Academy Awards - screenplay noms announced

Well, they're just announced the Oscar nominations, with No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood tying for more nods at eight each. I'm particularly interested in the screenplay nominations, and pleasantly surprised what's been picked. Adapted screenplay was the more predictable category, with Atonement by Christopher Hampton, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Ronald Harwood, No Country For Old by Joel and Ethan Coen and There Will Be Blood by Paul Thomas Anderson all much mooted choices. The joker in the pack is Away From Her by writer-director Sarah Polley. Coens to here, mayhap?

Original screenplay was less easy to name, though smash hit comedy Juno was first on my list. Michael Clayton by writer-director Tony Gilroy got a nom here, one of seven it picked up. Happily, Brad Bird's script for the wonderful animated Pixar film Ratatouille also got a nom in this category, along with quirky comedy-dramas Lars and the Real Girl [by Tamara Jenkins], and The Savages [Nancy Oliver]. Having read Diablo Cody's screenplay for Juno and loved it to pieces, I've got my fingers crossed it wins through when the Oscars are awarded at the end of February.

It's worth noting three of the five original screenplay nominees were written by women - this may well be a record. But men still dominate the adapted screenplay nominations, just writer-director Sarah Polley winning through.