2025 OSCARS: A Complete Unknown (2024) - The Line That Describes What the Tension in the Atmosphere Feels Like

[Quick Summary: In 1961, Bob Dylan comes to NYC, where he meets his heroes and significant women in his life.]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.

CON OF READING OSCAR SCRIPTS: There's a bias toward certain stories.

PRO OF READING OSCAR SCRIPTS: Learning what the industry says is the most innovative writing in the last year.

Though today's script wasn't particularly innovative in the biopic genre, I thought it captured atmosphere succinctly, which is often very difficult to do.

I could not decide between my favorite two lines, so I include them both here:

EXAMPLE 1:
- Joan and Bob have just spent the first night together.
- She asks Bob to sing one of his new songs.  She joins in.*
- The line below tries to explain what the tension in the air feels like:

INT. BOB'S APARTMENT -- DAWN

...No one is brave today... 

EXAMPLE 2: 
- Bob has put other things above Sylvie too many times.
- One day, he shows up on a motorcycle and shouts up to her apartment.
- The line below unfolds her inner life that creates an unspoken frisson around her:

EXT. SYLVIE'S APARTMENT -- MOMENTS LATER

...She crosses to Bob and climbs on the bike knowing full well this is stupid. 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: It's good to know the writer's rule ("only write what the audience can see") and when to break it (ex. sometimes a writer can only describe atmosphere by describing what a character's internal state is).

A Complete Unknown (2024) 
by James Mangold and Jay Cocks

* As a side note, I loved the description of their singing: "The rusty knife of Bob's voice blunts the beauty of Joan's."

TODAY'S NUGGET: Yellow Jack (1938) - Using the Environment to Inform the Audience About a Character

[Quick Summary: Since no one believes that mosquitos are carriers of yellow fever, Major Walter Reed asks five U.S. soldiers in Cuba to become human test subjects.]

Q: How do you possibly make a standard biopic interesting?
A: For me, it lies in the character of Dr. Finlay, a cranky, irascible physician with a huge chip on his shoulder.  He's of Scottish-French descent, but grew up in Cuba.

Q: Why is he so cranky?
A:   No one will publish his theory about the transmission of yellow fever for the last 20 years, and the medical community have openly mocked him.

Q: What makes his introduction memorable?
A: The writers do a great job of using the environment to convey something about a character. It's spooky, odd, makes us uneasy, just like Dr. Finlay.

In the scene below:
- Major Reed has just asked Dr. Finlay for some of his unhatched mosquito eggs, in order to conduct human experiments.
- Reed, Agramonte, Lazear, Carroll are all U.S. soldiers.
- Notice how the writers use the environment to inform us about Dr. Finlay's character: musty books, shuttered windows, creepy cages of mosquitos speak to a research who cares about his work, not looks.
- It tells also draws us in, makes us curious.  What is this mystifying, unknown we're about to step into?

The scene dissolves into a close-up fo a CAGE OF LARGE STRIPED STEGOMYIA MOSQUITOES, which flash as they move about and give forth a curious droning sound. Then the view, drawing back, discloses DOCTOR FINLAY'S STUDY, a dimly lit room with curious angles. It has many cabinets containing the complex paraphernalia of a doctor and scientist...cases of musty books...a long table strewn with evidence of intensive and lonely study. In a corner near a shuttered window is the cage, placed on a table. Also on this table are several porcelain dishes covered with gauze. These contain dry eggs of the Stegomyia. DR. FINLAY leads MAJOR REED and his doctors up to the "menagerie."

FINLAY (pointing to the mosquitoes as they cling against the inside of the screen): You see her there... (He speaks with the purring affection of a connoisseur, relating the admirable qualities of his specimens.) My silver beauty...my spoiled darling! Do not think that she is a wild creature of the jungle. Ah, no....She is highly civilized. She would die wi'out your society - and epicure...feeding on the softest and tenderest parts of the human flesh...under the wrists or along the ankles...never on the face or the top of the hands. (With a soft chuckle) Those places are the most easily...slapped!

REED (peering closer to the screen): These are all females?

FINLAY: Aye...a bevy of bonny lassies, each wi' a kiss of death. The male is decent. He is not a vampire.

CARROLL (sharply): How did you pick this one out of eight hundred different kinds?

FINLAY: By her habits! She alone cannot live in the swamps. She alone can live only with human beings. She alone deposits her eggs only in clear pure water, in artificial objects - glasses, pitchers, flower pots....Is she not Greek in her purity?

REED: Amazing! 

AGRAMONTE: Horrible!

LAZEAR: Fascinating!

CARROL (to Reed): Let's get out of here.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I learned a lot about Dr. Finlay simply seeing his carefully curated cages of flesh eating mosquitos.  

And the fact that he's so proud of the mosquitos?  It's another level of depth. 

Yellow Jack (1938)
by Edward Chodorov
Based on the play by Sidney Howard, in collaboration with Paul de Kruif

* What is yellow fever?

It is a epidemic prone, viral disease that is spread by mosquitos.  Its symptoms are fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea and vomiting. A small percentage of people infected with the virus develop a life-threatening form of the disease that involves high fevers, internal bleeding, vomiting of blood and jaundice—which is where the “yellow” in yellow fever comes from. It has been estimated that for every 1 case of severe infection, there are between 1 and 70 infections that are asymptomatic or mild.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Juarez (1939) - The Best Way to Give Two Possible Endings

[Quick Summary: In 1863, Benito Juarez, the new president of Mexico who has taken land from the rich for the poor, is maneuvered out of office by unhappy Mexican politicians, and French Napoleon III, in order to install Austrian prince Maximilian von Habsburg as emperor.]

I admired, but did not like, this script, co-written by director John Huston.

It is essentially about historical political maneuverings, which is hard to make cinematic, unless it's about individuals (see my Reds review).

However, I found the ending interesting because:
1) It resolves how Juarez and  von Habsburg both had similar hopes for Mexico, but only one (literally) could survive.
2) The script include two possible, good options, for the ending, which is unusual.

