2019 WGA Awards Winners: 'Eighth Grade' And 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' Surprise With Top Honors
Over the weekend, the Writers Guild of America handed out their annual awards honoring the best writing in film and television, and they're definitely shaking things up in the final week before the Oscars.
While Roma has been the Oscar favorite for some time now, earning the Directors Guild of America's top honors, Green Book walked away with the Producers Guild of America's big trophy. Meanwhile Black Panther landed a Screen Actors Guild awards victory for ensemble cast, and the American Cinema Editors awarded both Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite. These are the awards constantly looked to in order to determine who might walk away with Best Picture. Find out how the 2019 WGA awards winners make things even more complicated
Writer/director Bo Burnham went home with the award for Original Screenplay for his authentic, hilarious and unnerving trip back to adolescence in Eighth Grade. The film didn't even get nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, so there's no chance of an upset there, but this victory just goes to show you that this film should have been nominated.
As for Adapted Screenplay, another surprise emerged in the form of Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty taking the prize for their adaptation of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, based on the memoir of the same name by Lee Israel. Unlike Eighth Grade, this film is nominated for the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, and this victory might be a sign of where the trophy will go when the awards are handed out this weekend.
With these two wins, Hollywood has made history for the trivia books. Variety reports this is the first time ever that all of the major guild and industry group prizes used to predetermine the Best Picture frontrunner have gone to different movies. That makes this quite possibly the most wide-open Oscars race ever. While Roma and Green Book still have a slight edge as the favorite among voters, many are saying the love for those two could create a split, leaving something like Black Panther to win Best Picture. Even A Star Is Born could end up making a comeback after being mostly overlooked for any major wins this season.
Personally, I'm still pulling for Roma, but only because If Beale Street Could Talk isn't nominated. However, it should be noted that Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman is the only movie to land nominations in all the key guilds and industry groups. The film not only got Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing, but they were among the nominees from the PGA, DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA, not to mention landed BAFTA nods for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Maybe that's the movie that will walk away with Best Picture.
See the full list of 2019 WGA awards winners below, including writing for TV (winners in bold).
Original Screenplay
Eighth GradeGreen BookA Quiet PlaceRomaVice
Adapted Screenplay
Can You Ever Forgive Me?BlacKkKlansmanBlack PantherIf Beale Street Could TalkA Star Is Born
Documentary Screenplay
Bathtubs Over BroadwayFahrenheit 9/11Generation WealthIn Search of Greatness
Drama Series
The AmericansBetter Call SaulThe CrownThe Handmaid's TaleSuccession
Comedy Series
AtlantaBarryGLOWThe Good PlaceThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
New Series
BarryThe Haunting of Hill HouseHomecomingPoseSuccession
Long Form Original
Castle RockMy Dinner With HervéPaterno
Long Form Adapted
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime StoryThe Looming TowerManiacSharp Objects
Animation
"Bart's Not Dead" (The Simpsons)
"Boywatch" (Bob's Burgers)
"Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now" (Bob's Burgers)
"Krusty the Clown" (The Simpsons)
"Mo Mommy Mo Problems" (Bob's Burgers)
"Send in Stewie, Please" (Family Guy)
Episodic Drama
"Camelot" (Narcos: Mexico)
"The Car" (This Is Us)
"Episode 407" (The Affair)
"First Blood" (The Handmaid's Tale)
"Paean to the People" (Homeland)
"The Precious Blood of Jesus" (Ozark)
Episodic Comedy
"Another Place" (Forever)
"Chapter One: Make Your Mark" (Barry)
"Halibut!" (Santa Clarita Diet)
"Kimmy and the Beest!" (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
"Pilot" (The Kids Are Alright)
"Who Knows Better Than I" (Orange Is the New Black)
Comedy/Variety Talk Series
Full Frontal with Samantha BeeLast Week Tonight with John OliverLate Night with Seth MeyersThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Comedy/Variety Sketch Series
At Home With Amy SedarisI Love You, AmericaNathan for YouPortlandiaSaturday Night Live
Comedy/Variety Specials
2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish
Drew MichaelThe Fake News with Ted Nelms
The Oscars 2018
Video Game Writing
God of WarAssassin's Creed OdysseyBatman: The Enemy WithinMarvel's Spider-ManPillars of Eternity II: Deadfire