Sunday Top Ten - People who need an Oscar... IMMEDIATELY

It's been great to take a nice long break from any Oscar-related discussion. It's mostly a source of negative energy, but I think I've had a sufficient layoff from my awards bitterness to survive an Oscary list. I'll try to put together an Oscar list with a more positive theme one of these days, but this week I'm drawing attention to those poor individuals who, for no good reason, have been unfairly slighted by the Academy a few too many times.

It shouldn't bother me as much as it does. After all, the brilliant work of these people speaks for itself. A rational person shouldn't need the Academy to validate one's admiration of these artists by bestowing on them the title of Academy-Award-winner. But the Oscars are hardly rational themselves, and they certainly bring out the irrational in me. Here, in my irrational opinion, are the ten (or more) people, still working at the top of their game, who need an Oscar IMMEDIATELY.

One Category at a Time: Original Screenplay

This will probably the second year in a row that the Oscar winner here was not eligible for the WGA. (Silly me. Totally thought Basterds won WGA last year. Doi!)
While last year's showdown between Inglorious Basterds and eventual Oscar winner The Hurt Locker was cause for legitimate indecision before the outcome, this year's perceived showdown between WGA winner Inception and Best Picture juggernaut The King's Speech is probably not much of a fight.

You can't help but be happy for David Seidler. Having long since overcome his own stammer, it's clear his attachment to the story he tells is a passionate and personal one. In spite of what more deserving nominees there are, his is still a droll and sincere script. You can't begrudge him his success.

At least Christopher Nolan can take his WGA victory as consolation. The mind-fucking originality of Inception lingers and improves with age, while also delivering an understated emotional cadence. It's great to see him recognized for this extraordinary filmmaking achievement.

It's highly unfortunate that Mike Leigh and Lisa Cholodenko are going unrewarded. The Kids Are All Right is the finest original screenplay of the year; genuinely emotional and emotionally genuine, tackling the complexity of human relationships with wit and insight. Though much different in tone, the devastating honesty of Another Year leaves an impression no less unshakable.

I could have done without The Fighter in this category, which is gradually becoming my most overrated film of the year, but you knew it would show up here. People like the movie, and I have to hand it to the writers for hammering a relatively messy collection of events into something relatively cohesive.

Will win: The King's Speech
Runner-up: The Kids Are All Right

Should win: The Kids Are All Right
Should have been nominated: Toy Story 3

My Award nominations: Original Screenplay

It's a crowded field this year, and there are a couple of scripts I really wanted to include in Best Original Screenplay, but five is the limit, and they are:

Another Year (Mike Leigh):
A devastating study of middle class monotony, manifested by a handful of beautifully written characters. His humour feels organic and genuine, his tragedy equally so. The character arcs are a subtle extension of character bakcstories that sneak up on the audience before the final crushing scenes.

Four Lions (Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Christopher Morris, Simon Blackwell):
This wickedly funny farce about an incompetent quintet of British-Muslim suicide bombers not only features some of the year's most hilarious dialogue, but also a razor-sharp satirical edge, mocking the idiocy of multiple philosophies regarding terrorism in hysterically grotesque fashion!

Inception (Christopher Nolan):
An ingenious and wholly original concept from Nolan's head-spinning imagination is what gives rise to the roller coaster ride that is Inception. Beyond the cerebral heist storyline, his script is a complex and literally layered character study about grief, regret, and coming to terms with both, from which stems a surprisingly moving payoff.

The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg):
Void of snappy one-liners or bold dramatic flare, the comedy and tragedy of this story stem organically from the characters and the complex relationships they share with each other, lending the whole film an understated realism. The authenticity of the dialogue and characterizations is what makes the story so relatable and affecting.

Toy Story 3* (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich):
Another wonderful yarn, brilliantly spun as always by Pixar's unrivaled storytellers. The script moves with purpose, pushing forward the many themes explored by the two originals while still preserving their charm and wit. A droll, insightful, and timeless fable that concludes with one of the most poignant and moving endings in recent memory.

Just missed: Black Swan, Blue Valentine, Fish Tank, The Illusionist, Inside Job

*Yes, I'm aware the Academy is classifying Toy Story 3 as Adapted, but I don't consider a sequel of an original concept to be an adaptation, especially since they had to concoct a completely new story for the film.