“In a world where an aspiring YA author dares to dream of one day publishing a novel and having that same novel go on to be the inspiration for an adapted screenplay that goes on to become an Oscar contender…” --- A gal can dream, right?

That’s why I love the movies. It’s a place where dreams come true in a way that it usually doesn’t, or can’t, on the page. This can be good and bad. It’s one more way to tell a story.

Here are the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay this year:

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' Eric Roth, Robin Swicord

Originally a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

[I saw the film and read the short story.]

'Doubt' John Patrick Shanley

In a rare case, ‘Doubt’s' playwright, John Patrick Shanley, got to write and direct this movie.

[Did not see the play, did not see this movie.]

'Frost/ Nixon' Peter Morgan

Saw this play on Broadway. Amazing. What was even more amazing? My then 18 yr. old daughter loved it too.

[Have not seen the movie as yet.]

'The Reader' David Hare

[Have not read this book or seen this movie as yet.]

Originally a novel by Bernhard Schlink


'Slumdog Millionaire' Simon Beaufoy

[Saw this movie, but have not, as yet, read the book.]

Based on the award-winning novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup. Simon Beaufoy also wrote the screenplay for "Full Monty."



So why do I have such a love of stories and movies? Picture Grandma and Grandpa coming over every Friday night so my mom and dad, parents of four in seven, could sneak away to the movies. Now, Grandpa didn’t hang around for too long and it was pretty early in the evening when Grandma “rested her eyes” and we could watch shows like Love American Style, one she didn’t really approve of.



The image of my folks going off to the movies every week stuck with me and so did our discussion of film as I grew older. We will seldom recommend movies to each other any more since we really can’t be trusted. I broke the trust years ago when I told them they had to see Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. Well, they did. OOOPS. Turns out, they were not fans. And every year since, when they tell me to see a movie I think they are trying to get even.



It is only very recently that my dad shared the story of how he came to be such a movie fan. It was in a refugee camp after World War II and American movies were shown every night. My mother came to her love of film by way of my grandmother who would take her kids out of school to head to the picture show from time to time. During a particular bad stretch, I decided one Saturday to take my kids to a triple feature. Now, this requires a bit of planning, but we still talk about it to this day. We saw Austin Powers, Tarzan and Notting Hill in the same day. Haven’t done it since, but it was just what the doctor ordered that day, and I highly recommend it.



And, OK, like most Angelinos, I've acutally been in a movie [don't strain your eyes to find me], a very good friend is a screenwriter and and at one time or another both my hubby and I have worked in the entertainment industry. I guess all that is just icing on top of my proverbial golden-statue-topped cake.