Screenwriting Tips | 2010 Oscar Nominated Scripts

Oscar Nominated Original Screenplays

Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker

Mark Boal’s tale of an American bomb squad stationed in Iraq has already garnered 6 BAFTA awards and is nominated for 9 Oscars. Trained as a journalist, this isn’t Boals first time treading on Iraqi soil, as an article he wrote in 2004 inspired In The Valley of Elah, directed by Paul Haggis.

Read the screenplay here

Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man

Minnesota natives, the Coen Brothers, have teamed up to co-write and co-direct their latest film, A Serious Man. The Coen Brothers films have a reputation for becoming wildly successful, and their latest is no different. It is nominated for 2 Oscars, but the pair isn’t resting on their laurels, as their new film is due out in December of this year.

Read the screenplay here

Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, UP

Docter and Peterson co-wrote and co-directed Disney-Pixars most recent smash hit, which is now up for Best Original Screenplay at the academy awards. Docter’s first feature was Monster’s Inc. and Peterson’s was Finding Nemo, so the two have been around the Disney-Pixar block before, so to speak, and with UP in line for 5 Oscars, I’d say they know what they’re doing.

Read the screenplay here

Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Tarantino certainly has made a name for himself for his quirky, long-winded scripts and with Inglorious Basterds up for 8 Oscars it seems he shows no sign of changing up his style any time soon. The success of his latest shows he has surely carved out his own genre and perfected his craft.

Read the screenplay here

Oren Moverman, The Messenger

(script unavailable online)

Oren’s film The Messenger has already gained wide success, winning the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival. With a new film due out later this year, and having been hired to rewrite and direct Universal’s Kurt Cobain biopic it seems we have much to expect from this Israeli filmmaker.

Read the screenplay here

Oscar Nominated Adapted Screenplays

Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9

(script unavailable online)

One of the most visually stunning and successful movies of the year, District 9, is written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. The film is based on Blomkamp’s 6 minute film from 2005. Blomkamp and Tatchell were three years apart at the Vancouver film school and have collaborated before, so watch out for this new filmmaking duo.

Nick Hornby, An Education

Though Hornby’s work usually tends to be more on the comedic side, writing novels, which inspired High Fidelity starring John Cusack and Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon, he opts for a change of pace to write the screenplay for An Education. The film centers around a teenage girl in 60’s London and the arrival of an older man who changes her perspective on life and her future.

Read the screenplay here

Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, In The Loop

Based on a BBC series, The Thick Of It, In The Loop centers around government officials either promoting or trying to halt a war in the Middle East. The writers of the film have all worked together on the show before, allowing it to satirize government in the same hilarious way.

Read the screenplay here

Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious

This is Fletcher’s first screenplay to be produced, and has gained massive critical success as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Watch out for his next few projects, as he is already hard at work on another adapted screenplay as well as his directorial debut from an original script.

Read the screenplay here

Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

Adapted from a novel by Walter Kirn, Up In The Air is Jason Reitman’s new movie starring George Clooney. Written by Reitman (director of Thank You For Smoking and Juno) and Sheldon Turner (writer of The Longest Yard and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) it looks very promising for the Oscars this season, with 6 nominations.

Read the screenplay here

"OMG! Thank you for this. I am reading Inglorious Basterds and I am totally lost in it. Thanks are due to you and, between you and I, The BBC Writersroom blog for the link."
Stephen Ali
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"Thank you for this, you're the best. I really wanted to read The Messenger, how am I able to get that screenplay? I am following raindance on Twitter"
Brian S
"Hi Brian: We have been trying to find the Messenger script without any luck. If you have it - please let me know."
Elliot

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