by Amos Semien
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the entertainment labor union that represents film and television directors. The DGA gives out the Directors Guild of America Award each year to honor outstanding achievement.
The Directors Guild of America President announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2013 (also known as the 2014 DGA Awards) on Tuesday, January 07, 2014.
Alfonso Cuarón, Steve McQueen and David O. Russell were the expected nominations. From what I’ve read, people who follow film awards did not expect Paul Greengrass and Martin Scorsese to receive nominations, or at least not as much as they expected others such as brothers Joel and Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis), Alexander Payne (Nebraska) and Spike Jonze (Her).
Historically the DGA Awards are a good predictor of five directors who will receive Oscar nominations. However, last year, only two of DGA Award nominees received Oscar nominations, and the eventual best director Oscar winner, Ben Affleck, was not one of the two.
In the next week, nominees in the television, commercials, and documentary categories will be announced. The winners, including in the feature film category, will be named at the 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
66th Annual DGA Awards Full list of nominations below (with their teams and historical notes from the DGA):
ALFONSO CUARÓN
Gravity
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Cuarón’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: David Siegel (Arizona Unit)
• First Assistant Directors: Josh Robertson, Stephen Hagen (Arizona Unit)
• Second Assistant Director: Ben Howard
This is Mr. Cuarón’s first DGA Award nomination.
PAUL GREENGRASS
Captain Phillips
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Greengrass’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Todd Lewis, Gregory Goodman
• First Assistant Director: Chris Carreras
• Second Assistant Directors: Nick Shuttleworth, Mark S. Constance
This is Mr. Greengrass’s first DGA Award nomination.
STEVE McQUEEN
12 Years A Slave
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. McQueen’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Anthony Katagas
• First Assistant Director: Doug Torres
• Second Assistant Director: James Roque Jr.
• Second Second Assistant Director: Sherman Shelton Jr.
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Nathan Parker
This is Mr. McQueen’s first DGA Award nomination.
DAVID O. RUSSELL
American Hustle
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Russell’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Shea Kammer, Mark Kamine
• First Assistant Director: Michele ‘Shelley’ Ziegler
• Second Assistant Director: Xanthus Valan
• Second Second Assistant Director: Jason Fesel
• Location Managers: David Velasco, Guy Efrat (New York Unit)
This is Mr. Russell’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for The Fighter in 2010.
MARTIN SCORSESE
The Wolf of Wall Street
(Paramount Pictures)
Mr. Scorsese’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Richard Baratta
• First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
• Second Assistant Director: Francisco Oritz
• Second Second Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Scott Koche
• Location Manager: Nils Widboom
This is Mr. Scorsese’s eleventh DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2006 for The Departed, and has also been nominated in that category for Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), The Age of Innocence (1993), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004) and Hugo (2011).
Mr. Scorsese also won the DGA Award in 2010 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Television for Boardwalk Empire and he was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for George Harrison: Living in the Material World in 2011. In 1999, Mr. Scorsese was presented with the Filmmaker Award at the inaugural DGA Honors Gala, and he was honored with the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
http://www.dga.org/
END
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Review: "The Weight of Water" is a Heavy Drama (Happy B'day, Sarah Polley)
The Weight of Water (2000)
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, sexuality/nudity, and brief language
DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow
WRITERS: Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle (based upon the novel by Anita Shreve)
PRODUCERS: Janet Yang, Sigurjon Sighvatsson, and A. Kitman Ho
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adrian Biddle
EDITOR: Howard E. Smith
COMPOSER: David Hirschfelder
DRAMA/MYSTERY with elements of a thriller
Starring: Sean Penn, Catherine McCormack, Josh Lucas, Elizabeth Hurley, Sarah Polley, Ciarán Hinds, Ulrich Thomsen, Anders W. Berthelsen, and Katrin Cartlidge
The subject of this movie review is The Weight of Water, a 2000 drama and mystery film from director Kathryn Bigelow. The film made its debut in 2000, but did not receive a U.S. release until November 2002. The film is based on the 1997 novel, The Weight of Water, by author Anita Shreve. The novel, which is historical fiction, is based in part on a real-life 19th century American murder case. The Weight of Water the movie focuses on a newspaper photographer who is researching the lurid and sensational axe murder of two women in 1873, while dealing with her own marital problems.
