Among the finalists are playwright Christopher Hampton for A Dangerous Method, which was adapted from the nonfiction book A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein by John Kerr and Hampton's 2002 stage play The Talking Cure; playwright Moira Buffini for Jane Eyre, adapted from the 1847 book by Charlotte Brontë; and playwright Aaron Sorkin with co-screenwriters Steven Zaillian and Stan Chervin for Moneyball, based on Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.

The other nominated screenwriters are Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash for The Descendants, adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings' novel and short story "The Minor Wars," and Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, for their adaptation of John le Carré's thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.