The Disaster Artist - 1 nomination

Adapted Screenplay, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

The Disaster Artist is an Oscars unicorn - funny films don't often find their way into nominations (something that is much to my husband's chagrin), and this one is screamingly funny.  It tells the behind the scenes tale of Tommy Wiseau and his best friend Greg who move to Los Angeles with dreams of being in the movie business.  When neither of them is achieving what they had hoped to, Tommy decides to write and bankroll a movie himself. They make the infamous film, "The Room," considered to be the best worst movie of all time.  (I tried to watch it, I couldn't get past the first 15 minutes.  It's, well, a disaster.)

But Tommy is as compelling a mystery as the production of the film (which includes cameos from dozens of comedians, stars, it's almost baffling the people that James Franco roped into appearing in this movie) - he clearly has a thick Eastern European accent, but claims to be from New Orleans (all American boy).  He is filthy rich but claims to have made his money in blue jeans.  There is literally nothing about this guy that makes any sense, and it's so much the funnier for it.

But the genius of the production that isn't talked about much is how carefully Franco and his fellow filmmakers constructed The Disaster Artist to match the original shot for shot.  He finds a way to match footstep paces, tone, pauses, accents, everything is meticulously executed, making the movie that much more impressive.  As always, stay to the end of the film!