We continue our rundown series this week with the writing awards, art direction and the supporting acting prizes. Today’s article features the Adapted Screenplay category. Come back tomorrow for Original.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• 127 Hours
• The Social Network (O) (O) (O) (O)
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter’s Bone

Runners-Up

• 127 Hours (H)
• True Grit (H)
• Winter’s Bone (H) (H)

KEY:

Wesley Lovell: It’s one of the last categories that The Social Network is still the frontrunner by a country mile. It will be the one chance the Academy has of not only recognizing a film that lead the race for a month, but also for recognizing one of the beloved writers of the modern political commentary era. If there is going to be an upset, I imagine Winter’s Bone may well take the prize. Of course, since I doubt there will be a different winner (even the WGA, which ruled King’s Speech ineligible, still gave their Adapted Screenplay prize to Aaron Sorkin), this is just conjecture.

Peter J. Patrick: The one-two-three punch of losing the PGA, DGA and SAG ensemble award to The King’s Speech has given question as to whether early favorite The Social Network can win Best Picture. The one award it will surely win is for Best Screenplay. Nothing else comes close.

Tripp Burton: This category seems to be the only one where The Social Network isn’t losing traction, especially since it doesn’t have The King’s Speech to compete with. Aaron Sorkin is beloved around Hollywood, and they seem eager to anoint him with an Oscar. If anyone is able to upset Sorkin, it would probably be Winter’s Bone, which seems to be the kind of film that leaves the Oscars empty-handed, but could pick up a sympathy award here. The others all seem like also-rans: an animated film has never won before, The Coen Brothers just won here a few years ago and the screenplay is one of the most criticized parts of 127 Hours.