In the ending below:
- Maximilian von Habsburg has just been shot.
- The first ending is more metaphorical, cinematic, and features children, i.e., the future of Mexico.
- The second ending is more conventional and simple (and probably cheaper).

A frightened DOVE is seen flying as the sound of a volley is heard This dissolves to a CHAPEL from the entrance a coffin is seen on a catafalque in the presbytery. A figure comes into view and goes slowly down the nave. It stands motionless over the coffin, and as the scene moves up to a close view BENITO JUAREZ is seen looking down into an open coffin in which rests all that is mortal of Maximilian von Habsburg. A look of pity softens his stone face, following which a wider view shows Juarez straightening up and starting from the coffin.  He continues up the aisle of pews. --He passes an Indian woman who is kneeling in prayer. On her back, int he folds of her serape, she carries her baby, a robust Indian boy of a few months. The baby sucks on his fingers as he gurgles to himself.

The moving scene stops with Juarez as, attracted by the sounds from the baby, he pauses to look at it, following, which a close view of the BABY shows its velvet black eyes fixed on Juarez, as its face crinkles into an ingratiating smile.  A close view of JUAREZ shows the stone mask of his face slowly softening and for the first time we see him smile. Then, the scene widening quickly and revealing both Juarez and the baby, Juarez squares himself and continues down the aisle as his short, squat figure disappears in the gloomy shadows of the church. The scene fades out. 

(ALTERNATE ENDING)

This dissolves to a CHAPEL and a coffin is seen on a catafalque in the presbytery. A figure comes into view and goes slowly down the nave. It stands motionless over the coffin, and as the scene moves up to a close view of BENITO JUAREZ is seen looking down into an open coffin in which rests all that is mortal of Maximilian von Habsburg, Emperor of Mexico and Archduke of Austria.

JUAREZ: Forgive me.

The scene fades out.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked how the writers had made a definitive decision about the meaning of the ending. The alternate was just another way to show it. 

I don't particularly enjoy it when the writers create "happy" and "sad" alternates in order to avoid taking a stance on their story.

Juarez (1939)
by John Huston & Aeneas MacKenzie, and Wolfgang Reinhardt
Based on a play by Franz Werfel, and the novel, The Phantom Crown, by Bertita Harding

TODAY'S NUGGET: The Life of Emile Zola (1937) - How to Use a Portrait To Elicit One's Past Courage --> Change One's Mind

[Quick Summary: Famous French muckraking journalist Emile Zola gets involved when an army soldier is sentenced for treason that it is really a political cover up.]

Q: Who is Emile Zola?
A: In the latter 1800s, he rose from poverty to become a celebrated French novelist and journalist. 

Q: Besides his novels, what is he best known for?
A: His involvement in the Dreyfus Affair (approx.1894-1906).  

Q: What was the Dreyfus Affair about?
A: Dreyfus was a Jewish army captain who was jailed for treason. Dreyfus's brother had proof of an army cover up, and asked Zola to help him get the case reopened.

Q: Why was the scene below your favorite one from the script?
A: Zola was older and didn't want to get involved.  I particularly liked the scene below because it captures the swing of emotions as he changed his mind.  

In the scene below:
- Dreyfus's brother has just pled his case and left, discouraged.
- The famous artist Paul Cezanne had given his old school friend Zola a portrait of his younger self, when they were both hungrier and more political.
- Note how the portrait is a touchstone.  It reminds Zola of his youthful ideals, which were shown earlier in the script.
- Notice the sequence in the change of emotions:  First we SEE Zola's upset first --> He sees the portrait and remembers --> Then we SEE him write the open letter that will turn the tide for Dreyfus.

And now ZOLA restlessly, angrily pacing, in dreadful turmoil, picks up the portfolio of evidence. He riffles it through as he walks up and down before the fire. Then the view drawing close, the curiously lifelike eyes of Cezanne's portrait on the mantel seem to follow his movements. With a sudden savage gesture he raises the portfolio to hurl it from him, but as he does his eyes suddenly catch the calm, gazing portrait eyes of Cezanne, and Zola's gesture abruptly is halted. He stares, fascinated, at the picture and slowly his arm drops before that mute but terrible accusation. He straightens suddenly, looks at the portfolio, then again at the portrait of Cezanne, and all indecision, all anger, are washed from his face. His hand reaches out --he touches the picture frame with a gesture at once tender and reassuring. 

ZOLA turns, with the portfolio in his hand, and walks purposefully across the room and into his study. He sits at his desk and swiftly empties the portfolio of evidence before him and examines it, a close view showing him now scanning the document with intent interest, then reaching for paper and pen. He dips his pen in the ink, and the view moves down to the SHEET OF PAPER as Zola's hand, with the pen, pauses for a moment, then -- with a bold, decisive movement -- begins to write: 

"M. Felix Faure, President of the Republic..."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: One cannot jump from upset --> immediately into a change in behavior.  

One must first show his tussle of emotions --> The portrait that sparked his memories of his younger, fiery self --> Then show the change of decision.

Why? Audiences don't simply want to know what WHAT happened; they need to know WHY.  The portrait helps explain WHY he changed his mind.

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
by Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg, & Norman Reilly Raine
Story by Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg
Based on the book Zola and His Time, by Matthew Josephson

*Interestingly, this script was Oscar nominated for both story and script, but only won in the latter category.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Chaplin (1992) - When a Script is a Springboard for Something Magnificent on Set

[Quick Summary: Charlie Chaplin rises from a UK vaudeville act to Hollywood film star, but is pursued by the FBI for decades over accusations of Communism.]

This is a really good script and the film stays fairly close to the structure.  

But its genius is that it provided a springboard for something absolutely luminous in the hands of director Richard Attenborough and actor Robert Downey Jr.

