The Shape of Water (2017) - an original story or an adapted story?

Last summer I saw a trailer for the film The Shape of Water, which really piqued my interest, as it seemed to be a mysterious and visually intriguing movie, with actors I really enjoy (Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer).

I watched the film in December, and though I found it watchable for the most part, I didn't think it was very a original story; as it was essentially a new twist on an old tale. One thing that especially didn't sit with me well was the dialogue; it felt as if the actors were all using language and speaking as if it were modern times and not early 1960s, and that was a bit distracting. I imagined what the film would be like if it were in a foreign language with subtitles, or set in another country, as it may have worked for me a bit better.

I was surprised that the film received so many Oscar nominations this year; it may win some technical awards, and possibly best picture, director, actress, and possibly Best Original Screenplay - emphasis on "Original".

Leading up to the Awards ceremony, there's been some controversy surrounding the film, with questions being raised as to whether the filmmakers are guilty of plagiarizing the story from another work - a play called Let Me Hear You Whisper by Paul Zindel. The play was also made into two films - 1969 version and a 1990 version. 

I was not familiar with the story or the films, but people who have been pointing out the similarities on Twitter and other social media since last summer. In this article from Hollywood Nerd, the similarities are pointed out, and they are remarkable.  There's also some people who are questioning that director Guillermo del Toro was influenced to write the film based on a story idea he heard from  novelist Daniel Kraus who may have been familiar with the Zindel story (article here). A few other similar court cases about plagiarism are noted in this article here.

According to a recent Deadline article, del Toro claims he's never seen nor heard of the original play, which may be true but quite a coincidence because the two stories are so similar. One would think that at least a credit such as "Inspired by a Story by Paul Zindel" would be appropriate. If the film wins Best Picture, I may be a bit miffed not so much because of this controversy, but because I still feel that in 1992, Beauty and the Beast should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and feel that was a far better fairy tale film.