Baftas 2021: All The Major Winners & Losers
5. Best Original Screenplay And Outstanding British Film - Promising Young Woman
Emerald Fennell has received a fair few wins recently, but things got off to a bad start after initially losing Best Original Screenplay to Aaron Sorkin's script for The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the Golden Globes. This made the director/writer's Bafta win for Promising Young Woman's screenplay a pleasant, if slightly familiar, sight to see.
Not seeming like she was expecting the win herself, Fennell gave a speech fuelled on pure adrenaline and surprise while noting the irony that as a writer her speech was not very articulate at all. Having won the Critics' Choice Award and a Writers' Guild Award for her clever and timely MeToo film, the Oscar seems a smart bet for the Brit unless the old guard at the Academy favour Sorkin's 'safer' screenplay.
However, the real surprise was Fennell picking up the award for Outstanding British Film which looked set to go to seven time nominee Rocks. Not only did Rocks only win one award (Best Casting) but Promising Young Woman was recognised as the best British film over other favourites such as The Father and Mogul Mowgli. Thanking her cast, who she noted gave her fantastic performances despite working “for a packet of crisps”, Fennell appeared as shocked as she was when picking up her previous Bafta.