Best Original Screenplay
Runners-up:
Chris Sparling - Buried
Joel Edgerton and Matthew Dabner - The Square
#5 -- Christopher Nolan - Inception
Even though I may not be head over heels for this one and even though it didn't quite sustain itself on a second viewing, the sheer originality of this one alone allows it placement on this chart.
#4 -- David Michôd - Animal Kingdom
Twisted family drama at its finest. Filled with a couple clever twists that aren't the least bit contrived, this was a nice sleeper surprise.
#3 -- Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson - The Fighter
Even though it isn't the least bit groundbreaking in any way, this flick manages to be much better than your typical "overcoming the odds" sports flick thanks to the nice balance between in-the-ring action and crazy family shenanigans.
#2 -- Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, and Joey Curtis - Blue Valentine
The heartbreaking choice on this list. A love story that depicts both the good and bad sides of romance with two great lead characters whom the screenwriters squarely keep front and center. I eagerly look forward to seeing this one again.
#1 -- David Seidler - The King's Speech
Not in my wildest dreams did I expect this film to be even remotely entertaining, but David Seidler took this period drama and added punches of comedy and true emotion. A solid historical piece that deserved the Academy Award it received.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Runner-up:
Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, and Aaron Stoddard - The Town
#5 -- Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich - Toy Story 3
A fitting (hopeful) end to a classy trilogy. It went on a tad long, but the Pixar folks wear their hearts on their sleeves and it's screenplays like this that elevate their work above that of their competitors.
#4 -- Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
This movie shouldn't have appealed to me at all, but I found it cleverly grown-up (and not in a raunchy way) especially considering that it deals in the realm of video games.
#3 -- Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network
The screenplay that everyone raved about is very good and actually got better upon a second viewing. Clever dialogue and the ability to make scenes with lawyers interesting helps this one place high on the list.
#2 -- Matt Reeves - Let Me In
A thinking person's horror movie, this is a sold piece of work that focuses more on friendship than scares. Reeves added a couple of interesting changes to his remake of the original Swedish film and they were all for the better.
#1 -- Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy - 127 Hours
Watching one person onscreen for an extended piece of time can be a tad monotonous (see Cast Away as an example). However, this flick was never boring. In fact, I was rather fascinated by the ingenious way the screenwriters kept things fresh via the main character's hallucinations and dreams. Plus, any movie that makes me get choked up is a positive.
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