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Established in 1988 by the Friends of the USC Libraries, the awards and a black-tie dinner honor the author of a book or story on which an English-language film is based and the screenwriter(s) who adapted the book for the screen.
In an unprecedented result, the writers of two films have been selected as the winners of this year’s USC Scripter Award. Both “Mystic River” and “Seabiscuit” will take home the prize for the year’s best filmed adaptation.
Author Dennis Lehane and screenwriter Brian Helgeland will be honored for their work on “Mystic River”; author Laura Hillenbrand and screenwriter Gary Ross will be recognized for “Seabiscuit.”
“Support for both films was incredibly strong and, in the end, the committee could not eliminate either of these worthy contenders,” said screenwriter Robert Towne, who chaired this year’s selection committee. “This unprecedented finish is a fitting end to a year with so many outstanding film adaptations.”
Actress Sharon Gless will serve as master of ceremonies and Hal Kanter will return as grand master of ceremonies.
“Mystic River” explores the interwoven history of three men, the terrible events that tainted their boyhood and shaped their futures, and the irrevocable choices they ultimately make. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film is set in Boston and stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Marcia Gay Harden. “Mystic River” garnered six Academy Award® nominations: best picture, director (Eastwood), actor (Penn), supporting actor (Robbins), supporting actress (Harden) and screenplay (Helgeland).
Helgeland is a previous Scripter, Academy Award® and Writers Guild of America award winner for “L.A. Confidential,” an adaptation that he co-wrote with Curtis Hanson, based on James Ellroy’s novel. “Mystic River” is the second film he has adapted for Eastwood, following 2002’s “Blood Work.”
Lehane has written seven novels, including “Sacred,” his current release, “Shutter Island” and “Mystic River.” “Mystic River” won both the Anthony and Barry awards for best novel as well as the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction.
“Seabiscuit” tells the true story of a down-and-out racehorse who beat the odds and inspired the imagination of a nation worn down by the Depression. The film, which screenwriter Ross also directed, stars Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.
Ross has earned multiple Academy Award® nominations for his films “Big” and “Dave.” He is also among the Oscar® contenders this year, nominated in the best adapted screenplay category. “Seabiscuit” has been nominated for seven Academy Awards this year, including best picture.
Author Hillenbrand, a contributing writer/editor for Equus magazine since 1989, is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award, the highest journalistic honor in thoroughbred racing.
The other finalists for the 16th Scripter Award were the authors and screenwriters of “Cold Mountain,” “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.”
Past Scripter winners include “The Hours,” “A Beautiful Mind” and “Schindler’s List.”
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