Screenplay

Both screenplay categories here are pretty tight, with only one glaring mistake.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Will Win: The Departed. It's a great movie with a lot of love from the Academy. A Scorcese win (not yet a sure thing) could boost it's chances in a few other categories, particularly this one. As with the Original Screenplay, there's a lot of sentiment carrying this one to a win.

Should Win: Notes on a Scandal. Patrick Marber was unfairly ignored for his screenplay for Closer. Scandal was a little more accessible and as such rightly got a nomination. However, it's still seen as a long shot despite it's tight storytelling and compelling characters. He did a great job making two unlikeable women very sympathetic and filling out 90 minutes into a satisfying experience.

Should Have Been Nominated: Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. This British import came and went fairly quickly last January. It got a lot of love from critics but lost its audience which was too busy catching up on late release Oscar nominees. It's a terrific adaptation of a book long thought to be unfilmable.

Should Not Have Been Nominated: Borat. . . Come on. It's a reality TV show, and a very unfunny one at that. How this movie found an audience completely baffles me, and its Golden Globe wins are even more mystifying. Let's send this one to the dustbin of film history.

Original Screenplay:
Will Win: Little Miss Sunshine. Babel could upset this contest with it's multiple but deftly managed story lines. However, there's a great love for this movie. It really tapped into a vein, and I think it will hold. A Best Picture win will guarantee this category as well.

Should Win: Little Miss Sunshine. It's a great story, and its snub in the director category requires a win here.

Should Have Been Nominated: While all the nominees in this category are deserving, it would have been nice to see Blood Diamond (I think it was original) nominated as well. It was as good as, although not better than, any of these nominees, and it's omission was probably only by a few votes.

Should Not Have Been Nominated: None. They are all deserving, I can't complain about any of these winning.