- Title: USA: THE WRITERS GUILD HAND OUT ANNUAL AWARDS FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
- Date: 16th March 2000
- Summary: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2000) (REUTERS) MATT DAMON POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ANTHONY MINGHELLA, WRITER-DIRECTOR OF "THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY" HALEY JOEL OSMENT, STAR OF "THE SIXTH SENSE" MICHAEL DUNCAN, CO-STAR OF "THE GREEN MILE" MATT DAMON (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATT DAMON TALKING ABOUT "THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY," SAYING "That was the first t
- Embargoed: 31st March 2000 13:00
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- Location: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVABSVZNFDVAKM9XQBV97JKD1HWG
- Story Text: Motion picture scribes stepped out of the shadows in Beverly Hills as the Writers Guild handed out its annual awards for best screenplay."American Beauty" and "Election"
carried away the top honors.
The writers behind "American Beauty" and "Election" have carried away the top honors in motion picture screenwriting from the Writers Guild of America.
Alan Ball won for "Beauty" in the original screenplay category as the awards season front-runner continued to rack up honors.Ball's script -- his first produced screenplay -- about a suburban family unraveling topped Charlie Kaufman for "Being John Malkovich"; Paul Thomas Anderson, "Magnolia"; M.
Night Shyamalan, "The Sixth Sense"; and David O.Russell, story by John Ridley, "Three Kings."
The "Election" team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor won the prize for best adapted screenplay.Their script was based on the novel by Tom Perrotta about a high school teacher interfering in the election for student body president.
The duo, who also received the film's only Academy Awards nomination, beat out John Irving for "The Cider House Rules"; Michael Mann and Eric Roth, "The Insider"; Lewis Colick, "October Sky"; and Anthony Minghella, "The Talented Mr.
The honours, marking the 52nd year for the awards, were presented in joint ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills and the Plaza Hotel in New York.Of the 13 movie nominees, Roth had been the only previous winner, having taken the prize (and the Oscar) for "Forrest Gump."
Payne also directed "Election," which was released last spring by Paramount and generated less than $15 million domestic gross despite critical acclaim.DreamWorks' "Beauty"
has grossed $93.1 million.
The Writers Guild Awards are usually seen as a harbinger for related categories in the Academy Awards, which will be handed out on March 26 in Los Angeles. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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