CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lars, The Savages, Juno, Ratatouille, Michael Clayton

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Could this year mark the first time in history that three nominated scripts in this category are written by women? Possibly. Diablo Cody, who penned the smart-alecky yet moving JUNO, is leading the charge — and, no, we're not just saying that because she's now a regular EW columnist. On Juno's heels will likely be Tamara Jenkins' unvarnished family drama THE SAVAGES and Nancy Oliver's singular love story LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, which will probably edge out the late Adrienne Shelly's charming Waitress. (Otherwise, there might have been four!)

From the guys' side, there's the twisty Russian-gangster thriller Eastern Promises, written by Steve Knight (Dirty Pretty Things), and I'm Not There, the unorthodox Bob Dylan biopic by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) and Oren Moverman. Comedy fans might vote for Judd Apatow's Knocked Up, while foreign-film buffs could rally around the Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, written by Cristian Mungiu. But the best bets are two entries that are quite different from each other but equally deserving: Tony Gilroy's satisfyingly complex MICHAEL CLAYTON script and Brad Bird's delicious recipe for RATATOUILLE.

DAVE KARGER'S PICKS FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Diablo Cody, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl

NEXT PAGE: Best Adapted Screenplay

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