Two couples: Thomas and Jean Janes (Sean Penn and Catherine McCormack) and Thomas’ brother, Rich Janes (Josh Lucas), and his girlfriend, Adaline Gunne (Elizabeth Hurley) take a boat trip to the island of Smuttynose, off the New Hampshire coast. Jean is conducting a personal investigation of the double murder of two women back in 1873. Having unearthed an eyewitness account of the murders, Jane seeks to prove that the Louis Wagner (Ciarán Hinds), the man executed for the crimes, was innocent, and that his accuser, Maren Hontvedt (Sarah Polley), was instead the murderer. The film moves back and forth between the present day and the past, dredging up the incidents surrounding the murders and also the troubles in Thomas and Jean’s marriage.
After making films that fit one way or another in the action genre, director Kathryn Bigelow tackled dysfunctional marriages, dark family secrets, and murder in the film, The Weight of Water. Quite skilled at creating mood and atmosphere (as shown in her earlier works), Bigelow constructs a movie in which disappointment and resignation saturate the story and anger boils mightily beneath the surface.
The jumps in time, between the present and 1973, aren’t really a distraction; rather they build up tension and allow the stronger half of the film, Maren Hontvedt’s story and the murders in 1873, to support the weaker half, the Janes’ boat trip. Watching the film, one gets the idea that Bigelow was enamored with Maren Hontvedt’s half of the film and not as interested the present day half featuring the tense dynamic between Thomas, Jean, Rich, and Adaline. Connection with the present day sub-plots isn’t fun; at times, Bigelow handles them a little clumsily. On the other hand, she uses the riveting and bloody tale of 1873 to carry the past and present to an ending that is both gut wrenching and heavy. Here, through Sarah Polley as Maren, Bigelow makes her strongest case that the mistakes of the past, like insistent ghosts, never leave. They will drown the future if they aren’t guarded against – even in a small moment of weakness when the mind, body and soul lapse into rage.
6 of 10
B
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Update: Wednesday, January 08, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
January 8, 2014 Deadline Looms for Oscar Nominations Voting
Oscars® Nominations Voting Ends Wednesday, January 8
BEVERLY HILLS, CA —Nominations voting for the Oscars will close on Wednesday, January 8, at 5 p.m. PT.
The votes are being tabulated and verified by the international accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The 86th Oscars Nominations Announcement will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The presentation, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA —Nominations voting for the Oscars will close on Wednesday, January 8, at 5 p.m. PT.
The votes are being tabulated and verified by the international accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The 86th Oscars Nominations Announcement will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The presentation, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Review: "The Ant Bully" is Impressive (Happy B'day, Nicolas Cage)
The Ant Bully (2006) – computer animation
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor and action
DIRECTOR: John A. Davis
WRITER: John A. Davis (based upon the John Nickle)
PRODUCERS: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and John A. Davis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ken Mitchroney (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jon Price
COMPOSER: John Debney
ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY
Starring: (voices) Zach Tyler Eisen, Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Bruce Campbell, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri, Larry Miller, Allison Mack, Ricardo Montalban, and Myles Jeffrey
The subject of this movie review is The Ant Bully, a 2006 computer-animated fantasy film from director John A Davis. The movie is a joint venture from Warner Bros. Animation, Legendary Pictures, DNA Productions and Playtone, which is the production company owned by partners, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. The movie is based on The Ant Bully, a 1999 children’s picture book written and drawn by John Nickle. The Ant Bully the film focuses on a boy who terrifies an ant colony and then finds himself magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor.
