A mais importante associação de guionistas dos Estados Unidos, a Writers Guild of America (West), publicou ontem a sua lista com os 101 melhores guiões dos últimos 21 anos.
Surpreendentemente, ou não, o guião mais votado foi o do filme Get Out, escrito por Jordan Peele, um dos mais estimulantes filmes de terror dos últimos anos.
A minha escolha para o primeiro lugar teria sido provavelmente outra, mas estaria com certeza nesta lista. Por exemplo, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (nº22), In Bruges (nº40), Juno (nº 24) ou Children of Men (nº18), só para mencionar alguns dos possíveis candidatos.

Como seria de esperar, a lista pende desproporcionalmente para as obras de autores americanos ou em língua inglesa. Afinal de contas, foram os próprios autores de Hollywood que votaram nestes guiões.
Isto já se tinha verificado há alguns anos atrás, numa outra lista que a WGAW publicou, dedicada aos melhores guiões do século passado 1.
Mas é interessante verificar algumas características desta nova selecção, que refletem a evolução dos nossos tempos. Como a própria WGAW destaca no artigo de apresentação, 30 destes guiões são escritos por mulheres, contra apenas 7 créditos femininos na lista do século XX.
Mais significativo ainda, segundo o mesmo artigo, é haver 5 autores não-caucasianos nos 10 guiões no topo da lista; nos 101 guiões da lista anterior, eram zero.

A lista
- Get Out (2017) – Written by Jordan Peele
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Written by Charlie Kaufman, Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismut
- The Social Network (2010) – Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, Based Upon the Book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
- Parasite (2019) – Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, Story by Bong Joon Ho
- No Country for Old Men (2007) – Written for the Screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy
- Moonlight (2016) – Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
- There Will Be Blood (2007) – Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Based on the Novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair
- Inglourious Basterds (2009) – Written by Quentin Tarantino
- Almost Famous (2000) – Written by Cameron Crowe
- Memento (2000) – Screenplay by Christopher Nolan, Based on the Short Story by Jonathan Nolan
- Adaptation (2002) – Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, Based on the Book The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
- Bridesmaids (2011) – Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
- Brokeback Mountain (2005) – Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, Based on the Short Story by Annie Proulx
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) – Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
- Sideways (2004) – Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Rex Pickett
- Lady Bird (2017) – Written by Greta Gerwig
- Her (2013) – Written by Spike Jonze
- Children of Men (2006) – Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, Based on the Novel The Children of Men by P.D. James
- Lost in Translation (2003) – Written by Sofia Coppola
- Michael Clayton (2007) – Written by Tony Gilroy
- Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – Written by Michael Arndt
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) – Written by Quentin Tarantino
- Promising Young Woman (2020) – Written by Emerald Fennell
- Juno (2007) – Written by Diablo Cody
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Screenplay by Wes Anderson, Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
- The Dark Knight (2008) – Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, Story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, Based Upon Characters Appearing in Comic Books
- Arrival (2016) – Screenplay by Eric Heisserer, Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” Written by Ted Chiang
- Jojo Rabbit (2019) – Screenplay by Taika Waititi, Based on the Book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
- Inside Out (2015) – Screenplay by Meg LeFauve, Original Story by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen
- The Departed (2006) – Screenplay by William Monahan, Based on the Motion Picture Infernal Affairs, Written by Alex Mak and Felix Chong
- Spotlight (2015) – Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
- Whiplash (2014) – Written by Damien Chazelle
- Up (2009) – Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
- Mean Girls (2004) – Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the Book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
- WALL-E (2008) – Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original Story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – Written by Guillermo del Toro
- Inception (2010) – Written by Christopher Nolan
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, Based on the Novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup
- Before Sunset (2004) – Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke, Story by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan, Based on Characters Created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
- In Bruges (2008) – Written by Martin McDonagh
- Mulholland Dr. (2001) – Written by David Lynch
- A Serious Man (2009) – Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
- Amélie (2001) – Screenplay by Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Toy Story 3 (2010) – Screenplay by Michael Arndt, Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich
- The Favourite (2018) – Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
