It is a major competitor to Anatomy of the Fall for the 2024 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay: The film Winter Vacation is at the center of serious allegations of plagiarism, which A lengthy, detailed investigation by our colleagues at Variety the day before the ceremony.
Thus, the screenplay for Alexander Payne’s feature film, first written by David Hemmingson, would be completely taken over by another screenplay under the title. Frisco And written by Simon Stephenson, who during his career has notably worked on Paddington 2, the story of Luke from the Pixar studio or the recent The Extraordinary Life of Louis Wain.
Simon Stephenson’s warning is dated January 12 in a message to the Writers Guild of America (Transatlantic Actors Union). “I worked as a screenwriter for 20 years – in my native UK before coming to the US – so I know very well that people can often have remarkably similar ideas and that sometimes you can ‘borrow’ a few elements and so on. … This is simply not the situation. Both scenarios are judicially identical. He points out in particular.
Released on our screens last December, winter break (The Holdovers in its original version) follows the disturbing relationship of an unlikely trio: a pedantic and rude teacher, a gifted and defiant student, and a cook grieving the death of her son as they spend Christmas vacation on their high school campus. Winter of 1970.
With a worldwide box office gross of $42 million, including 254,775 releases in France, and a 4.1 out of 5 rating on AlloCiné, the film earned five Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da). ‘Vine Joy Randolph), Best Editing and therefore Best Original Screenplay.
FriscoThe script, which would have been plagiarized, concerns a misanthropic doctor who is forced to care for a 15-year-old patient. The script, written in 2013, never found a buyer, but rose to the top of the traditional rating. black list Hollywood, which lists the best unproduced screenplays. According to the elements raised by the complainant, it was read then, and then again in 2019, by the incoming director. winter break.
“I can confirm that the director of the incriminated film received and read my script twice before going into the development of the incriminated film. (…) I can demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that a significant portion of the script for the film WGA-sanctioned credits and currently on track to win a screenwriting Oscar was plagiarized line-by-line from one of my popular unproduced screenplays. (…) By “totally important” I mean literally everything: story, characters, structure, scenes, dialogues, everything. (…) the most important scenes are practically unchanged and even their arrangement remains remarkably identical”.
A nearly thirty-page long document obtained by Variety details the allegations.
The WGA, which has not yet taken a position but is following the issue closely and has been in regular discussions with Simon Stephenson since January 12, should not fail to respond if winter break It won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay last night (votes close on February 27).
To date, the film has received numerous awards for its screenplay, including the National Board of Review, Satellite Awards, Online Motion Picture and Television Association, Online Film Critics Society Awards, as well as numerous awards from the Boston, Dallas Reviewing Associations. , Phoenix, Seattle or Nevada, Oklahoma, Georgia and Indiana.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
