Oscars 2014: If We Picked The Winners (Best Adapted Screenplay)

4. Billy Ray - Captain Phillips

This is yet another nominee whose dualistic nature makes it a difficult film to arbitrate. The film's screenplay starts with terribly on the nose dialogue between Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his wife (Catherine Keener) that spells out the movie's overarching themes in no uncertain terms, namely, that the shifting and uncertain landscape of society in the early 21st Century is an unnerving time that may lead people to desperate measures. The cinematic equivalent of a 7th grade essay that very obviously places the thesis statement in the opening paragraph to get the check mark from teacher, the film's super-liminal (to borrow from one of my all-time favorite Simpsons jokes) beginning was nearly enough to automatically rank it fifth among five. However, cooler heads prevailed, and despite the screenplay's decimation of the meaning of the word subtext, there is a lot to like about Billy Ray's work. Inarguably, the film is more of a director's showcase than it is an illustration of writing prowess. With a heavy emphasis on action sequences, such as the Somali pirates attempting to board the ship, the Somali pirates search for all the crew members on the ship, the Somali pirates escape with Phillips as a hostage on the smaller vessel, and the U.S. Military 's operation to save Phillips, Captain Phillips isn't exactly the most dialogue-heavy piece of cinema you'll find. Particularly in the hands of director Paul Greengrass, whose trademark "documentary" brand of cinematography and choppy editing style distracts even further from any merits the film's screenplay might have, it is a tad surprising that the screenplay for Captain Phillips was singled out by the Academy. What the writers responded to I suspect, and the thing that does make Billy Ray's work commendable, is the excellent characterization of the Somali pirates and their interaction amongst one anther, as well as with Captain Phillips. As the film progresses, especially once the pirates enter the smaller boat with Captain Phillips, the film increasingly relies on the screenplay to ratchet up the tension, and boy does it succeed in this task. The infighting between Muse (Barkhad Abdi) and his cohorts, the relationship between Muse and Phillips, which seems to be one of genuine respect and makes Muse reluctant to commit to the tough decisions he needs to make, and Philips scrambling to outthink his adversaries and come out alive, is all right there in the screenplay (heavily assisted by good acting) and earns Ray his nomination. Definitely not without its flaws, Captain Phillips is nevertheless a good example of strong action/drama hybrid screenwriting.