41st Writers Guild of America Awards

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screenplay

• Bull Durham, Written by Ron Shelton
  • A Fish Called Wanda, Written by John Cleese, and Charles Crichton
  • Big, Written by Gary Ross, and Anne Spielberg
  • Rain Man, Written by Ronald Bass, and Barry Morrow; story by Barry Morrow
  • Working Girl, Written by Kevin Wade

Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

• Dangerous Liaisons, Screenplay by Christopher Hampton; based on the novelbyChoderlos de Laclos
  • Gorillas in the Mist, Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan, and Tan Murphy; based on the work by Dian Fossey, and the article of Harold T.P. Hayes
  • The Accidental Tourist, Screenplay by Frank Galati, and Lawrence Kasdan; based on the bookbyAnne Tyler
  • The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Screenplay by Jean-Claude Carrière, and Philip Kaufman; based on the novel by Milan Kundera
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Screenplay by Jeffrey Price, and Peter S. Seaman; based on the novel by Gary K. Wolf

Episodic Comedy

• "My Father's Office" – The Wonder Years (ABC) – Carol Black, and Neal Marlens
  • "The Way We Were" – Family Ties (NBC) – Gary David Goldberg
  • "No Hard Feelings" – Night Court (NBC) – Tom Straw
  • "Old Friends" – The Golden Girls (NBC) – Kathy Speer, and Terry Grossman
  • "Episode #1.1." – The Slap Maxwell Story (ABC) – Jay Tarses
  • "Pilot" – The Wonder Years (ABC) – Neal Marlens, and Carol Black

Episodic Drama

• "Therapy" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Susan Shilliday
  • "Thirtysomething" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Marshall Herskovitz, and Edward Zwick
  • "Home" – China Beach (ABC) – William Broyles Jr.
  • "Full Marital Jacket" – L.A. Law (NBC) – Terry Louise Fisher, David E. Kelley, and Steven Bochco
  • "A Moon for the Misbegotten" – St. Elsewhere (NBC) – Tom Fontana, John Tinker, and Channing Gibson
  • "Nice Work If You Can Get It" – Thirtysomething (ABC) – Paul Haggis, and Jean Vallely

Daytime Serials

• Ryan's Hope (ABC) – Claire Labine, Eleanor Mancusi, William Burritt, Madeline B. David, Dave Appell, Rocco Bufano, Matt Labine
  • Guiding Light (CBS) – Pamela K. Long, Nancy Williams Watt, Stephen Demorest, Trent Jones, Melissa Salmons, Pete T. Rich, Nancy Curlee, N. Gail Lawrence, Richard Culliton, Nancy Franklin

Anthology Episode/Single Program

• "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson" – Great Performances – Andy Wolk
  • "There Was a Little Girl (Daddy's Girl) – Alfred Hitchcock Presents (NBC) – Charles Grant Craig
  • "Mad Avenue" – CBS Summer Playhouse (CBS) – Christopher Knopf, and David A. Simons

Original Long Form

• God Bless the Child (ABC) – Dennis Nemec
  • My Father, My Son (CBS) – Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler
  • The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story (NBC) – Norman Morrill

Adapted Long Form

• "Foxfire" – Hallmark Hall of Fame (CBS) – Susan Cooper
• "Part 1" – Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (ABC) – Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler
  • A Friendship of Vienna (NBC) – Richard Alfieri

Children's Show

• "The Secret Garden" – Hallmark Hall of Fame (CBS) – Blanche Hanalis
  • "Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story" – ABC Afterschool Special (ABC) – Victoria Hochberg
  • "The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman Story" – ABC Afterschool Special (ABC) – Joanna Lee
  • "Gangs" – CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS) – Paul W. Cooper
  • "Home Sweet Homeless" – CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS) – Kathryn J. Montgomery
  • A Mouse, A Mystery and Me (NBC) – Everett Greenbaum, Harvey Bullock, Jim Shorts and Chris Solada

Variety – Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event

• A Muppet Family Christmas – Jerry Juhl
• Family Comedy Hour – Jack Elinson, Jay Leno, Marvin Silbermintz, Jay Teitzell, Ted Herrmann, Wayne Kline

Documentary – Current Events

• "Apartheid Part 5: 1987" – Frontline (PBS) – Irv Drasnin

Documentary – Other than Current Events

• George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (ABC) – George Stevens Jr.