‘Fargo,’ ‘Sling Blade’ Honored

Two films about murder, betrayal and moral conflict won the Writers Guild of America’s awards as the best screenplays of 1996. Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Fargo,” a dark comedy about a kidnapping-ransom scheme that goes terribly wrong, was honored as best original screenplay. And Billy Bob Thornton’s “Sling Blade,” a tale of moral redemption and friendship in a small Southern town, won as best screenplay based on material previously produced or published.

Gramercy Pictures’ “Fargo” beat out Cameron Crowe’s “Jerry Maguire,” John Sayles’ “Lone Star,” Mike Leigh’s “Secrets & Lies” and Jan Sardi’s “Shine.”

Miramax Films’ “Sling Blade,” based on Thornton’s stage play, won in competition with Elaine May’s “The Birdcage,” Douglas McGrath’s “Emma,” Anthony Minghella’s “The English Patient” and John Hodge’s “Trainspotting.”

While the WGA wins certainly give these screenplays added impetus going into next week’s Academy Awards, they do not automatically make these scripts the ones to beat.

Last year, Emma Thompson did win both the WGA and Academy awards for her adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” But Randall Wallace won the WGA award for best original screenplay for “Braveheart,” while Christopher McQuarrie won the Oscar in that category for “The Usual Suspects.”

The winners were announced at dual ceremonies Sunday night in Beverly Hills, Calif., and New York.