Best Original Screenplay 2012
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
#8 - Wreck-It Ralph - story by Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, and Jim Reardon; screenplay by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee
#7 - The Intouchables - Oliver Nakache and Eric Toledano
#6 - Seven Psychopaths -- Martin McDonagh
#6 - Seven Psychopaths -- Martin McDonagh
And the Top Five...
#5 - Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard - Cabin in the Woods
A clever and unique spin on the horror genre that was loved by others a bit more than by me, but still was successful in what it set out to accomplish.
#4 - Chris Butler - Paranorman
How refreshing that this animated flick wasn't sugar-coated. It reminded me of movies I watched in the 80s growing up where kid's films didn't stoop to the lowest common denominator to achieve their humor and heart.
#3 - Nicholas Jarecki - Arbitrage
A smart adult thriller...we don't get too much of those anymore. Considering Jarecki wrote the absolutely abysmal The Informers in 2009, I would've never guessed he had this type of talent in him. Let's hope he keeps pursuing it.
#2 - John Gatins - Flight
Some thought Flight was all over the place, but I appreciated the time it took to focus not only on Denzel Washington's troubled pilot character, but also the people he came into contact with after the horrible plane crash. I found it refreshingly dramatic and engaging.
#1 - Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks
Funny, smart, and packed with emotion, Zoe Kazan impressed with her debut screenwriting project. Indie comedies tend to always have that same (pretentious) feel to me, but Ruby Sparks was a refreshing change.
#5 - Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard - Cabin in the Woods
A clever and unique spin on the horror genre that was loved by others a bit more than by me, but still was successful in what it set out to accomplish.
#4 - Chris Butler - Paranorman
How refreshing that this animated flick wasn't sugar-coated. It reminded me of movies I watched in the 80s growing up where kid's films didn't stoop to the lowest common denominator to achieve their humor and heart.
#3 - Nicholas Jarecki - Arbitrage
A smart adult thriller...we don't get too much of those anymore. Considering Jarecki wrote the absolutely abysmal The Informers in 2009, I would've never guessed he had this type of talent in him. Let's hope he keeps pursuing it.
#2 - John Gatins - Flight
Some thought Flight was all over the place, but I appreciated the time it took to focus not only on Denzel Washington's troubled pilot character, but also the people he came into contact with after the horrible plane crash. I found it refreshingly dramatic and engaging.
#1 - Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks
Funny, smart, and packed with emotion, Zoe Kazan impressed with her debut screenwriting project. Indie comedies tend to always have that same (pretentious) feel to me, but Ruby Sparks was a refreshing change.
Best Adapted Screenplay 2012
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
#8 - The Impossible - Sergio G. Sánchez
#7 - 21 Jump Street - Michael Bacall (screenplay/story) and Jonah Hill (story)
#7 - The Sessions - Ben Lewin
#7 - 21 Jump Street - Michael Bacall (screenplay/story) and Jonah Hill (story)
#7 - The Sessions - Ben Lewin
And the Top Five...
#2 - Chris Terrio - Argo
The Argo backlash came on strong as it headed into the Oscar season, but I found Argo to be a taut thrill ride that worked from beginning to end.
#5 - Richard Linklater - Bernie
Presented as a mix of mockumentary and straightfoward film, Richard Linklater crafts a portrait of a flawed man while at the same time showcasing small town Americana in a way that some might find insulting, but I saw more as a tribute to the slowed-down "old school" Bible-thumping lifestyle.
#4 - William Nicholson and Alain Boublil - Les Miserables
This film isn't without its faults, but I was impressed with the screenwriters' abilities to take an epic operatic musical (in an of itself adapted from an epic novel) and have it provide motivation and story for all of its multitude of characters.
#3 - Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan - Skyfall
I would've never guessed that I'd see a James Bond movie contain as much heart as this. Not only are the action sequences great, but the character interactions are fantastic for a genre that typically never provides the viewer anything but explosions.
#2 - Chris Terrio - Argo
The Argo backlash came on strong as it headed into the Oscar season, but I found Argo to be a taut thrill ride that worked from beginning to end.
#1 - Tony Kushner - Lincoln
I was dreading seeing Lincoln and I waited a long time to take it in. Historical dramas are not my cup of tea at all, but Tony Kushner crafted something special here allowing the title character to have multiple moments to shine politically with eloquent speeches, while also showing his more "human" side when dealing with his family members. Honing in on a specific set of months in the man's life makes this "manageable" for even non-history buffs to take in.
Previous RyMickey Award Winners
Looooooooooper.
ReplyDeletePretty much all I have to add.
:D
I liked Looper...a lot...and perhaps, in time, I'll add it to the list (Seven Psychopaths was added after this was originally posted). I did think about it...but for some reason, it didn't "stand out" to me. Looper was a fun ride (as is another film that will likely place high in my Best Films of the Year), but it didn't have as much "standing out" with it which is why it hasn't placed on many of these other lists (although I did have the young Pierce Gagnon on my Best Younger Performance).
ReplyDeleteI can completely understand your comment, though.