Daylight Award: Writer

Choosing the best writing is a very subjective business for me. I am only impressed by writing in a narrow selection of genres, particularly comedy, and most specifically dark comedy. It is easier to concentrate on the script in films with less action and more dialogue obviously, so I may be giving short shrift to some great screenwriters in other genres. But, these are MY awards so I get to pick my favorites! I struggled with this for a few days because I really think Charlie Kaufman is my favorite modern screenwriter. He is beyond brilliant. The way he turns Hollywood and the traditional screenplay on it's head in Adaptation and Being John Malkovich was bold and worked perfectly. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind may be the most romantic screenplay in history and yet completely unconventional and mindblowing in it's approach. BUT, I cannot give Kaufman the award for "Best Writer of this generation"! What? Yep. Really? Uh-huh. Are you serious? I am. Because when I think of the longevity of the best writing, the combination of quantity AND quality, the award should clearly go to......


Daylight Award for Best Writer(s) Of This Generation:



Joel and Ethan Coen

They are writers, producers, and directors. Every film they make is their vision from the page to the final cut and what a resume'! I have already mentioned O, Brother Where Art Thou? as one of my favorite films and it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Fargo won the award for Best Original Screenplay and No Country For Old Men won Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay this year. Other great screenplays:

Blood Simple
Raising Arizona
Barton Fink
Miller's Crossing
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Big Lebowski

Few others have written more original material as groundbreaking, influential, or amazing as the Coen Bros. And their direction is among the best as well.

Coming soon, the Daylight Award for Best Picture!