My favorite scene (below) is the moment when Chaplin has to hastily put together a new character, which becomes the famous Tramp:
- The scene is fairly straightforward: Charlie randomly grabs a hat, cane, and clothes in wardrobe, then hurries out the door to the set.
- The script lays out good building blocks: "PULL BACK to show the full figure. Before our eyes we see the incarnation of the TRAMP's ... shuffle."
- However, the director and actor improves on the script.  Instead of a short journey to the set, they chose a long, long walkway. 
- Chaplin exits wardrobe --> walks fast, faster, readjusts his gait, then shoulders, hat, cane --> so by the end of the walkway, he is transformed into the Tramp.
- I hope you seek out the film because it's a true masterpiece of transformation. 

EXT. WARDROBE HOUSE, SENNETT STUDIOS. DAY. (1914)

The door of the house. Opens. FRAMED: The TRAMP -- Almost.

He adjusts his jacket. Swings his cane. Touches his tie, the brim of his hat. His fingers run over his naked upper lip. He takes a step. Pauses. Turns and goes back inside.

HOLD ON: the door.

CHAPLIN -- The TRAMP -- reappears. With his familiar little moustache. He smiles - a typical Tramp smile. Sets off at a run.

EXT. SENNETT STUDIOS. DAY. (1914)

CHAPLIN running towards the stage. He stops, takes off the Derby, ruffles his hair replaces the Derby.

HOLD on his face as he sets off again. The moustache twitches. PULL BACK to show the full figure. Before our eyes we see the incarnation of the TRAMP'S distinctive, cocky, humble shuffle - a twirl of the cane, a hunch of the shoulders.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The writers figured out solid story mechanics so the director and actor had the freedom to riff and soar.

Chaplin (1992)(shooting script, Oct., 1991)
by William Boyd
Script consultant: William Goldman
Story by Diana Hawkins
Based on My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin, and Chaplin- His Life and Art by David Robinson

TODAY'S NUGGET: Reds (1981) - How It Feels To Be Overshadowed (Subtext in Dialogue)

[Quick Summary: In the 1910s, journalist Louise Bryant and communist activist Jack Reed are tested when they report on the Russia revolution.]

Having heard a lot about Warren Beatty, I was skeptical of him as a writer. However, this script surprised me and it was unexpectedly easy to read.*

It was ok that I didn't quite understand all the politics because the dynamic between Louise and Jack is wonderful, as they tried (and often failed) each other.

I particularly liked how the script shows Louise's point of view and how she is often overshadowed by dynamic Jack, who is a natural is in front of the masses.

The scene below shows how this push-pull leaks into their personal relationship:
- Louise is trying to be seen for the person she is. Jack doesn't have those problems. and can't empathize.  It wears on her soul.
- She is conflicted as she tries to tell Jack what she wants, gets frustrated when he doesn't get it, yet still wants to love him.
- Notice the unspoken subtext. These two are being honest, but can't quite pinpoint the obstacle between them.
- The dialogue is free from exposition and quite good to speak aloud. 

INT. BEDROOM

...LOUISE: Listen, I want you to know something. I asked Whigham if he'd send me to France. [This seems to indicate she's made a decision without him.]

Silence. He sits on the bed. They don't look at each other. 

JACK: Is that what you want?

LOUISE: Yes.

JACK: Why? (no answer) What are you doing? [He confronts by asking questions.]

LOUISE: I'm not taken seriously when you're around.  [She's trying to explain without blaming.]

JACK: What do you mean you're not taken seriously?

LOUISE (turning away): This is not good.

JACK: Do you mean I'm taken more seriously? [He's annoyed.]

LOUISE: Do you mean you're not? You know what I'm saying. And you know it's true. Be honest with me.  [She wants reassurance.]

JACK: Maybe if you stopped taking yourself so seriously, somebody else would have a chance. [Rather than talk about how she feels, he tries to solve the problem. They're on different pages.]

LOUISE: Thanks.

JACK: Why should you be taken seriously before you've done serious work?

LOUISE: I've got to find another place. [Thinking it's fruitless to explain, she reverts to protecting herself. This is another brick in the wall between them.]

JACK: I'm not sure I know what kind of work you're serious about. [He's trying, and failing to bridge the gap with facts vs. feelings.]

LOUISE (turning back to him): Well, I don't care. And I'm really not interested in whether your friends take me seriously or not. I don't think we like the same people, Jack, or the same kind of life. I want to be on my own. I may have found a place on Houston Street.  [She feels misunderstood.]

JACK: Go ahead. Be on your own. I don't give a damn. You're on your own anyway. [He responds with hurt.]

LOUISE: I know you don't give a damn. [She responds with hurt.]

JACK (shouting): WILL YOU TELL ME WHY THE HELL I SHOULD GIVE A DAMN?

LOUISE: YOU SHOULDN'T. DON'T GIVE A DAMN. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN EITHER. I'M LEAVING. (she walks out)

JACK: O.K. ALL RIGHT. LEAVE! (she slams the door) I'M LEAVING TOO!

He drives his fist through the door. She stands in the living room. Silence. He lies down on the bed, rubbing his bruised hand.

LOUISE (finally): Is this what it's like? [After she unloads her feelings, she still cares.]

JACK: I guess so. [And so does he.]

She returns to the bed. He makes a hollow for her between arm and chest.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The disconnect seems so real because it's all below the surface.

She's looking for reassurance (emotional) and he's looking to solve a problem (anything but emotional).

Reds (1981)(undated)
by Warren Beatty and Trevor Griffiths

* Apparently there were a several uncredited writers, and the relationship parts I liked best were written by writer/director Elaine May:

...(Beatty said of the first draft that it “had serious problems. There was no tension between Bryant and Reed. What I needed to do was pit her feminism against his chauvinism, turn a woman who was in love with a man against that man.”) He ended up bringing in an uncredited Elaine May, with whom he collaborated on Heaven Can Wait. She focused mostly on the crackling tension between the wiseacre lovers, underscoring the sexual politics of the filmmaker’s present.

2024 OSCARS: Oppenheimer (2023) - Simple Symbol of Shouldering Responsibility

[Quick Summary: After Dr. Oppenheimer develops the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, NM, he suffers a politically motivated investigation.]

I liked, but didn't love, this script.  On the plus side, it did show me something I'd not seen before, i.e, being written in Oppenheimer's first person POV.   

