One Category at a Time: Adapted Screenplay

After a lean couple of years, 2015 saw the race for Best Adapted Screenplay return to high competitive form: Terrific adaptations like Steve Jobs and 45 Years couldn't find room in a field crowded mostly by Best Picture nominees: Critics prizes have been split every which way: And until the PGA pointed to our Best Picture frontrunner, it felt as though any of the five nominees had a legit shot at winning. It's a shame the contest has devolved into such an open-and-shut case.

My Award Nominations: Adapted Screenplay

A far more competitive field than it was last year, with some truly heartbreaking decisions about who to leave off. But five is the ceiling, and these are the five Adapted Screenplays that I thought were tops:

First Week of November Gives Award Watchers Some Breathing Room

The first week of November was like being in the eye of the awards movie hurricane. With no prestige courters daring to go wide on a weekend when they'd be competing with Halloween parties and horror movie marathons, awards watchers had a chance to catch up with any October mainstays they had missed, but this Oscar blogger struck out in search of a title that's still platforming.

After winning the coveted People's Choice Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, Lenny Abrahamson's Room instantly shot onto pundits' radar as a legit Best Picture contender. Now finally playing on a single commercial screen in Toronto (the city where it was shot in its entirety), I eagerly ventured downtown last weekend to see what all the fuss was about.