Ten-year old Lucas Nickle (Zach Tyler Eisen) doesn’t have any friends, and he’s always the target of the neighborhood bully, Steve (Myles Jeffrey), and his gang. His sister, Tiffany (Allison Mack) mostly ignores him. His father, Fred (Larry Miller), is too busy planning his wedding anniversary trip to Puerto Vallarta, and his grandmother, Mommo (Lily Tomlin), is just plain weird. However, Lucas finds his mother, Doreen (Cheri Oteri), to be a bit overbearing, and he hates that she calls him “Peanut.”
Lucas takes his frustrations out on the anthill in his front yard – tormenting the ants by frequently flooding their territory. Lucas thinks of them as “just a bunch of stupid ants,” but he doesn’t know that the anthill is a complex society, in which the members of that colony have names, relationships, emotions, and responsibilities. They decide to fight back against Lucas – the one they know as the “Destroyer,” so Zoc (Nicolas Cage), a wizard ant, concocts a potion to take care of the Destroyer. After the ants pour the magic elixir down his ear, Lucas shrinks down to their size, and the ants promptly take him to stand trial for “crimes against the colony.”
The wise Ant Queen (Meryl Streep) sentences Lucas to live amongst the ants and learn their ways so that he can become an ant. Zoc’s girlfriend, Hova (Julia Roberts), a nurse ant, volunteers to mentor the miniaturized Lucas, much to Zoc’s chagrin. With the help of Kreela (Regina King), a forager ant, and Fugax (Bruce Campbell), a scout ant, Hova helps the reluctant Lucas fit into the colony. Lucas’ skills and new friendships are tested when he and the ants must have to take on Stan Beals (Paul Giamatti), a local exterminator, in an epic air battle over the Nickles’ front lawn.
There were so many computer-animated movies that received a wide theatrical release in 2006 that some were bound to get lost in the shuffle. One of the lost was The Ant Bully, an excellent talking animal fable produced by actor Tom Hanks’ production company (Playtone) and the computer animation studio behind Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, DNA Productions. Written for the screen and directed by the creator of Jimmy Neutron, John A. Davis, The Ant Bully is several times better than Jimmy Neutron, in terms of story, voice acting, and animation.
Adapting John Nickle’s book, Davis wrote a traditional animal fable that teaches a lesson or makes a moral point, but is not didactic or overbearing. Davis simply uses comedy, adventure, action, dramatic conflict, and obstacles to make a point that a group of individuals with different skills can work together and make the whole better. However, to take Davis’ film as saying that the group is good and the individual is bad would be a poor misreading.
The voice performances are quite good. For all the star power the voice cast has, what stars like Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage do is bring color and character to the parts the play. Zach Tyler Eisen simply brings Lucas Nickle to life. Lucas’ troubles fitting in, his stubbornness, and his struggle to break away from mommy all seem genuine. Even Regina King, Bruce Campbell, Lily Tomlin manage to add much comic flavor to the film via their supporting roles.
At first, The Ant Bully’s animation seems to make every thing look plastic and fake, but perhaps, the eyes need time to adjust. The film is imaginative in concept and design – especially in building a world of outsized and giant sets for tiny beings. Everything has texture and surface quality to it. The exoskeletons of the ants and wasps actually look solid; it’s as if the eyes are actually touching the surfaces to verify what is genuine. The character movement is good, and jumps up to wonderful and superb during all the big action set pieces – especially during the air battle at the end.
Fans of computer animation and also families that want to share a movie with a good message absolutely won’t go wrong with The Ant Bully. We follow Lucas down into the anthill where awaits a world of wonder and magical animal creatures that dazzle the eyes and sometimes blow the mind. And the movie’s pretty funny, too.
8 of 10
A
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Updated: Tuesday, January 07, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Disney Claims its Rightful Star Wars Property from Dark Horse Comics
by Leroy Douresseaux
Back in 2012, I was surprised to hear that George Lucas was selling his company, Lucasfilm, Ltd., to The Walt Disney Company. Through Lucasfilm, Lucas owned such franchises as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. After hearing about the sale, the first thing I thought was what is going to happen to Dark Horse Comics' license to produce Star Wars comic books.
Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Dark Horse lost the license, which it had held for over two decades. After all, Disney had gobbled up Marvel Enterprises (or whatever it calls itself), the owner of Marvel Comics, before they had consumed Lucasfilm. So why would Disney let Dark Horse produce Star Wars comic books when Disney owned its own comic book company, Marvel Comics?
Dark Horse recently sent out the following message from publisher Mike Richardson to the contacts on its press list:
A MESSAGE FROM MIKE RICHARDSON
The End of an Era
All things come to pass. So too, do all licensed deals. I am sad to report that Disney, the new owner of Lucasfilm, has notified us here at Dark Horse of their intention to move the Star Wars publishing license to another of their recent acquisitions, Marvel Comics, beginning in 2015. This will end a partnership that has lasted more than two decades.
For those who are new to the industry, Dark Horse revolutionized the treatment of comics based on films. After a history of movie properties being poorly handled with little regard for execution and continuity, Dark Horse took a new approach, carefully choosing licenses and approaching them with excitement and creative energy. Our goal was to create sequels and prequels to the films we loved, paying careful attention to quality and detail, essentially treating those films as though they were our own. Star Wars has been the crown jewel of this approach. We began chasing the title as far back as 1989, and with the launch of Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’s Dark Empire, a new era in comics was born. I’m not ashamed to admit that we were Star Wars geeks, and we have been determined to spare neither effort nor expense in the pursuit of excellence.
It is ironic that this announcement comes at a time when Dark Horse is experiencing its most successful year ever. For obvious reasons, we have prepared for this eventuality by finding new and exciting projects to place on our schedule for 2015 and beyond. Will they take the place of Star Wars? That’s a tall order, but we will do our best to make that happen. In the meantime, 2014 may be our last year at the helm of the Star Wars comics franchise, but we plan to make it a memorable one. We know that fans of the franchise will expect no less. The Force is with us still.
Mike Richardson
About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Geof Darrow, Guillermo Del Toro and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties such as The Mask, Ghost, Captain Midnight, and X. Its successful line of comics, books, and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Halo, Serenity, The Legend of Zelda, Game of Thrones and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.
END of message
Over two decades, Dark Horse published an endless stream of Star Wars comic books, but it all began with one of the best works in what is now known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Star Wars: Dark Empire. Well, I'm ready to see what Marvel Comics, which first held the license from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, does this time around.
L
Back in 2012, I was surprised to hear that George Lucas was selling his company, Lucasfilm, Ltd., to The Walt Disney Company. Through Lucasfilm, Lucas owned such franchises as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. After hearing about the sale, the first thing I thought was what is going to happen to Dark Horse Comics' license to produce Star Wars comic books.
Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Dark Horse lost the license, which it had held for over two decades. After all, Disney had gobbled up Marvel Enterprises (or whatever it calls itself), the owner of Marvel Comics, before they had consumed Lucasfilm. So why would Disney let Dark Horse produce Star Wars comic books when Disney owned its own comic book company, Marvel Comics?
Dark Horse recently sent out the following message from publisher Mike Richardson to the contacts on its press list:
A MESSAGE FROM MIKE RICHARDSON
The End of an Era
All things come to pass. So too, do all licensed deals. I am sad to report that Disney, the new owner of Lucasfilm, has notified us here at Dark Horse of their intention to move the Star Wars publishing license to another of their recent acquisitions, Marvel Comics, beginning in 2015. This will end a partnership that has lasted more than two decades.
For those who are new to the industry, Dark Horse revolutionized the treatment of comics based on films. After a history of movie properties being poorly handled with little regard for execution and continuity, Dark Horse took a new approach, carefully choosing licenses and approaching them with excitement and creative energy. Our goal was to create sequels and prequels to the films we loved, paying careful attention to quality and detail, essentially treating those films as though they were our own. Star Wars has been the crown jewel of this approach. We began chasing the title as far back as 1989, and with the launch of Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’s Dark Empire, a new era in comics was born. I’m not ashamed to admit that we were Star Wars geeks, and we have been determined to spare neither effort nor expense in the pursuit of excellence.