On the negative side, it is mostly dialogue, so there are fewer visuals on the page. 

My favorite one (below) is a wonderful economy of writing. 
- Oppenheimer has come to consult Einstein on whether to go forward with atomic energy research that could destroy the world.  He shows him his research (papers).
- You can almost see the action IN the dialogue (but not "telling").
- I love how Einstein handing back that piece of paper has a deeper meaning in the very last line.  It symbolizes responsibility.

EXT. LAKE, INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY - MOMENTS LATER

EINSTEIN: And here we are, lost in your quantum world of probabilities, but needing certainty.

OPPENHEIMER: Can you run the calculations yourself?

EINSTEIN: About the only thing you and I share is a distain for mathematics. Who's working on it at Berkeley?

OPPENHEIMER: Hans Bethe.

EINSTEIN: He'll get to the truth.

OPPENHEIMER: And if the truth is catastrophic?

EINSTEIN: Then you stop. And share your findings with the Nazis, so neither side destroys the world.

I turn to leave.

EINSTEIN (CONT'D): Robert? (holding out paper) This is yours. Not mine.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: In this dialogue heavy script about big ideas (there's a lot of telling), I really appreciated a simple visual symbol (showing).

Oppenheimer (2023)(revised, 1/3/22)
by Christopher Nolan
Based on the book, "American Prometheus The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer", by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

2024 OSCARS: Maestro (2023) - Music Intersecting with Action = Shows Her Impact on Him

[Quick Summary: A portrait of the up and down marriage of composer- conductor Leonard and Felicia Bernstein.]

Though well-written, I was not wildly moved by this script. 

I think it is a bit too much "slice of life" for me.  It's not exactly a biopic, but the story of a marriage between a passionate conductor and his equally vibrant wife. 

However, I did like how the writers crafted moments where Bernstein's compositions intersect with important emotional moments. 

The scene below was one of those moments:
-  The combination of music and action carry the theme of the film: Felicia's emotional impact on Lenny.
- As the first composition bursts forth through Lenny on the stage, we see how her support enables him to reach the highest emotions.
- Then with a second composition, the music breaks them apart.

INT. HOUSE/STAGE, ALDEPHI THEATER, NEW YORK - NIGHT

He smiles at her. A smile that'd make another woman blush. Felicia pulls back up against her seat to watch the ballet. We've jumped later in the piece to Fancy Free: VI. Three Dance Variations, Variation III (Danzon) and one of the sailors is dancing solo, like a serenade for the other two sailors. We PUSH IN on the dancer; the movements are sensual.

And we see the sailor is not LB himself, through Felicia's eyes, lost in his own movements, the eroticism of it all, titillating both to himself and his audience. We see this land on Felicia's face, this recognition of this complicated man.

On stage, LB moves through the end of the Variation, closer and closer to Felicia. First coming up to the barstool, drumming on his knee. Then standing on top of one, pounding on his chest, gorilla style, declaring his art form and then leaping up, landing almost in front of her as the music stops. 

Felicia shoots up from her chair and claps energetically for LB breaking free and expressing himself fully. LB beams, and moves right toward her, and they embrace and kiss.  [I thought this was great descriptive writing:"breaking free and expressing himself."]

We go into the kiss, close on them, the passion of their embrace as the top stage lights fair and BAM!!!

We hear the horn wail that marks the beginning of On the Town: Act 1: Opening: New York, New York. This breaks them apart.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I think this scene, with only music and action, may have been the best way of explaining the unexplainable impact Felicia had on Lenny.

Maestro (2023)(undated)
by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer

TODAY'S NUGGET: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) - A New Twist on "The Plane Won't Start" (Humor in Situation)

[Quick Summary: Leaving behind a new, pregnant wife, an army lieutenant and his crew rendezvous with the navy for a top secret mission. Based on a true story. ]

I was all prepared not to like this script about WWII. I'm simply bored by the over saturated political and "message" films.

However, this one managed to paint an interesting picture about cooperation - between Army and Navy, and between soldiers and allies in China.

Also, I really liked how the writer created a three-dimensional world.

One way was through the humor in character (ex. army soldier fleeced both army and navy colleagues alike) and humor in situation (scene below).

I particularly liked how the scene below rose in tension AND was humorous:
- Timing is crucial on this mission in the dark of morning. 
- Since there are so many planes that must be deployed (and cannot be turned around), any non-starting aircraft would be shoved into the ocean.
- This is such an unexpected twist that increased the tension!

Red reaches forward, turns the switch, and the starter gets into action. Then we see the left motor. It gives a chug, turns over and stops. Then two more chugs. It stops again. The Navy crew in the background look serious, and move forward, prepared for the emergency of pushing the plane overboard if she doesn't function. The motor gives another helpless snort, and chokes out.

This cuts to the PILOT'S COMPARTMENT as Ted and Davenport exchange frantic looks. They work the starting button once more. There is another helpless little snort from the engine.

DAVENPORT: Those navy guys are moving up to push us over!

TED (viciously): They're not gonna toss this ship overboard! C'me on, baby -give-give...give...!

Another try at the starter, and this time there are four chugs. --This cuts to the LEFT MOTOR as she takes hold weakly, gives a dozen snorts, and suddenly grabs on; and to the NAVY CREW as they move back from the plane with looks of relief.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I really liked how relatable this script was: A guy wants to go home as soon as he can, but can't start his plane. Not philsophizing or preachy.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
by Dalton Trumbo
Based on the book and Collier's story by Capt. Ted W. Lawson and Robert Considine

2022 OSCARS: King Richard (2021) - Using Backstory with a Purpose

[Quick Summary: Richard Williams has a unlikely plan for his two daughters, Venus and Serena, to become tennis champions.]

This is a well-written sports biopic, though it wasn't new or cutting edge. 

However, I did like how the writer used of backstory to confront a character, rather than the usual "information dump."

