[Quick Summary: After WWII, an idealistic political activist and a super-popular society guy try to navigate being a couple despite their opposite temperaments.]
TWO THOUGHTS :
1) BEING REWRITTEN. This was the situation here:
- Writer Arthur Laurents wrote the role of Katie for Barbra Streisand.
- According to director Sydney Pollack (here), Laurents was so committed to Katie's story that the love interest, Hubbell, was not as strong a character.
- Thus, Robert Redford wouldn't sign on. Streisand wrote about it (here):
Bob was concerned that the script was so focused on Katie that Hubbell's character was underdeveloped. (He was right.) Bob asked Sydney, 'Who is this guy? He's just an object...He doesn't want anything. What does this guy want?' In Bob's opinion, he was 'shallow and one dimensional. Not very real.' ' A pin-up girl in revers,' as Sydney put it."
[She told Pollack], "Give him anything he wants."
Write more scenes to strengthen his character. Make it equal....So Sydney hired two excellent writers, David Rayfiel and Alvin Sargent, to beef up Bob's part and go deeper, beneath that golden-boy exterior. And I told Ray to pay him whatever he wanted. But Bob's answer was still no. I was heartbroken.
In other words, it's sometimes necessary to get another (more objective) writer(s).
2) POLLACK'S FIRST RULE IN A LOVE STORY. All the above goes to why the original draft didn't work. Pollack put it well (here):
Never make one character attractive at the expense of the other. You have to bring the character up but not at a partner's expense.
Note in this re-written scene below:
- This is a more balanced meeting of equals, who both upend expectations.
- Katie and Hubbell were in a college writing class together.
- She wanted to be a writer, but isn't as good as he was. Writing comes easily to him, but he can't share it with his friends.
- This was a chance meeting at an outdoor restaurand their first real conversation.
MED. SHOT - KATIE
She makes for the curb, trying to sneak off into the darkness. But softly comes:
HUBBELL'S VOICE: Have a beer?
FULL SHOT - KATIE AND HUBBELL
She stops dead and turns to him. He grins.
HUBBELL (continuing): It's a celebration.
KATIE: Team team team.
HUBBELL: Wrong.
KATIE: Your crew won.
HUBBELL: Oh well, we always win. That's easy.
KATIE: That's right, everything's easy, I forgot. (pause) Listen, I'm sorry but I've...well, I've let the months slide by without telling I...I really loved your story. You're a good writer and...
HUBBELL: Thanks, Katie.
KATIE: ...I'll see ya. I've got to get to work.
She starts off.
HUBBELL: Hey, Katie? I sold one.
KATIE (turning): Huh?
HUBBELL: I sold a story.
KATIE (softly): Jesus. Oh boy, Hubbell. Congratulations.
Hubbell holds out a stein of beer.
HUBBELL: Drink.
She hesitates. Then takes it, holds it up.
KATIE: To your first novel.
HUBBELL: Hey. Not so fast.
KATIE: Why not!
HUBBELL: Okay. Why not. You say so.
KATIE: I say so.
They clink steins and drink. Then he looks at her. They smile.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I'd never considered "bringing a character up" to the level of the other character in a love story.
This is especially eye-opening in light of the several crossed out, rewritten pages in this draft, where the Hubbell role is not as well written as Katie's role.
The Way We Were (1973)(A.S. draft, 7/21/23)
by Arthur Laurents, Alvin Sargent(uncredited)
No comments:
Post a Comment