The Writer’s Guild of America released their list of the “101 Greatest Screenplays.” Number one is Casablanca, which is kind of weird since I thought I remember reading somewhere that the filmmakers pretty much made the whole thing up as they went along. But maybe that’s why it is The Chosen One.

Here’s the whole list if you’re interested. It’s essentially the usual suspects, and being a list, of course it’s highly debatable. I was going to go all lax , but I have to rock the movie nerd/snob and say this is maybe one of the poorest, most misguided lists I’ve ever seen. Not only do I have to raise the eyebrow to question the lack of films from other countries represented (why not just make it the “Best American Screenplays” instead of throwing a couple useless bones at the end? It’s not like anyone would give a crap), but I also have to say “Um, really?” to: Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, Shakespeare In Love, Sideways, and any other overrated crap from the last decade and a half of useless Hollywood pap. You want to know why Hollywood’s in a creative crisis? Maybe this list tells the tale. Uh, When Harry Met Sally is a better screenplay than The Lady Eve and Do the Right Thing? Are we sure about that?

Yeah, lists are fun.

One nice thing, it looks like LA’s city-wide erection over Crash has finally subsided. No sign of that ham-fisted mediocrity on here.

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