The best example is late in the script (below):
- After Richard refuses to let Venus play in a tournament, his wife Orcene confronts him.
- Notice the backstory is used as evidence of quitting or not quitting. How many do you find? I found at least 8.

INT. WILLIAMS' HOME (FLORIDA) - MOMENTS LATER

...ORACENE: ...There would be no dream if it wasn't for me. I carried those girls, inside me and on my back. And I carried you too. I worked two shifts putting food on our table. (#1) That open stance stroke -- you got that from me! (#2) I fixed Serena's serve when you kept messing it up! (#3)

RICHARD: When you what?

ORACENE: Yeah, that's right. I fixed that toss you messed up. I've been here dreaming and believing the whole time, just like you. You just don't want to see me.

RICHARD:  Whatchu want? A thank-you?

ORACENE: That's all right Richard. I don't need your thank you. Unlike you, I don't need the world to tell me I'm great.

At that, Richard starts to walk off. 

ORACENE: That's right. Go ahead. Walk away. You are good at that. That's what you do, right? When things get hard, you just quit. Like you did with your cement business (#4) and your cleaning company. (#5) And all your other kids. (#6)

RICHARD: Oh, you got something you need to get off your chest? Well don't let God stop you. Say what you wanna say.

ORACENE: I just said it! You don't think I remember your son showing up in his red Nissan truck and knock on our door, and all you had to say was, 'Look, it's my son. He found me' (#7)-- or when your other kids came after. (#8) See, another woman would have left, but I stayed 'cause I don't quit. You're the one who leaves...

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I really liked how the writer used the backstory with a defined purpose, i.e., to show the long family history with quitting/not quitting. 

King Richard (2021)(final)
by Zach Baylin

TODAY'S NUGGET: Kundun (1997) - How to Show A Character in Multiple Ages All at Once

[Quick Summary: The story of the Kundun, the 14th Dalai Lama, from childhood to his 20s and dealing with the Chinese take over of Tibet.]

This film's cinematographer has stated that the movie is "very much a poem, rather than a traditional narrative film," more of a "mood piece" than anything else. 

I agree.  The visuals in the script seemed more interested in evoking a feeling rather than laying out plot.

Below is my favorite scene on the page.  I liked that I was never confused who was before me - the present (Tenzin Gyatso), past (Lhamo) or future selves.  

EXT. HILLTOP DAWN

The body of the Dalai Lama's Father lays on a flat boulder.

Incense smoke curls into the air. Prayer wheels are turned, hand drums are played - the burial men stand off to one side, their hatchets and knives in view.

Tenzin Gyatso is present. He is the boy we know, but beside him stands the four year-old boy, Lhamo, from the beginning of the movie, and on the other side of him stands the boy who will play the Dalai Lama in the next section of the film - a boy about fifteen or sixteen.

Tenzin Gyatso wraps his brown rosary around his left wrist. The beads catch the brilliant afternoon light. The sixteen year-old Dalai Lama wears the same colored rosary around his left wrist.

The cutters move in to the corpse, and as we hear them begin the work of dismembering the body, the view pans up to the reveal the vultures circling overhead.

The last person leaving the hilltop with is the Dalai Lama as an older man - not a character from this movie - but a man of about fifty years, wearing glasses, wearing the same robes, the same rosary. Little Lhamo walks beside him.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  Don't be afraid to write a little more in favor of clarity. The reader will forgive a few extra words, but won't if it is muddled.

Kundun (1997)(10/16/92 draft)
by Melissa Mathison

TODAY'S NUGGET: Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) - The Moment of Despair (Team Breaks Up)

[Quick Summary: The story of how Loretta Webb married young to Doo Lynn, had 6 kids, and created her country singing career.]

I liked this script very much because: 1) It reads faster than a greased pig, and 2) It builds and builds to the moment of despair.

First, it lays out how Doo worked so hard to get Loretta noticed.  

Second, we see that she's well on her way to success, but he no longer has purpose. 

She eventually catches him kissing another woman.  When she hits him with her purse, he injures a finger. 

The entire script has built to this heart wrenching scene when the team breaks up:

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

...LORETTA: Ain't you gonna talk, Doo? I know what happened today, it wasn't about me wearin' no makeup. Why don't you talk to me?

DOOLITTLE (slowly): I think what I'm gonna do...is get me a job somewhere. Truck drivin', a mechanicin', somethin' I'm good at....

LORETTA: You're good at managin' me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.

DOOLITTLE: Gettin' here's one thing. Bein' here's another. My job's done. So I'll just find me another'n.

LORETTA: If this is gonna break us up then I'll quit too, Doo. I mean it.

DOOLITTLE: Successful people can't quit, baby. (sees her holding her head) Got another one of your headaches?

She nods.

DOOLITTLE: Just like your daddy. Coal dust give him his headaches. I guess I'm what gives 'em to you... (takes something from his pocket) Figure it was about time.

It's a wedding ring. She looks at it, starts to cry. They hold each other.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The kid in me wants the team to stay together, but the adult in me knows Doolittle is right: "Gettin' here's one thing. Bein' here's another."

This is a good emotional space, as it keeps me rooting for them.

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)(undated)
by Thomas Rickman
Based on the book by Loretta Lynn with George Vecsey

TODAY'S NUGGET: Legend (2015) - "Passing Through Doors" Transition

[Quick Summary: 1960s gangsters Reggie and Ronald Kray terrorize London.]

Q & A With Myself 

Q: Did you like the script?
A: Not really. It's well written, but not really.

Q: Why didn't you like the script?
A: I want a script to make me understand the characters' points of view, which it did.  However, the emotional stakes plateaued, despite much chaos and violence. 

Q: Could you give an example?
A: Ronnie likes harming people, no remorse. His biggest fear is that Reggie will leave him.  Reggie's biggest fear is that his wife Frances will leave.  When bad things happen, they rage, but there is little emotional consequences or suspense.*

Q: Was there anything particularly good in the script?
A: I can tell this passing door scene was written to be shot. It's a clever transition because we're taken into a room without us noticing. It's at least two camera moves.

