The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air split WGA Awards
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Iraqi anti-terror film "The Hurt Locker" and corporate downsizing drama "Up in the Air" dominated the Writers Guild Award (WGA) winning lineup at ceremonies held Sunday, making the competition for the best Oscar awards fiercer.
Writer Mark Boal from "The Hurt Locker" won the WGA for best original screenplay, while "Up in the Air" writers Jason Reitman and Sheldon won the prize for best adapted screenplay. "Up in the Air" is adapted from a 2001 novel of the same name by Walter Kim and deals with a corporate downsizer and his travels.
The awards were presented at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York. "Family Guy" creator/writer/producer Seth MacFarlane hosted the West Coast ceremony at the Century Plaza hotel.
Other nominees for best original screenplay lost out, which include James Cameron for "Avatar," Joel and Ethan Coen for "A Serious Man," Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for the romantic comedy "(500) Days of Summer," and Jon Lucas and Scott Moore for the comic hit "The Hangover."
For best adapted screenplay, the other nominees were "Crazy Heart," screenplay by Scott Cooper, based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; "Julie & Julia," screenplay by Nora Ephron, based on books by Julie Powell and Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme; "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire," screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher, based on the novel by Sapphire, and "Star Trek," written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, based on "Star Trek" by Gene Roddenberry.
Two special awards were handed out during the ceremonies.
Actor, comedian and singer Jason Alexander, who is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, presented the 2010 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television to writer/actor/producer Larry David.
"Invictus" actor Morgan Freeman presented South African-born screenwriter Anthony Peckham with the Paul Selvin Award, recognizing a work that embodies the spirit of constitutional rights and civil liberties.
WGA, West president John Wells presented veteran screenwriter Carl Gottlieb ("Jaw") with the Morgan Cox Award for his longtime service to the guild, while screenwriter Barry Levinson received the WGAW's Screen Laural Award honoring his lifetime of achievement in writing for film.
The Writers Guild represents film and television writers in the United States. Many WG members are also part of the Oscar organizer, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, therefore the WG Awards are regarded as a key indicator on who will go on to win Oscars.
The 82nd Oscars will be presented on the March 7 ceremony in downtown Los Angeles.
