'Slumdog,' 'Milk' take top WGA awards

UPDATE: Simon Beaufoy was actually at the New York version of the WGA Awards, which was held simultaneously with the L.A. event (there was no feed of the NY show in L.A.).

At least Simon Beaufoy had an excuse for not being at the WGA West Awards. 

He was on a plane on his way to the BAFTA awards in London, the crowd was told, when he won for his adapted screenplay for "Slumdog Millionaire," the front runner for the best picture prize at the Oscars. (Seems that the British entertainment awards are a higher priority). His competitors were the writers of Oscar nominated best pictures "Frost/Nixon" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Oscar snubee "Doubt" and much bigger snubee, "The Dark Knight."

But, continuing the night's theme of people having something else to do, the presenter of that award, Evan Rachel Wood, didn't make it to Century City either.

The other big winner at tonight's awards did show up. Dustin Lance Black, who is the Gold Rush pick for the Oscar in this same category, won for his original screenplay for "Milk." The gifted newbie beat out Woody Allen ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Robert Siegel ("The Wrestler"), Tom McCarthy ("The Visitor") and last year's Oscar champs the Coen brothers ("Burn After Reading").