The Writers Guild of America has announced nominations for its annual awards. The honours are, like most of the gongs being handed out at this time of year, thought to be indicative of possible Oscar nominations and winners.
The nomination for adapted screenplay adds weight to A Beautiful Mind's Oscar credentials, with the film now easing into pole position in the hunt for the main Academy Awards. Surprise nominations, perhaps, for Ghost World and Bridget Jones, which though well received, haven't made much of a showing in other award nominations.
Among the original screenplays, The Royal Tenenbaums looks like the front runner with its witty Salinger-esque comedy of New York misfits.
The nominations for original screenplay were Julian Fellowes for Gosford Park; the Coen brothers for The Man Who Wasn't There; Milo Addica and Will Rokos for Monster's Ball; Baz Lurhmann and Craig Pearce for Moulin Rouge; and Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson for The Royal Tenenbaums.
The adapted screenplay nominations went to Akiva Goldsman for A Beautiful Mind; Ken Nolan for Black Hawk Down; Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis for Bridget Jones's Diary; Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff for Ghost World; and Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyen and Peter Jackson for The Fellowship of the Ring.
Of the films nominated, A Beautiful Mind and Moulin Rouge have already been big winners at this year's Golden Globes. The winners will be announced at twin ceremonies on March 2, taking place simultaneously in New York and Los Angeles.