How Oscar-nominated screenwriters navigate authenticity in cultural and linguistic storytelling

The 2025 Oscar nominations highlight films with creative teams whose backgrounds often differ from those of the characters they portray, raising questions about authenticity. Several nominated films feature characters of color written by white writers, or characters speaking languages unfamiliar to the actors and writers. Accusations of cultural appropriation and lazy research are common concerns. A recent survey of screenwriters reveals a growing emphasis on linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivity since the 2010s. Screenwriters prioritize authenticity, but achieving it is complex, often requiring collaboration with actors, dialect coaches, and consultants. Older screenwriting manuals lacked ethical considerations regarding linguistic representation, often employing inaccurate stereotypes. Modern practice generally discourages heavy phonetics in scripts for practical reasons, favoring standard English while using parentheticals to note accents or dialects. The use of AI in dialogue refinement is also debated, with some arguing it enhances authenticity while others criticize it as artificial. Ultimately, ethical considerations and linguistic accuracy remain paramount, demanding careful research and consultation with diverse speakers. The filmmaking process increasingly incorporates checks and balances to address these concerns.