2003: Written & Directed By…

Adapted Screenplay

Big Fish

Cold Mountain

Le Divorce

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Mystic River

Alt. Peter Pan, House of Sand & Fog, Freaky Friday

Big Fish was horribly snubbed by the Academy and every other major precursor in the big categories. It was an intelligent and poignant film and much of that depended on its screenplay. Easily the best of the lot for me, Mystic River and Cold Mountain battle it out for the runner up spot with the former just edging out in front.

          

Original Screenplay

Love Actually

Lost in Translation

Down With Love

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Something’s Gotta Give

Alt. Phone Booth, Finding Nemo, 21 Grams, Kill Bill

I never really went all out for Lost in Translation; it made me feel like I did with Sideways in 2004 – as if I was missing something. Down With Love had one of the silliest but self-aware script and it was second only to Something’s Gotta Give. I don't know, it's not that smart. But it hits me.

        

The Directors

Tier Two

Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
P. J. Hogan, Peter Pan

Alejandro Gonzalev Inarritu, 21 Grams

Joel Schumacher, Phone Booth

Andrew Stanton, Finding Nemo

I almost had James Ivory here, but I switched to Hogan who did good work with his underrated piece. Inarritu almost made my top 5 with his good work in 21 Grams and Schumacher did good with the bluntness of Phone Booth.           
            

The Nominees

Tim Burton, Big Fish

Clint Eastwood, Mystic River

 Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Anthony Minghella, Cold Mountain

Gore Verbinski, The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black

An easy five, but it's easy to rank them. If I had to I'd throw out one I'd throw out Verbinski first. Not because he's bad, but because they're all good. Eastwood's Mystic River is my favourite of his, but he'd go next. The picture is good, his direction is not the driving force. Neither is Minghella's Cold Mountain - his screenplay is the beacon there. So it's down to Burton and Jackson and it's actually really tough. I'd say Burton just for the maturity of the piece, but I'd be lying. Jackson it is.

              

So what are your thoughts on my choices?