- Zodiac (2007) – Screenplay by James Vanderbilt, Based on the Book by Robert Graysmith
- Gladiator (2000) – Screenplay by David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson, Story by David Franzoni
- The Incredibles (2004) – Written by Brad Bird
- Knives Out (2019) – Written by Rian Johnson
- Ex Machina (2015) – Written by Alex Garland
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. & Armando Bó
- The Lives of Others (2007) – Written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Nightcrawler (2014) – Written by Dan Gilroy
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) – Screenplay by John Ridley, Based on the book Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
- The Big Short (2015) – Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, Based on the Book by Michael Lewis
- Moneyball (2011) – Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin, Based on the Book by Michael Lewis
- Black Panther (2018) – Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
- You Can Count on Me (2000) – Written by Kenneth Lonergan
- Boyhood (2014) – Written by Richard Linklater
- Finding Nemo (2003) – Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds, Original Story by Andrew Stanton
- The Hurt Locker (2008) – Written by Mark Boal
- Roma (2018) – Written by Alfonso Cuarón
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – Screenplay by Terence Winter, Based on the Book by Jordan Belfort
- Hell or High Water (2016) – Written by Taylor Sheridan
- Manchester by the Sea (2016) – Written by Kenneth Lonergan
- A Separation (2011) – Written by Asghar Farhadi
- Spirited Away (2001) – Written by Hayao Miyazaki
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris
- Booksmart (2019) – Written by Emily Halpern & Sarah Haskins and Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman
- City of God (2002) – Screenplay by Bráulio Mantovani, Based on the Novel by Paulo Lins
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, Story by Phil Lord, Based on the Marvel Comics
- Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) – Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
- The King’s Speech (2010) – Screenplay by David Seidler
- Django Unchained (2012) – Written by Quentin Tarantino
- Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – Screenplay by Ted Griffin, Based on a Screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer and a Story by George Clayton Johnson & Jack Golden Russell
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson, Based on the Book The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) – Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright
- Erin Brockovich (2000) – Written by Susannah Grant
- Call Me by Your Name (2017) – Screenplay by James Ivory, Based on the Novel by André Aciman
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) – Written by Martin McDonagh
- The Lobster (2015) – Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou
- The Prestige (2006) – Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, Based on the Novel by Christopher Priest
- Midnight in Paris (2011) – Written by Woody Allen
- The Master (2012) – Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
- Argo (2012) – Screenplay by Chris Terrio, Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine Article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman
- Y tu mamá también (2001) – Written by Carlos Cuarón & Alfonso Cuarón
- Phantom Thread (2017) – Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
- Superbad (2007) – Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
- Little Women (2019) – Screenplay by Greta Gerwig, Based on the Novel by Louisa May Alcott
- BlacKkKlansman (2018) – Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, Based on the Book by Ron Stallworth
- The Farewell (2019) – Written by Lulu Wang
- La La Land (2016) – Written by Damien Chazelle
- Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) – Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, Based on a Character Created by Sacha Baron Cohen
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell
- Ratatouille (2007) – Screenwriter: Brad Bird, Original Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird, Additional Story Material by Emily Cook & Kathy Greenberg, Bob Peterson
- Lars and the Real Girl (2007) – Written by Nancy Oliver
- Nomadland (2020) – Written for the Screen by Chloé Zhao, Based on the Book by Jessica Bruder
- Winter’s Bone (2010) – Screenplay by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, Based on the Novel by Daniel Woodrell
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) – Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Based Upon the Odyssey by Homer
- Legally Blonde (2001) – Screenplay by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith, Based on the Book by Amanda Brown
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – Screenplay by David O. Russell, Based on the Novel by Matthew Quick
Conclusão
Muitos dos guiões que fazem parte das duas listas estão disponíveis na internet para baixar e estudar. Pode, por exemplo, começar por este artigo que publiquei antes aqui no blogue.
Se quer aprender a escrever guiões, ler os melhores exemplos do género é um exercício indispensável, que não me canso de recomendar. Estas duas listas são um excelente ponto de partida (com mais duas de brinde):
=> Os 101 melhores guiões do século XXI (até 2021)
=> Os 101 melhores guiões (até 2005)
=> Os 101 guiões mais engraçados
=> As 101 séries de televisão mais bem escritas
=> Via artigo do site Omelete (que inclui a lista com os nomes dos filmes usados no Brasil)
Notas de Rodapé
- Os meus 10 guiões favoritos estão quase todas nessa lista