Press Releases For Immediate Release January 15, 2003 Contact:Toni Miller (213) 740-2328; scripter@usc.eduSusan L. Wampler (213) 821-1639; wampler@usc.edu 15th USC SCRIPTER® AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED LOS ANGELES—The writers of About Schmidt, Adaptation, The Hours, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Pianist have been nominated for the University of Southern California's 15th Scripter® Award, the only honor that recognizes both the author and screenwriter for a film adaptation. Nominees for this year's award are (in alphabetical order by film title): About Schmidt—Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, screenwriters; Louis Begley, author (New Line Cinema; Ballantine) Adaptation—Charlie Kaufman, screenwriter; Susan Orlean, author, The Orchid Thief (Columbia Pictures; Ballantine) The Hours—David Hare, screenwriter; Michael Cunningham, author (Paramount Pictures; Picador USA) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers—Frances Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson, screenwriters; J.R.R. Tolkien, author (New Line Cinema; Houghton Mifflin) The Pianist—Ronald Harwood, screenwriter; Wladyslaw Szpilman, author, Death of a City (Focus Features; Picador USA) USC Scripter Award Nominees Academy Award® winner Robert Towne (Chinatown), chair of this year's Scripter selection committee, announced the nominees today on behalf of the Friends of the USC Libraries, which sponsors the award. The selection committee is comprised of Writers Guild of America members, Academy Award®-winning and -nominated screenwriters, authors, film industry executives, faculty, and selected members of the Friends of the USC Libraries. The committee narrowed down the year's 55 eligible films to five nominees and next week will choose the year's best film adaptation. Winners of this year's award will be announced on January 22 at 9 a.m. The annual black-tie gala dinner honoring the winning collaboration will be held on Saturday, March 15 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the USC campus. The Scripter Award is given annually to honor writers for the best achievement in adaptation among English-language films based on books or novellas that were released the previous year. Past Scripter winners include the authors and screenwriters of A Beautiful Mind, Wonder Boys, A Civil Action, L.A. Confidential, The English Patient, Sense and Sensibility, The Shawshank Redemption and Schindler's List. For additional information, please call (213) 740-2328, email scripter@usc.edu or visit https://scripter.usc.edu.