It is ironic that this announcement comes at a time when Dark Horse is experiencing its most successful year ever. For obvious reasons, we have prepared for this eventuality by finding new and exciting projects to place on our schedule for 2015 and beyond. Will they take the place of Star Wars? That’s a tall order, but we will do our best to make that happen. In the meantime, 2014 may be our last year at the helm of the Star Wars comics franchise, but we plan to make it a memorable one. We know that fans of the franchise will expect no less. The Force is with us still.
Mike Richardson
About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Geof Darrow, Guillermo Del Toro and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties such as The Mask, Ghost, Captain Midnight, and X. Its successful line of comics, books, and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Halo, Serenity, The Legend of Zelda, Game of Thrones and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.
END of message
Over two decades, Dark Horse published an endless stream of Star Wars comic books, but it all began with one of the best works in what is now known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Star Wars: Dark Empire. Well, I'm ready to see what Marvel Comics, which first held the license from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, does this time around.
L
Monday, January 6, 2014
2014 Writers Guild Award Nominations - Feature Film Categories
by Amos Semien
On Friday, January 3, 2014, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing during the year 2013 – the 2014 Writers Guild Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2014 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2014, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, video game, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
A complete list of 2014 Writers Guild Award nominations can be found here: http://www.wga.org/wga-awards/nominees-winners.aspx.
SCREEN NOMINEES:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell; Columbia Pictures
Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Focus Features
Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.
Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson; Paramount Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
August: Osage County, Screenplay by Tracy Letts; Based on his play; The Weinstein Company
Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Based on characters created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan; Sony Classics
Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures
Lone Survivor, Written by Peter Berg; Based on the book by Marcus Lutrell with Patrick Robinson; Universal Pictures
The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter; Based on the book by Jordan Belfort; Paramount Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Dirty Wars, Written by Jeremy Scahill & David Riker; Sundance Selects
Herblock – The Black & The White, Written by Sara Lukinson & Michael Stevens; The Stevens Company
No Place on Earth, Written by Janet Tobias & Paul Laikin; Magnolia Pictures
Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks; Written by Alex Gibney; Focus Features
END
On Friday, January 3, 2014, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing during the year 2013 – the 2014 Writers Guild Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2014 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2014, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, video game, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
A complete list of 2014 Writers Guild Award nominations can be found here: http://www.wga.org/wga-awards/nominees-winners.aspx.
SCREEN NOMINEES:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell; Columbia Pictures
Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Focus Features
Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.
Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson; Paramount Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
August: Osage County, Screenplay by Tracy Letts; Based on his play; The Weinstein Company
Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Based on characters created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan; Sony Classics
Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures
Lone Survivor, Written by Peter Berg; Based on the book by Marcus Lutrell with Patrick Robinson; Universal Pictures
The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter; Based on the book by Jordan Belfort; Paramount Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Dirty Wars, Written by Jeremy Scahill & David Riker; Sundance Selects
Herblock – The Black & The White, Written by Sara Lukinson & Michael Stevens; The Stevens Company
No Place on Earth, Written by Janet Tobias & Paul Laikin; Magnolia Pictures
Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks; Written by Alex Gibney; Focus Features
END
2014 Writers Guild Award Nominations - Select Television Categories
by Amos Semien
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, radio, new media, video games, and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
On Friday, January 3, 2014, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing during the year 2013 – the 2014 Writers Guild Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2014 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2014, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
The Writers Guild Awards are given in numerous television categories, but I only focus on a select group of categories when the nominations are announced. A complete list of 2014 Writers Guild Award nominations, including nominations in radio, new media, and video games (which have not been announced as I write this) can be found here: http://www.wga.org/wga-awards/nominees-winners.aspx.
