Oscars 2019: Who Should Win Every Award (And Who Actually Will)

6. Original Screenplay

First Reformed Ethan Hawke
A24

Nominees: Green Book (Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga), The Favourite (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara), Roma (Alfonso Cuarón), Vice (Adam McKay), First Reformed (Paul Schrader)

Who Should Win

The Favourite

Although it wasn't written by Yorgos Lanthimos, writers Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara manage to pull off his signature style with aplomb in crafting this tragicomedy. The Favourite's screenplay leaps off the page with wit and invention, as Davis and McNamara craft a wonderfully weird and entertaining game of vying for Queen Anne's affections. It's superbly layered, full of memorable dialogue, and so impressively builds three central characters to be inhabited by their respective actresses.

Who Will Win

The Favourite

The Oscars seem to deviate from the WGA every other year in this category, and after matching up on Get Out last year, there'll definitely be a difference here, since Eighth Grade isn't nominated. That looks very good for The Favourite in particular, since it wasn't eligible for the WGA award. The other films here couldn't score a win there, and after taking home the BAFTA, it's in pole position, especially given it's unlikely to take home either Best Picture or Director. Don't rule out Green Book either though, which won the Golden Globe and is similarly likely to miss out on the bigger prizes, but The Favourite's screenplay definitely offers a lot more for voters to chew on.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.