Sidewayswon best adapted screenplay for Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor while EternalSunshine Of The Spotless Mind took best original screenplay honours for Charlie Kaufman at theWriters Guild of America (WGA) awards at the weekend (19).

The WGA honours are regarded asa strong indicator of how the Academy Awards screenplay prizes will shape upand is the last significant awards ceremony before the Oscars take place in LosAngeles on Feb 27.

Based on Rex Pickett's novel, Sideways beat a field of nominees that included BeforeSunset, Mean Girls, Million Dollar Baby and The Motorcycle Diaries.

EternalSunshine vanquished fellow original screenplay contenders The Aviator, GardenState, Hotel Rwanda and Kinsey.

Best TV movie orminiseries adapted screenplay went to HBO's Angels In America by Tony Kushner, while Peter Silvermanand Robert Caswell won best original screenplay for Something The Lord Made, another HBO TV picture.