TV NOMINEES:
DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
The Good Wife, Written by Meredith Averill, Leonard Dick, Keith Eisner, Jacqueline Hoyt, Ted Humphrey, Michelle King, Robert King, Erica Shelton Kodish, Matthew Montoya, J.C. Nolan, Luke Schelhaas, Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Craig Turk, Julia Wolfe; CBS
Homeland, Written by Henry Bromell, William E. Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Barbara Hall, Patrick Harbinson, Chip Johannessen, Meredith Stiehm, Charlotte Stoudt, James Yoshimura; Showtime
House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix
Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Semi Chellas, Jason Grote, Jonathan Igla, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Michael Saltzman, Tom Smuts, Matthew Weiner, Carly Wray; AMC
COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Luke Del Tredici, Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, Matt Hubbard, Colleen McGuinness, Sam Means, Dylan Morgan, Nina Pedrad, Josh Siegal, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Bianca Douglas, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Becky Mann, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Audra Sielaff, Emily Spivey, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
Orange Is the New Black, Written by Liz Friedman, Sian Heder, Tara Herrmann, Sara Hess, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Lauren Morelli, Marco Ramirez; Netflix
Parks and Recreation, Written by Megan Amram, Donick Cary, Greg Daniels, Nate DiMeo, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, Daniel J. Goor, Norm Hiscock, Matt Hubbard, Dave King, Greg Levine, Joe Mande, Sam Means, Aisha Muharrar, Matt Murray, Amy Poehler, Alexandra Rushfield, Michael Schur, Jen Statsky, Harris Wittels, Alan Yang; NBC
Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO
NEW SERIES
The Americans, Written by Michael Batistick, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Melissa James Gibson, Sneha Koorse, Joe Weisberg, Bradford Winters; FX
House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix
Masters of Sex, Written by Michelle Ashford, Tyler Bensinger, Michael Cunningham, Lyn Greene, Richard Levine, Amy Lippman, Sam Shaw, Noelle Valdivia; Showtime
Orange Is the New Black, Written by Liz Friedman, Sian Heder, Tara Herrmann, Sara Hess, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Lauren Morelli, Marco Ramirez; Netflix
Ray Donovan, Written by Ann Biderman, Sean Conway, David Hollander, Brett Johnson, Ron Nyswaner; Showtime
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Buried” (Breaking Bad), Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC
“Confessions” (Breaking Bad), Written by Gennifer Hutchison; AMC
“Episode 101” (House of Cards), Teleplay by Beau Willimon; Netflix
“Granite State” (Breaking Bad), Written by Peter Gould; AMC
“Hitting the Fan” (The Good Wife), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS
“Pilot” (Masters of Sex), Written by Michelle Ashford; Showtime
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Career Day” (Modern Family), Written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh; ABC
“Farm Strong” (Modern Family), Written by Elaine Ko; ABC
“Hogcock!” (30 Rock), Written by Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock; NBC
“Lesbian Request Denied” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Sian Heder; Netflix
“Leslie and Ben” (Parks and Recreation), Written by Michael Schur & Alan Yang; NBC
“Pilot” (Orange Is the New Black), Teleplay by Liz Friedman and Jenji Kohan; Netflix
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Killing Kennedy, Written by Kelly Masterson, Based on the book by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard; National Geographic
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, Written by Shawn Slovo, Based on the book by Howard Bingham and Max Wallace; HBO
ANIMATION
“A Test Before Trying” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
“Game of Tones” (Futurama), Written by Michael Rowe; Comedy Central
“Hardly Kirk-ing” (The Simpsons), Written by Tom Gammill & Max Pross; Fox
“Murder on the Planet Express” (Futurama), Written by Lew Morton; Comedy Central
“Saturday Morning Fun Pit” (Futurama), Written by Patric M. Verrone; Comedy Central
“Yolo” (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Nobori; Fox
END
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, radio, new media, video games, and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
On Friday, January 3, 2014, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing during the year 2013 – the 2014 Writers Guild Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2014 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2014, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
The Writers Guild Awards are given in numerous television categories, but I only focus on a select group of categories when the nominations are announced. A complete list of 2014 Writers Guild Award nominations, including nominations in radio, new media, and video games (which have not been announced as I write this) can be found here: http://www.wga.org/wga-awards/nominees-winners.aspx.
