USC Libraries name finalists for 25th annual Scripter Award
The USC Libraries have named the authors and screenwriters of Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Lincoln, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Silver Linings Playbook as finalists for the 25th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award. A tie resulted in six finalists for the 2013 honor, rather than the typical five.
The Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation, as well as the author of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.
The Friends of the USC Libraries established the Scripter in 1988, presenting the inaugural awards to author Helene Hanff and screenwriter Hugh Whitemore for 84 Charing Cross Road. This year marks the award’s 25th anniversary.
Other previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of The Descendants, The Social Network and Schindler’s List.
In alphabetical order by film title, the finalists are:
• Joshuah Bearman, author of the article “The Great Escape,” Antonio Mendez, author of The Master of Disguise, and screenwriter Chris Terrio for Argo
• Dramatist Lucy Alibar, who wrote the play Juicy and Delicious, and screenwriter Benh Zeitlin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Alibar for Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Novelist Yann Martel and screenwriter David Magee for Life of Pi
• Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and screenwriter Tony Kushner for Lincoln
• Stephen Chbosky, author of the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as well as the screenplay based on the book
• Author Matthew Quick and screenwriter David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.
Co-chaired by Golden Globe-winning screenwriter Naomi Foner and Howard Rodman, USC professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, the 2013 Scripter selection committee selected the six finalists from a field of 82 eligible adaptations.
Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin and Kenneth Turan; authors Michael Chabon, Kaui Hart Hemmings and Jonathan Lethem; screenwriters Geoffrey Fletcher, Gale Anne Hurd and Lawrence Kasdan; and USC Deans Elizabeth M. Daley of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Madeline Puzo of the USC School of Dramatic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.
The studios distributing the films and the publishers of the original stories are:
• Argo — Warner Bros., Wired for Bearman’s article and Penguin for Mendez’s book
• Beasts of the Southern Wild — Fox Searchlight and Diversion Books, publisher of the play Juicy and Delicious, upon which Beasts of the Southern Wild is based
• Life of Pi — 20th Century Fox and Mariner Books
• Lincoln — DreamWorks and Mariner Books
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Summit Entertainment and MTV Books
• Silver Linings Playbook — The Weinstein Co. and Sara Crichton Books.
The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Feb. 9 at Doheny Memorial Library. Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford are serving as honorary dinner chairs.
Brokeback Mountain screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana will attend the ceremony to receive the previously announced Literary Achievement Award.
For more information about Scripter — including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities and an up-to-date list of sponsors — email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu
From left, this year's finalists are Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Lincoln, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Silver Linings Playbook.