EXT. KENSINGTON GORE - DAY

STEFAN DE FAYE walks cheerily along. Young and bright, he checks an address on a business card, enters a BUILDING.

FRANCES (V.O.): London was an open city and the Krays moved in.

                                                                                                CUT TO:

A POV IN A HALLWAY

On a SECRETARY'S BACK approaching double wooden doors. As she swings them open, Stefan De Faye passes and we are now in... [Camera is in front of de Faye. 3rd person, objective POV.]

THE OFFICE

LESLIE PAYNE smiles from his desk, looking good in a suit.

PAYNE: Mr. de Faye, glad you could come. [Camera has become de Faye's POV]

DE FAYE (steps forward): Mr. Payne. I'm not often intrigued, but your message, it intrigued.

PAYNE: Please. Sit down.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked the unconsciousness of that transition. It's simple, clear, but accomplishes a lot.

Legend (2015)(final shooting draft)
by Brian Helgeland

*I wonder if this is the reason for the excessive use of Frances's voice over? To at least give Reggie a conscience?

TODAY'S NUGGET: JFK (1991) - The Emotional Ride of Obsession

[Quick Summary: The hunt for a murderer after President John F. Kennedy is shot in Dallas, TX on Nov. 22, 1963.]

THREE THINGS I LEARNED FROM ROGER EBERT'S REVIEW:

1) FACT vs. FICTION IN FILMS.

This is not a film about the facts of the assassination, but about the feelings. “JFK” accurately reflects our national state of mind since Nov. 22, 1963. ...I believe films are the wrong medium for fact. Fact belongs in print. Films are about emotions.*

2) SO WHAT IS OLIVER STONE'S FILM ABOUT?

His film is not about the case assembled by his hero, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner). It is about Garrison's obsession. The film's thrust is not toward truth, but toward frustration and anger.

3) WHY IS THE SCRIPT WORTH READING? It is not a pretty to look at (156 pgs. long, single spaced), however it is unusually nimble for the amount of detail.

Oliver Stone was born to make this movie. He is a filmmaker of feverish energy and limitless technical skills, able to assemble a bewildering array of facts and fancies and compose them into a film without getting bogged down. His secret is that he doesn't intend us to remember all his pieces and fit them together and arrive at logical conclusions.

I liked that the script kept focus on the emotional ride of obsession by showing what it costs.  It's the small things that are so devastating.

INT. GARRISON HOME - NIGHT (1967)

After dinner, toys scattered around the living room. Phone ringing as VIRGINIA, 6, answers it, playing with her doll. In background SCOOTER is chasing ELIZABETH around.

VIRGINIA: Hello.

MALE VOICE: Hello is this Jim Garrison's daughter?

VIRGINIA: Yes?

MALE VOICE: Virginia or Elizabeth?

VIRGINIA: Virginia.

MALE VOICE: Virginia, you're a lucky girl. Your daddy has entered you in a beauty contest. Would you like to be in a beauty contest?

VIRGINIA: That sounds fun.

MALE VOICE: I need some information from you then. How old are you?

VIRGINIA: Six.

MALE VOICE: And how tall are you?

In the STUDY, JIM watches the NEWS in horror. [News reports the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.]

MALE VOICE: And you get off from school at 3 every day?

VIRGINIA: Yes.

MALE VOICE: Do you walk home?

VIRGINIA: Uh huh.

LIZ comes to the phone, a look on her face.

LIZ (taking the phone): Who you talking to?

MALE VOICE: Okay Virginia, that's all I need to know. I'll call you again when it's time for the beauty contest.

LIZ: Who's this?...Hello?...Hello?

Pause. The man at the other end listening to Liz...He hangs up. Liz turns to Virginia.

VIRGINIA (excited): Mama I'm going to be in a beauty contest! Daddy.

LIZ: What did he ask you!

VIRGINIA:Well, he asked me everything. He asked me...          

Liz freaking.           

                                                                                INTERCUT TO:

LIZ marches into Jim's study.

LIZ: Did you enter Virginia into a beauty contest?

JIM (absorbed in the TV): What?

LIZ (hysterical): A man just called. He asked her everything! Her height, her weight, when she came home from school. 

JIM: Honey, some crackpot! Martin Luther King was just killed in Memphis!

LIZ (screaming): I don't give a damn about Martin Luther King! Your daughter's life was just threatened!

JIM: Just a crank making phone calls. Happens a dozen times a day at the office.

LIZ: Our home Jim!  A kidnapper, a murderer!

JIM (consoling): Only cowards make crank calls, egghead, nothing is going to happen (puts his arms around her).

LIZ (beats on him): How do you know? How do you know!

JIM: Get a hold of yourself.

LIZ: I'm leaving. I'm taking the kids and I'm leaving! I can't stand it anymore...

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: After reading this script, I don't remember much about it, except the emotional toll.  Which might be the point in the end.

JFK (1991)(Jan. 1991 draft)
by Oliver Stone

* "I have no doubt Cronkite was correct, from his point of view. But I am a film critic and my assignment is different than his. He wants facts. I want moods, tones, fears, imaginings, whims, speculations, nightmares. As a general principle, I believe films are the wrong medium for fact. Fact belongs in print. Films are about emotions. My notion is that “JFK” is no more, or less, factual than Stone's “Nixon” or “Gandhi,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Gladiator,” “Amistad,” “Out of Africa,” “My Dog Skip” or any other movie based on “real life.” All we can reasonably ask is that it be skillfully made and seem to approach some kind of emotional truth. Given that standard, “JFK” is a masterpiece."

TODAY'S NUGGET: The Greatest (1977) - Ogling Made Funny & Human

[Quick Summary:  The story of Muhammad Ali's life to become the Greatest boxer.]

This script was based on a book co-written by Ali, about Ali, for a film starring Ali.

Thus, I'm assuming the script is fairly faithful to the book and reality...which is fine, except I did not get swept up into the story.

