have May December so low because I love the film so much (this is its lone nomination, which I find quite silly) and I am extremely fond of how well written it is. Nonetheless, such is the bad luck of strong categories at an award show. May December is so self-aware and snippy with its biting satire that it tiptoes between satirical melodrama and psychological, existential drama. It does so with the utmost ease. With bleakly funny lines that come out of nowhere, to downward-spiral outbursts that were waiting to happen all film long, May December is equal parts amusing, shocking, and thought-provoking. I think its approach to the debaucheries of “based on a true story” specials and the tricky themes at its core is well handled. I love the writing in May December so much, even at its goofiest; we may, in fact, need more hot dogs.
3. The Holdovers-Written by David Hemingson
While The Holdovers is an homage to the New Hollywood and coming-of-age films of the seventies, it is also a passionately written one that never lazily rests on the powers of nostalgia. The characters are well defined, especially with what makes each of them misfits or unloved members of society. Each character speaks in their own way, bringing some truth to these people that doesn’t feel like one overarching writer’s tone that encompasses the thoughts of all. The jokes are some of the funniest of 2023 (next to Poor Things, and, to an extent, Barbie), but The Holdovers never feels like it is resorting to cheap laughs. At the same time, its balance with its dramatic, tragic elements is effortless. The Holdovers truly feels like it is encompassing the murky textures of the grey areas of life where one cannot truly define how they are feeling amidst a flurry of circumstances. Finally, some extra points go to the writing of Paul Hunham’s dialogue which is to die for; despite his prickly demeanour, Hunham easily has the best lexicon of any character in 2023.
2. Past Lives-Written by Celine Song
It makes me sad that Past Lives only got one nomination outside of Best Picture (a prize it seemed like it was slated to win back in autumn last year, but all of those hopes have all but disappeared), but if it was going to get nominated for anything else, it should be for its writing. Its minimalist-yet-effective approach to love and fate are being championed for months on end for a good reason: Celine Song is clearly brilliant at extrapolating the inner dialogue we all have regarding who our heart yearns for, and the complexities of adoration. The themes are so subtle yet incredibly heavy; even if you cannot put into words how Past Lives makes you feel, you are undoubtedly feeling something. The lines are profound. The characters are starkly real. Past Lives feels invasive in the sense that you are prying into the whispered secrets of a woman torn between the two men she is meant to be with. The writing in Past Lives is brilliant, and if one particular film wasn’t just a molecule stronger, it would be the clear winner here.
1. Anatomy of a Fall-Screenplay-Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
The writing in Anatomy of a Fall is just unreal. Every character feels real, even if they only appear on screen for a few minutes. The actual incident — where a man falls to his death, and there is a trial to determine whether it was a suicidal leap or an act of murder — is insanely thorough, as every train of thought is covered in great detail, leaving no stone unturned. There are even occasional moments of comedy that never quite pull you out of the viewing experience; these quips just make Anatomy of a Fall just slightly easier to watch when it gets harrowing. The biggest risk? The open-endedness that allows you to come to your own conclusions as to what exactly happened. This doesn’t feel cheap or lazy, either, as both avenues are explored in depth enough to have your mind sprinting for answers even weeks after you’re done watching Anatomy of a Fall. This is the kind of screenplay that may be taught in writing classes for years to come. It’s that rich, refreshing, engaging, and fantastic.
Who I Want To Win: I’m honestly rooting for four of the nominees, because at least three of them have been frontrunners to outright win this category at some point during this award season race, so Anatomy of a Fall, Past Lives, The Holdovers, and May December all deserve this trophy. I may even rank them differently if you ask me to do so on a different day. The competition is this close, in my opinion.
Who I Think Will Win: Right now, I think Anatomy of a Fall has this in the bag. Each year, most Best Picture nominee goes home with at least one win if the nominations work in their favour, and if Sandra Hüller isn’t going to win for Best Actress (more on that next week), then I think the film will pick up its lone win in this category. Having said that, these same rules apply for something like Past Lives that can pull a Women Talking and win its sole win for the only nomination it got outside of Best Picture. Why I think Anatomy of a Fall will do better is because it got more nominations and it clearly has a larger support group than Past Lives at this point. However, you honestly never know. I’d also not completely rule out The Holdovers getting a surprise-but-deserving win here either. For now, I’m sticking with Anatomy of a Fall to win this.
The Academy Awards Project will continue tomorrow with another category. We’re going to rank every single nominee in every single category, Monday through Friday. You don’t want to miss it!
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.