Oscars 2017: Predicting The Winners
18. Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Hell or High Water Should Win: Hell Or High Water Surprise Win: Manchester By The Sea
Hell or High Water was one of the indie success stories at the box office last year, and indeed, everything that Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan has written so has received critical acclaim. It's time that immense talent and consistent praise was translated into an Academy Award.
Hell or High Water is the film that will do that: it represents the kind of solid, mid-budget drama that is rarely made these days. A win would certainly support the production of similar types of films. Whilst it is not the most groundbreaking script, it covers two very different kinds of relationships with men facing everyday struggles and focuses on the small and ordinary elements of life despite its action-packed plot.
Much like the acting categories, the only likely upset in this category is Manchester By The Sea, a script from a writer with serious pedigree that focuses on grounded characters dealing with death in unhealthy ways. There's a slight chance that La La Land could pick up another award here, but no one is really talking about the screenplay in the same way they are about every other aspect of the film.