'Descendants,' 'Bridesmaids' earn writers noms

[January 06, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- George Clooney's "The Descendants," Brad Pitt's "Moneyball," Kristen Wiig's "Bridesmaids" and Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" are among nominees for the Writers Guild of America Awards.

Clooney's family drama "The Descendants" earned an adapted-screenplay nomination Thursday for director Alexander Payne and co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Pitt's sports tale "Moneyball" is up for the same prize for writers Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin.

Zaillian has a second adapted-screenplay nomination for director David Fincher's thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara.

"Bridesmaids" star Wiig shared an original-screenplay nomination for her wedding comedy, which she co-wrote with Annie Mumolo. Director Allen also was nominated for original screenplay for his romantic fantasy "Midnight in Paris."

Other contenders for original screenplay: Will Reiser for the cancer story "50/50," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen; Tom McCarthy for the family tale "Win Win," featuring Paul Giamatti; and Diablo Cody for the dark comedy "Young Adult," with Charlize Theron.

Also nominated for adapted screenplay: writer-director Tate Taylor for the Deep South drama "The Help," with Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer; and John Logan for filmmaker Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo," featuring Ben Kingsley and child stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Asa Butterfield.

Some acclaimed films, including the silent movie "The Artist," were ineligible because they were not made under the guild's contract guidelines.

Nominated for documentary screenplay: Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, "Better This World"; Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek, "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"; Patricio Guzman, "Nostalgia for the Light"; Wim Wenders, "Pina"; Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich and Leonard Retel Helmrich, "Position Among the Stars"; and Manish Pandey, "Senna."

Honors from Hollywood trade groups such as the writers, actors and directors guilds help sort out likely contenders for the Academy Awards, whose nominations come out Jan. 24.

Writers Guild winners will be announced Feb. 19.

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Online:

http://www.wga.org/

[Associated Press]

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