“Coda” just won the Writers Guild of America for Best Adapted Screenplay. How many more wins must this film get for people to realize that it’s probably our Best Picture frontrunner?
Sian Heder’s screenplay beat Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.” Another momentum loss for Campion’s film. Critics can only push a movie so far without legitimate audience enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong, many Oscar voters do love “The Power of the Dog,” but, sadly, possibly not enough to make it win Best Picture.
Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up” won Best Original Screenplay, beating Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.” Does this mean PTA might lose the Oscar as well? Maybe.
And so, “CODA” is the defacto frontrunner in a Best Picture race that seems destined to go down to the wire. Hot on its tail are “Power of the Dog” and I guess “Belfast.” Maybe “West Side Story” can sneak up in there, or even “King Richard.”
It seems as though another non-auteur film might win Best Picture without a Best Director nod, much like “Green Book” did back in 2019. Oh, lordy.