TV NOMINEES:
DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
The Good Wife, Written by Meredith Averill, Leonard Dick, Keith Eisner, Jacqueline Hoyt, Ted Humphrey, Michelle King, Robert King, Erica Shelton Kodish, Matthew Montoya, J.C. Nolan, Luke Schelhaas, Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Craig Turk, Julia Wolfe; CBS
Homeland, Written by Henry Bromell, William E. Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Barbara Hall, Patrick Harbinson, Chip Johannessen, Meredith Stiehm, Charlotte Stoudt, James Yoshimura; Showtime
House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix
Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Semi Chellas, Jason Grote, Jonathan Igla, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Michael Saltzman, Tom Smuts, Matthew Weiner, Carly Wray; AMC
COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Luke Del Tredici, Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, Matt Hubbard, Colleen McGuinness, Sam Means, Dylan Morgan, Nina Pedrad, Josh Siegal, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Bianca Douglas, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Becky Mann, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Audra Sielaff, Emily Spivey, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
Orange Is the New Black, Written by Liz Friedman, Sian Heder, Tara Herrmann, Sara Hess, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Lauren Morelli, Marco Ramirez; Netflix
Parks and Recreation, Written by Megan Amram, Donick Cary, Greg Daniels, Nate DiMeo, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, Daniel J. Goor, Norm Hiscock, Matt Hubbard, Dave King, Greg Levine, Joe Mande, Sam Means, Aisha Muharrar, Matt Murray, Amy Poehler, Alexandra Rushfield, Michael Schur, Jen Statsky, Harris Wittels, Alan Yang; NBC
Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO
NEW SERIES
The Americans, Written by Michael Batistick, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Melissa James Gibson, Sneha Koorse, Joe Weisberg, Bradford Winters; FX
House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix
Masters of Sex, Written by Michelle Ashford, Tyler Bensinger, Michael Cunningham, Lyn Greene, Richard Levine, Amy Lippman, Sam Shaw, Noelle Valdivia; Showtime
Orange Is the New Black, Written by Liz Friedman, Sian Heder, Tara Herrmann, Sara Hess, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Lauren Morelli, Marco Ramirez; Netflix
Ray Donovan, Written by Ann Biderman, Sean Conway, David Hollander, Brett Johnson, Ron Nyswaner; Showtime
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Buried” (Breaking Bad), Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC
“Confessions” (Breaking Bad), Written by Gennifer Hutchison; AMC
“Episode 101” (House of Cards), Teleplay by Beau Willimon; Netflix
“Granite State” (Breaking Bad), Written by Peter Gould; AMC
“Hitting the Fan” (The Good Wife), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS
“Pilot” (Masters of Sex), Written by Michelle Ashford; Showtime
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Career Day” (Modern Family), Written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh; ABC
“Farm Strong” (Modern Family), Written by Elaine Ko; ABC
“Hogcock!” (30 Rock), Written by Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock; NBC
“Lesbian Request Denied” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Sian Heder; Netflix
“Leslie and Ben” (Parks and Recreation), Written by Michael Schur & Alan Yang; NBC
“Pilot” (Orange Is the New Black), Teleplay by Liz Friedman and Jenji Kohan; Netflix
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Killing Kennedy, Written by Kelly Masterson, Based on the book by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard; National Geographic
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, Written by Shawn Slovo, Based on the book by Howard Bingham and Max Wallace; HBO
ANIMATION
“A Test Before Trying” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
“Game of Tones” (Futurama), Written by Michael Rowe; Comedy Central
“Hardly Kirk-ing” (The Simpsons), Written by Tom Gammill & Max Pross; Fox
“Murder on the Planet Express” (Futurama), Written by Lew Morton; Comedy Central
“Saturday Morning Fun Pit” (Futurama), Written by Patric M. Verrone; Comedy Central
“Yolo” (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Nobori; Fox
END
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