Writers Guild Awards Go for ‘Captain Phillips’ and ‘Her’

Given all the films that aren’t eligible, the Writers Guild Awards gives a boost to other contenders in the Oscar race. Saturday night Spike Jonze took home original screenplay for “Her”–ironically, thanking the rival he beat, “American Hustle”‘s David O. Russell, for helping him with his script– and Billy Ray won for “Captain Phillips.” Both awards were announced at a parallel ceremony in New York well ahead of their unveiling in Los Angeles, as attendees checked their smartphones for breaking news. Why can’t the two award shows sync up with some kind of satellite feed to avoid this kind of disjunction?

“All right!” said Jonze as he accepted his award. “In a way, this is an award for pain that writers know.” Billy Ray said that his wish is that the writers in the room enjoy the luck he had with his collaborators on “Captain Phillips.” Sarah Polley, who was robbed of an Oscar nomination for “Stories We Tell,” won the documentary award. Writer/director/producer Alex Gibney had to settle for being the first docmaker to win the Paul Selvin award for a film that honors constitutional and civil liberties, “We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks.” Gibney defended Chelsea Manning–and writers who are spied on. “Leaks are essential to democracy,” said Gibney. “Manning leaked and has been tortured and sentenced to 35 years in prison…and deserves pardon.”

On the television side, comedy series went to to HBO’s “Veep.” “Breaking Bad” won Drama Series, per usual. Vince Gilligan reminded the room that television is a collaborative medium–and that the last season of the show also won the PGA, DGA and SAG Awards. The best new series went to Netflix’s “House of Cards.” “The Colbert Report” won variety series. The Paddy Chayefsky Laurel TV award went to veteran Garry Marshall, “who owned ABC’s comedy block for 10 years,” pointed out Henry Winkler, who knows from “Laverne & Shirley” and “Happy Days.” Animation TV writing went to “The Simpsons,” episodic drama goes to “Breaking Bad.” Episodic comedy went to “30 Rock.”

“Tell someone you haven’t yet that you love them,” said Sam Simon, diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago, accepting his humanitarian award.

Mel Brooks got a standing ovation for introducing wheelchair-bound five-time Oscar nominee Paul Mazursky, earning the Laurel Award for Screenwriting: “I come not to bury Paul as an actor but to praise him as a writer.”

“I started as night club comic and never wanted to be writer,” Mazursky said. “I was born in Brooklyn in 1930.” He said that he wept when he learned he was getting this award, voted on by other winners. “Let me tell you about critics,” he said. “We think they’re all full of shit. But when ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’ opened the New York Film Festival, I knew it would be a hit.” After Vincent Canby panned it in The New York Times, the next morning at the Sherry Netherlands with his wife–“we’re still married after 61 years”–Mazursky got a call from Pauline Kael at 7:30 am: “I wanted to tell you Canby is a schmuck.”

Full list of winners below.

SCREEN WINNERS

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA WINNERS

DRAMA SERIES

Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC

COMEDY SERIES

Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO

NEW SERIES

House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Confessions” (Breaking Bad), Written by Gennifer Hutchison; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Hogcock!” (30 Rock), Written by Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock; NBC

LONG FORM – ADAPTED

Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, Written by Shawn Slovo, Based on the book by Howard Bingham and Max Wallace; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL

“Episode 4: The Collected Sylvia” (Sylvia Plath: Girl Detective), Written by Mike Simses; sylviaplathgirldetective.com

ANIMATION

“A Test Before Trying” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES

The Colbert Report, Writers: Stephen Colbert, Tom Purcell, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Dan Guterman, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Bobby Mort, Meredith Scardino, Max Werner; Comedy Central

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas, Head Writers: Jay Martel, Ian Roberts Writers: Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders; NBC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Jeopardy!, Written by John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

DAYTIME DRAMA

Days of Our Lives, Written by Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Christopher Dunn, Janet Iacobuzio, David A. Levinson, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Melissa Salmons, Christopher J. Whitesell; NBC

CHILDREN’S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS

“influANTces” (A.N.T. Farm), Written by Vincent Brown; Disney Channel

DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS

“Egypt in Crisis” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria & Martin Smith; PBS

DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

“The Choice 2012” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk; PBS

TIED WITH:

“Silicon Valley” (American Experience), Telescript by Randall MacLowry and Michelle Ferrari; Story by Randall MacLowry; PBS

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Tragedy at Newtown” Special Edition (ABC World News with Diane Sawyer), Written by Lisa Ferri and Matt Negrin; ABC

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Lethal Medicine” (60 Minutes), Written by Michael Rey, Oriana Zill de Granados, Michael Radutzky; CBS

RADIO WINNERS

DOCUMENTARY

“2012 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio News

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Afternoon Drive,” Written by Bill Spadaro; CBS Radio/1010 WINS

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Remembering C. Everett Koop,” Written by Scott Saloway; CBS Radio News

PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION WINNERS

ON-AIR PROMOTION (TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA OR RADIO)

The Crazy Ones, “Building a Better Comedy,” Written by Erial Tompkins; CBS

TELEVISION GRAPHIC ART AND ANIMATION

CBS News Animations: “Brain Injury,” “Pills,” “Bionic Leg,” “Midland Parade,” “Concordia Salvage;” Animation by David Rosen; CBS News

VIDEOGAME WINNER

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING

The Last of Us, Written by Neil Druckmann; Sony Computer Entertainment