James Ivory has won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay at the 90th Academy awards for his work on the film Call Me By Your Name, adapted from André Aciman’s novel of the same name. At 89, Ivory is the oldest ever winner of an Academy award; it is his first win after three previous nominations in the best director category, for the films A Room with a View, Howard’s End, and The Remains of the Day.
Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the face of Call Me By Your Name star Timothée Chalamet, Ivory thanked his deceased Merchant-Ivory partners Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala as well as André Aciman.
Call Me By Your Name tells the story of a life-changing romance between Elio and Oliver, which unspools over the course of one sun-soaked summer in Italy. Part gay romance, part coming-of-age tale, the film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, earned accolades across the awards circuit for both its screenplay and the performance of Chalamet – a first-time best actor nominee at this year’s Oscars.
Call Me By Your Name emerged victorious over the screenplays for the films Mudbound, Logan, Molly’s Game and The Disaster Artist. Aciman’s novel, published in 2007, won the prize for gay fiction at the Lambda literary awards. Ivory, who also produced the film and had originally planned to direct it, had previously taken home honours for his screenplay at the Writer’s Guild of America, Critic’s Choice Awards, and the Baftas.