However, I did like this funny scene below where Ali gets payback for ogling.

ex.  EXT. MIAMI PARK - DAY

The fountain is low enough for small children, which means an adult has to bend way over to reach it. In Ruby's case this bares an area of skin previously covered by the back of her shorts. Cassius, without moving the bike, bends and stretches into a quite unnatural position in order to get a better view of this newly exposed nether region. Somehow sensing this, Ruby turns her head from the fountain so suddenly as to catch him at it. Cassius is flustered, the more so when she actually calls attention to it.

RUBY: Looking at something?

CASSIUS: No, of course not! I mean nothing really. I mean just your...

He can't think of an acceptable word and completes the phrase instead by outlining a human rear end with both of his hands.

RUBY: Anything special about my...?

She finishes the question with the same pantomime.

CASSIUS: No, no, of course not! Nothing special about it at all! (frantically correcting himself) That's not what I mean. What I mean is, yes, there is. Very special.

RUBY: You don't sound at all sure what you mean. (taking bike) Thanks. (indicating fountain) Your turn.

Relieved to be through with that conversation, Cassius bends over to drink. He is so much taller that he has to bend a lot further, causing his own rear contours to stand out, even in his loose running pants. Ruby deliberately assumes the same position he took to inspect her backside and stares at his ostentatiously until, finished drinking, he turns and sees what she's doing.

RUBY: You know what? Yours is pretty special, too.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  I liked that the script took the time to include a very human, embarrassing moment.  It made the myth much more approachable and human

The Greatest (1977)(12/24/76 draft)
by Ring Lardner, Jr.
Based on "The Greatest: My Own Story" by Muhammad Ali, Herbert Muhummad, and Richard Durham

2020 OSCARS: The Two Popes (2019) - Inserting Humore in Writing

[Quick Summary: The story of the relationship of Pope Benedict and Bergoglio, an Argentinian cardinal, who becomes Pope Francis.]

Writer Anthony McCarten, whose BAFTA Screenwriters' Lecture speech is well worth a listen, has spoken often on inserting humor in his writing.

I laughed at the scene below, and it was a release valve.

Bergoglio has just arrived at the Pope's summer residence.  He is uncomfortable, surrounded by so much excess.

I thought the humor was even more accentuated because it was followed by the sober reminder of the expectations that surround us, i.e.,  saints and cherubim.

ex. INT. CASTEL GANDOLFO - CORRIDOR (2012) - EVENING

Bergoglio is following the nun along the intimidating corridors. He's not happy here. The nun shows him a room.

BERGOGLIO: Thank you, sister.

NUN: Oh. I almost forgot. A message from your assistant in Buenos Aires...

She hands him a piece of paper. He unfolds it, troubled.

She shows him to his room. As he goes into his room...

NUN (CONT'D): Is it bad news, father?

INSERT: Shot of the piece of paper in his hand. It's a starting line up for tonight's big San Lorenzo game.

BERGOGLIO: I'm afraid so. Lavezzi is not in the starting line up for Argentina and Equador tomorrow.

PICK UP ON Bergoglio trying to pray a little later. He is distracted by the decoration in the room - paintings of saints surrounded by beaming baby-faced cherubim.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: "Those who lose the ability to laugh, lose the ability to think."-Clarence Darrow

The Two Popes (2019)
by Anthony McCarten

2020 OSCARS: The Irishman (2019) - Transitioning Present to Past to Present

[Quick Summary: Frank Sheeran recounts his life in three eras, as the guy closest to Jimmy Hoffa and the one to kill him.]

This script had excellent structure, excellent pacing, epic conflict.

However, I was bored.  For the record, it's not the writer's fault. 

The main character does not change much, or was conflicted enough to change.  He's stoic so the script had to be about 70% in Frank's voice over.

I did think the writer did a heroic job of keeping the story focused though it jumps between three time frames.  I think it was because of really clear transitions.

NOTE: The hand --> the hand --> the gun in the hand --> Frank speaks

ex. PRESENT TIME - NURSING HOME

FRANK: One of a thousand working stiffs...

This is who we've been looking for - Frank Sheeran - perhaps to kill him. But he pays no attention to us, even as we come in close enough to see his gold watch encircled with diamonds, and the distinctive ring made from a gold coin on a finger.

INT. EMPTY HOUSE - A BLANK WALL - DAY

We see a young man's hand with the same gold and diamond encrusted watch and diamond pinky ring raise a gun at an unseen target.

FRANK (IN SYNC): ...until I wasn't anymore...

TWO QUICK GUNSHOTS to the back of an UNKNOWN MAN'S head.

The blank wall explodes in red, as though a bucket of blood had been thrown against it. The blood begins to slowly ooze down the wall covering it with red streaks.

FRANK (IN SYNC): ... And started painting houses myself.

INT. ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY - DAY - 2000

BACK in the ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, Frank gives us a moment to grasp what he's said. Then:

FRANK: In this particular matter, the whole thing was built around the wedding.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Keep the visuals strong and simple.

The Irishman (2019)(final shooting script)
by Steve Zailian
Adapted from the book by Charles Brandt

2019 OSCARS: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) - Retain the Unpleasant; Protagonist as Antagonist

[Quick Summary: After an unpleasant, down-on-her-luck writer is suspected by the FBI, she enlists the help of a ne'er-do-well to continue to sell faked celebrity letters.]

TWO THINGS THAT THIS SCRIPT DOES WELL:

1) RETAIN THE UNPLEASANT. Lee Israel was a difficult person.

I liked that this script did not try to soften those edges or excuse them. It merely showed the cause and effect of her idiosyncratic, but human, behavior.

ex. At a party at her agent's house, Lee feels the agent is brushing her off/rejecting her. Instead of dealing with the feeling, she steals someone else's nice coat.

2) PROTAGONIST AS ANTAGONIST. What do you do when the protagonist's greatest antagonist is herself? How do you externalize her fight with herself?

For Lee, I think she wanted to connect, but her unexamined issues got in the way.

This script does a nice job of putting Lee into situations where her flaws are on display and work against her being able to connect.

In the scene below, note:
- Lee owes three months rent. Andrei is nice to her.
- Lee is in the wrong, yet she continues to treads on his kindness and asks for another favor.
- Lee does not take responsibility for the lost job and blames others.
- The scene shows how Lee's imposing behaviors caused others to stay away.

ex. "INT. LEE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - ENTRYWAY - DAY

Lee enters her building, and upon seeing Andrei, 50s, Romanian, tries to turn around and go right back out, but he calls out.

ANDREI: MS. ISRAEL!

LEE: Hi, Andrei.

ANDREI: I knock on your door but you never answer. We're going on three months.

LEE: No, I know. I'm really sorry about that. I'm working on it.

ANDREI: I don't want to have to call the management.

LEE: Can you cut me a little slack? It's been a rough patch. I just lost my job. I think it was ageism.

ANDREI: Can't you write another book?

LEE: Last one was a bit of a calamity.

ANDREI: I like you, you've been here longer than I have, and you've always been kind to my mother. Just get it to me soon.

LEE: I will. Absolutely. Thank you.

Andrei start to walk away.

LEE (CONT'D): But hey, in the meantime, do you think you could get an exterminator in my apartment? I've got an untenable fly situation."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This script is unusual because the protagonist is the main antagonist too. It must've been difficult to figure out how to externalize the internal fight.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)(final shooting script, 3/13/17)
by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

TODAY'S NUGGET: Bound for Glory (1976) - A Multi-Layered, Multi-Purpose Goodbye Scene

[Quick Summary:  In 1936, Woody Guthrie leaves the dust bowl of Texas for the lure of work in California, where his folk music career begins.]

My Three Random Thoughts:

1) EASY READ. I liked, but didn't love, the script. Kudos for being a smooth read.

2) POLITICS.  Ebert writes that "Guthrie's politics were central to his music, and yet in the film they seem almost superfluous; the politics could have emerged organically from the narrative, instead of being shoehorned in."

Hmmm...they were fine on the page. I wonder if it just didn't translate over to film?

3) SAYING GOODBYE. I liked that this script was rather objective about Guthrie.

It showed his warts and all: he was kind, but he had a temper. He loved his family, yet he cheated on his wife.  He built a home, yet his wanderlust kept him away.

All of these contradictions are seen in the goodbye scene below.

NOTE:
- This is not just a goodbye to the family, but goodbye to his old life too.

- In an earlier scene, there's a song about "Them California waters taste like cherry wine." Now in this scene, cherry wine = going to California. (Setup --> Payoff)

- Observe the lovely economical writing that transitions us through the goodbye:

Guthrie's note --> Food for the road --> Saying goodbye to guitar --> Takes brushes to earn a living painting signs --> Leave $$ for family --> Say goodbye without using "goodbye" --> Long shot of him walking from old life toward new life

"INT. GUTHRIE HOUSE - DAY
Mary and the children can be HEARD in the back yard as Woody hurriedly tapes a note to the cooler door. As he opens it, we read,"Gone to California, will send for you all...Love Woody." He grabs a couple of pieces of bread and a chunk of cheese from the cooler and shuts the door. Woody goes to the couch, picks up his guitar, plucks it a couple of times, sets it back down and takes a harmonica from a table and puts it in his pocket. He goes to a corner of the living room, reaches into a cardboard box and pulls out three or four paint brushes and stuffs them into his pocket, at the same time taking out a dollar or two and laying it on the table. As he starts for the front door, Mary's VOICE calls:

MARY'S VOICE: Woody, you home?

Woody pauses by the door.

WOODY: Yeah, but I'm jus' leavin'...

MARY'S VOICE: Where you goin'?

WOODY (after a beat): Ta get some cherry wine...

MARY'S VOICE: When you comin' back?

WOODY: Don't know, fer sure...

He hesitates, then goes out the door.

EXT. GUTHRIE HOUSE - LONG SHOT - DAY

Woody exits the house and walks in opposite direction of the "Pampa Texas" sign."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Don't be afraid to give a character time for a goodbye scene, nor the following long shot scene, which finishes the sequence.

I tend to ax those kinds of long shots for length concerns, but am learning that this is a bad knee jerk reaction.  This script is much better with that long shot.

Bound for Glory (1975)(dated 8/11/75)
by Robert Getchell
Based on the autobiography of Woody Guthrie

2016 OSCARS: Straight Outta Compton (2015) - A Romantic Scene? Turning Point? Both?

[Quick Summary: The formation, demise, and aftermath of the 1980s rap group N.W.A. through the eyes of three members, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E.]

I liked, but did not love, this script.

However, I did like how three intertwining journeys were melded into one story.

And I did like this touching scene below.

Don't be fooled by its simplicity. 

It may only look like the moment Cube falls in love (personal), but it represents a bigger turning point in the overall story.

It's the moment that:
- Cube has just left N.W.A. (professional) and lost his friends (personal).
- He is at his lowest point (personal and professional).
- He meets his wife for the first time (personal).
- He begins a new phase of his career as a solo artist and as a writer (professional).

ex. "INT./EXT. T-BONES CAR - MOMENTS LATER

Cube rides in the passenger seat, pretty low at this point.  No money, no group. JINX MOUTH IS RUNNING, but Cube's in a daze --doesn't hear a word he's saying.

JINX: Can't believer you left the group, man. What you gonna do now? Guess we gotta start working on some solo stuff, huh? Cube? Cube?!

As the car pulls up to a stop light, Cube looks over, spots a beautiful YOUNG LADY in a nice jeep on rims. She's [sic] looks back over at him, their eyes locked. Is this love at first sight? After a few magical moments. Cube finally speaks.

CUBE: How you doing? My name O'Shea. What's yours?

KIM: Kim.

CUBE: Hey Kim -- You the best thing I've seen all day.

She smiles.

CUBE (cont'd): You believe in love at first sight?

KIM: What you think?

She is the only one that can get Cube to smile at this point."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Once in awhile, a romantic scene can represent more than just a romance, i.e., a significant personal and professional change/turning point.

Straight Outta Compton (2015)
by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff
Story by S. Leigh Savidge & Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff