38th Writers Guild of America Awards

The 38th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best television, and film writers of 1985. Winners were announced in 1986.

Winners and nominees

Film

Winners are listed first highlighted in boldface.

Witness, Written by Earl W. Wallace and William Kelley; Story by Earl W. Wallace, Pamela Wallace and William Kelley
* Back to the Future, Written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale
* Cocoon, Written by Tom Benedek; Story by David Saperstein
* Mask, Written by Anna Hamilton Phelan
* The Purple Rose of Cairo, Written by Woody Allen

Prizzi's Honor, Screenplay by Richard Condon and Janet Roach; Based on the novel by Richard Condon

* Agnes of God, Screenplay by John Pielmeier; Based on his play

* The Color Purple, Screenplay by Menno Meyjes; Based on the novel by Alice Walker

* Out of Africa, Screenplay by Kurt Luedtke; Based on the book Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Story Teller by Judith Thurman and the book Silence Will Speak by Errol Trzebinski

* The Trip to Bountiful, Screenplay by Horton Foote; Based on his play