SimplyScripts - Oscar Winning Screenplays 1928 to present

Read Oscar winning screenplays throught the ages. Studying award-winning screenplays is like getting a masterclass in storytelling. These are scripts that have been recognized for their excellence in various elements of filmmaking, and studying them can teach you a lot about scriptwriting techniques, formatting and character development.

Date	Original Screenplay	Adaptated Screenplay
2024	Conclave by Peter Straughan (Based on the novel CONCLAVE By Robert Harris )	Anora by Sean Baker
2023	American Fiction by Cord Jefferson	Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet et Arthur Harari
2022	Everything, Everywhere All At Once by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert	Women Talking by Sarah Polley (Based on the book by Miriam Toews)
2021	Belfast by Kenneth Branah	CODA by Sian Heder (Based on La Famille Belier)
2020	A Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell	The Father by Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton
2019	Parasite by Bong Joon Ho & Han Jin Won	Jo Jo Rabbit by Taika Waiiti
2018	Green Book by Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly & Nick Vallelonga	BlacKkKlansmant by Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel & Kevin Willmott
2017	Get Out by Jordan Peele	Call Me By Your Name by James Ivory (Based on the novel by André Aciman)
2016	Manchester By The Sea by Kenneth Lonergan	>Moonlight by Barry Jenkins (screenplay) and Tarell Alvin McCraney (story)
2015	Spotlight by Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer	The Big Short by Adam McKay & Charles Randolph
2014	Birdman by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo	The Imitation Game by Graham Moore
2013	Her by Spike Jonze	12 Years a Slave by John Ridley
2012	Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino	Argo Chris Terrio
2011	Midnight in Paris Woody Allen	The Descendants Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
2010	The King's Speech David Seidler	The Social Network Aaron Sorkin
2009	The Hurt Locker Mark Boal	Precious Geoffry Fletcher
2008	Milk Dustin Lance Black	Slumdog Millionaire Simon Beaufoy
2007	Juno Diablo Cody	No Country For Old Men Joel and Ethan Coen
2006	Little Miss Sunshine Michael Arndt	The Departed William Monahan
2005	Crash Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco	Brokeback Mountain Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
2004	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Charlie Kaufman	Sideways Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
2003	Lost in Translation Sofia Coppola	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
2002	Talk To Her (Hable con ella) Pedro Almodovar	The Pianist Ronald Harwood

Date	Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen	Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
2001	Gosford Park Julian Fellows	A Beautiful Mind Akiva Goldsman
2000	Almost Famous Cameron Crowe	Traffic Stephen Gaghan
1999	American Beauty Alan Ball	The Cider House Rules John Irving
1998	Shakespeare In Love Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard	Gods And Monsters Bill Condon
1997	Good Will Hunting Ben Affleck & Matt Damon	L.A. Confidential Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson
1996	Fargo Ethan Coen & Joel Coen	Sling Blade Billy Bob Thornton
1995	The Usual Suspects Christopher McQuarrie	Sense And Sensibility Emma Thompson
1994	Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avery	Forrest Gump Eric Roth
1993	The Piano Jane Campion	Schindler's List Steven Zaillian
1992	The Crying Game Neil Jordan	Howards End Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
1991	Thelma & Louise Callie Khouri	The Silence Of The Lambs Ted Tally

Date	Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen	Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
1990	Ghost Bruce Joel Rubin	Dances With Wolves Michael Blake
1989	Dead Poets Society Tom Schulman	Driving Miss Daisy Alfred Uhry
1988	Rain Man Ronald Bass & Barry Morrow	Dangerous Liaisons Christopher Hampton
1987	Moonstruck John Patrick Shanley	The Last Emperor Mark Peploe & Bernardo Bertolucci
1986	Hannah And Her Sisters Woody Allen	A Room With A View Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
1985	Witness Earl W. Wallace, William Kelley & Pamela Wallace	Out Of Africa Kurt Luedtke
1984	Places In The Heart Robert Benton	Amadeus Peter Shaffer
1983	Tender Mercies Horton Foote	Terms Of Endearment James L. Brooks
1982	Gandhi John Briley	Missing Costa-Gavras & Donald Stewart
1981	Chariots Of Fire Colin Welland	On Golden Pond Ernest Thompson
1980	Melvin And Howard Bo Goldman	Ordinary People Alvin Sargent
1979	Breaking Away Steve Tesich	Kramer Vs. Kramer Robert Benton
1978	Coming Home Nancy Dowd, Waldo Salt & Robert C. Jones	Midnight Express Oliver Stone
1977	Annie Hall Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman	Julia Alvin Sargent
1976	Network Paddy Chayefsky	All The President's Men William Goldman

Date	Original Screenplay	Screenplay Adapted from Other Material
1975	Dog Day Afternoon Frank Pierson	One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Lawrence Hauben & Bo Goldman
1974	Chinatown Robert Towne	The Godfather Part II Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo

Date	Story and Screenplay--based on factual material or material not previously published or produced	Screenplay--based on material from another medium
1973	The Sting David S. Ward	The Exorcist William Peter Blatty
1972	The Candidate Jeremy Larner	The Godfather Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
1971	Hospital Paddy Chayefsky	The French Connection Ernest Tidyman
1970	Patton Francis Ford Coppola & Edmund H. North	*MASH** Ring Lardner, Jr.
1969	Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid William Goldman	Midnight Cowboy Waldo Salt

