Juno and No Country take top honors with WGA

Nothing preempts Hollywood’s awards season — not even a crippling writers strike.

On the same day the West Coast and East Coast branches of the Writers Guild of America gathered to discuss an end to the three-month work stoppage, the union took a break to announce the winners of its top writing awards. The West Coast had canceled its traditional awards season ceremony — complete with red carpet and celebrities — because of the strike, but the East Coast branch held an informal gathering in New York City on Saturday.

The critics’ darling “Juno” won for best original screenplay, and the gritty contemporary Western “No Country for Old Men” took top honors for best adapted screenplay.

It continues to be a Cinderella year for Diablo Cody, the 29-year-old former stripper who penned “Juno,” a coming-of-age film about a pregnant teen. And Joel and Ethan Coen continue to look like front-runners for the Oscar with their “No Country” screenplay, based on Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel. The brothers have already won a Golden Globe as well as the Director’s Guild of America award for their work.

Via LA Times