Sam's Oscar Outlook: Best Original Screenplay

Feb. 29—Hey, look, it's my favorite category! Okay, best picture is my favorite category, but best original screenplay is the clear second option. Sitting down and writing a single page of a script is one of the most difficult creative challenges I've faced. The screenwriters nominated in this category pulled off full scripts that fired imaginations, including my own. The challenges they've faced were surely brutal, but the time for struggle with these projects has ended. Let's praise them.

I have a major soft spot for "Past Lives," the first and only film I saw during my life-changing 2023 adventure to Los Angeles. Funnier than it would appear on the surface, "Past Lives" does an incredible job of playing to the strengths of the three lead actors — Greta Lee's sarcastic spunk, Teo Yoo's earnestness, and John Magaro's special brand of wit. Celine Song is a writer-director everyone should be paying attention to.

I knew the second a steel drum cover of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P" blared over the opening scenes of "Anatomy of a Fall" that I was in for a treat. The procedural elements of "Anatomy" are pitch perfect for a modern courtroom drama, which is admittedly not a genre I find myself enjoying so much. But "Anatomy" is so perfectly crafted on a writing level that even I can be sucked into the world. The closest story comparison for it is not a courtroom drama, but "Doubt," one of the best stories of the 21st century.

"The Holdovers" rocks my socks. It's a great throwback story on a visual and story level, but it uses the timeless themes of Christmas to craft something magical. The screenplay alludes to other Christmastime classics like "A Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life," weaving a deep character study in a straightforward narrative package. With humor and hard-hitting character moments littered throughout, the screenplay for "The Holdovers" is definitely one of the year's best.

I love the screenplay to "May December," a film that should have received at least five Oscar nominations. Instead, Samy Burch's screenplay is the lone nominated element. Regardless of the Academy's snubbery, "May December" is bound to be looked back on as a classic. It's partly a takedown of the current true crime mania and exploitation, and an inward look at the weirdness of telling true stories in film form. No wonder the group made up of film insiders were underwhelmed.

And then there's "Maestro," easily the worst nominee on this list. Sorry for being harsh, but this is a weird nomination, especially considering the strength of its competitors. Here's one good thing I'll say: the story structure of this movie should be the blueprint for future biopics. It skips over most of Bernstein's career highlights and shows us the valleys in between. It is, in theory, a great way to learn the artist rather than the art. The execution of this interesting concept is the part that misses.

The general consensus is that the adapted lineup is the stronger screenplay crop this year, but I'm not so sure. "May December" and "The Holdovers" are my personal favorite in the original category, but I think four of the five nominees would be solid winners.