Date	Story and Screenplay--written directly for the screen	Screenplay--based on material from another medium
1968	The Producers Mel Brooks	The Lion In Winter James Goldman
1967	Guess Who's Coming To Dinner William Rose	In The Heat Of The Night Stirling Silliphant
1966	A Man And A Woman Claude Lelouch & Pierre Uytterhoeven	A Man For All Seasons Robert Bolt
1965	Darling Frederic Raphael	Doctor Zhivago Robert Bolt
1964	Father Goose S. H. Barnett, Peter Stone & Frank Tarloff	Becket Edward Anhalt
1963	How The West Was Won James R. Webb	Tom Jones John Osborne
1962	Divorce - Italian Style Ennio de Concini, Alfredo Giannetti & Pietro Germi	To Kill A Mockingbird Horton Foote
1961	Splendor In The Grass William Inge	Judgment At Nuremberg Abby Mann
1960	The Apartment Billiy Wilder & I. A. L. Diamond	Elmer Gantry Richard Brooks
1959	Pillow Talk Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene Stanley Shapiro & Maurice Richlin	Room At The Top Neil Paterson
1958	The Defiant Ones Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith	Gigi Alan Jay Lerner
1957	Designing Woman George Wells	The Bridge On The River Kwai Pierre Boulle, Michael Wilson & Carl Foreman

Date	Motion Picture Story	Original Screenplay	Adapted Screenplay
1956	The Brave One Dalton Trumbo (Robert Rich [alias])	The Red Balloon Albert Lamorisse	Around The World In 80 Days James Poe, John Farrow & S. J. Perelman

Date	Motion Picture Story	Screenplay	Story & Screenplay
1955	Love Me or Leave Me	Marty Paddy Chayefsky	Interrupted Melody William Ludwig, Sonya Levien
1954	Broken Lance Philip Yordan	The Country Girl George Seaton	On The Waterfront Budd Schulberg
1953	Roman Holiday Dalton Trumbo (Ian McLellan Hunter [alias])	From Here To Eternity Daniel Taradash	Titanic Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch & Richard Breen
1952	The Greatest Show On Earth Frederic M. Frank, Theodore St. John, Frank Cavett	The Bad And The Beautiful Charles Schnee	The Lavender Hill Mob T. E. B. Clarke
1951	Seven Days To Noon Paul Dehn & James Bernard	A Place In The Sun Michael Wilson & Harry Brown	An American In Paris Alan Jay Lerner
1950	Panic In The Streets Edna Anhalt & Edward Anhalt	All About Eve Joseph L. Mankiewicz	Sunset Blvd. Charles Bracket, Billy Wilder & D. M. Marshman, Jr.
1949	The Stratton Story Douglas Morrow	A Letter To Three Wives Joseph L. Mankiewicz	Battleground Robert Pirosh

Date	Motion Picture Story	Screenplay
1948	The Search Richard Schweizer & David Wechsler	The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre John Huston

Date	Motion Picture Story	Original Screenplay	Screenplay
1947	Miracle On 34th Street Valentine Davies	The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer Sidney Sheldon	Miracle on 34th Street George Seaton

Date	Original Motion Picture Story	Original Screenplay	Screenplay
1946	Vacation From Marriage Clemence Dane	The Seventh Veil Muriel Box & Sydney Box	The Best Years of Our Lives Robert E. Sherwood
1945	The House On 92nd Street Charles G. Booth	Marie-Louise Richard Schweizer	The Lost Weekend Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder
1944	Going My Way Leo McCarey	Wilson Lamar Trotti	Going My Way Frank Butler, Frank Cavett
1943	The Human Comedy William Saroyan	Princess O'Rourke Norman Krasna	Casablanca Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
1942	The Invaders Emeric Pressburger	Woman Of The Year Ring Lardner, Jr. & Michael Kanin	Mrs. Miniver Arthur Wimperis, George Froeschel, James Hilton & Claudine West

Date	Original Screenplay	Original Story	Screenplay
1941	Citizen Kane Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson Wells	Here Comes Mr. Jordan Harry Segall	Here Comes Mr. Jordan Sidney Buchman & Seton I. Miller
1940	The Great McGinty Preston Sturges	Arise, My Love Benjamin Glazer & John S. Toldy	The Philadelphia Story Donald Ogden Stewart

Date	Original Story	Screenplay
1939	Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Lewis R. Foster	Gone With The Wind Sidney Howard
1938	Boys Town Dore Schary & Eleanore Griffin	Pygmalion George Bernard Shaw, W. P. Lipscomb, & Ian Dalrymple
1937	A Star Is Born William A. Wellman & Robert Carson	The Life Of Emile Zola Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, & Geza Herczeg
1936	The Story Of Louis Pasteur Pierre Collings & Sheridan Gibney	The Story Of Louis Pasteur Pierre Collings & Sheridan Gibney
1935	The Scoundrel Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur	The Informer Dudley Nichols

Date	Adaptation	Original Story
1934	It Happened One Night Robert Riskin	Manhattan Melodrama Arthur Caesar
1933	Little Women Vistor Heerman & Sarah Y. Mason	One Way Passage Robert Lord
1932	Bad Girl Edwin Burke	The Champ Francis Marion
1931	Cimarron Howard Estabrook	The Dawn Patrol John Monk Saunders