[Quick Summary: This film depicts the war career of WWII General George S. Patton, a controversial, but wily leader of the US Army.]
I liked reading this script because it's a look at Coppola's writing before "The Godfather."
Patton was larger than life, & Coppola does not shy away from showing all of Patton, including the less admirable traits.
However, I admit that if he pitched it to me in 1969, I might've been one of his many doubters.
Why? In reading the script, I wasn't swept away. Yes, I was impressed at Patton's character traits, the sweep of what he accomplished, his faults.
But I didn't connect with Patton's story on the page and I'm one of those people who enjoy biopics. What went wrong?
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I'm still flummoxed. I should've connected, but didn't.
Patton (1970)
by Francis Ford Coppola & Edmund North
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #95 WGA Script of All Time - Hannah & Her Sisters (1986)
[Quick Summary: Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah, her two sisters & their significant others face a myriad life experiences, told in a vignette style.]
After reading this script, I'm once again glad I've had no excuse to avoid it.
[WHINY ME: It sounds like a boring read.
MATURE ME: Too bad, it's on the list.
WHINY ME: Who made them the list king?
MATURE ME: Because they're the ones who READ the scripts.]
I'll admit that it's long (207 pgs). It has several story lines that sometimes wander. It's quintessential Woody Allen, & thus it's not everyone's cup of tea.
But what really impressed me is that Woody Allen wrote characters who are very, very clear what they want...even if they don't know what they want.
ex. Jewish Mickey (Woody Allen) might/probably doesn't have a fatal tumor/benign nothing. But since he could be dying, his thoughts turn to God for the first time in years. He wants to believe in something, & visits a Catholic priest to possibly convert, then a Hare Krishna leader for answers.
Throughout the script, Mickey wonders what life is worth living for & doesn't have an answer, BUT he's doggedly determined to find it...and in the end, he does.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Showing WHY a character wants something is as important as showing WHAT he wants.
Hannah & Her Sisters (1986)
by Woody Allen
After reading this script, I'm once again glad I've had no excuse to avoid it.
[WHINY ME: It sounds like a boring read.
MATURE ME: Too bad, it's on the list.
WHINY ME: Who made them the list king?
MATURE ME: Because they're the ones who READ the scripts.]
I'll admit that it's long (207 pgs). It has several story lines that sometimes wander. It's quintessential Woody Allen, & thus it's not everyone's cup of tea.
But what really impressed me is that Woody Allen wrote characters who are very, very clear what they want...even if they don't know what they want.
ex. Jewish Mickey (Woody Allen) might/probably doesn't have a fatal tumor/benign nothing. But since he could be dying, his thoughts turn to God for the first time in years. He wants to believe in something, & visits a Catholic priest to possibly convert, then a Hare Krishna leader for answers.
Throughout the script, Mickey wonders what life is worth living for & doesn't have an answer, BUT he's doggedly determined to find it...and in the end, he does.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Showing WHY a character wants something is as important as showing WHAT he wants.
Hannah & Her Sisters (1986)
by Woody Allen
Friday, February 11, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #96 WGA Script of All Time - The Hustler (1961)
[Quick Summary: To win against the great Minnesota Fats, