The Conversation

The Conversation: 2015 Oscar Predix: Damien Chazelle Should Jazz Up Adapted Screenplay Win

Published on February 20, 2015

The Nominations: Adapted Screenplay
“American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
“The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore
“Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
“Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Shoulda Been a Contender: Gillian Flynn for “Gone Girl”

Fincher’s Gone Girl didn’t seem to please many of the Academy voters, but we’re surprised to see author Gillian Flynn absent from this short list, adapting her own novel for the screenplay.

Should Win: Damien Chazelle for “Whiplash”

Especially compared to the four other nominees, Chazelle’s is the most effective and inventive screenplay.

Could Win: Paul Thomas Anderson for “Inherent Vice”

He did brave adapting Thomas Pynchon by fashioning it into an Altmanesque time capsule. And he is PT Anderson.

Will Win: Damien Chazelle “Whiplash”

While some Oscar experts have The Imitation Game topping the category and he was also locked out of the director’s list of nominations, it would be fair to surmise that a win for Best Adapted Screenplay could very well be a bright compensation.

Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.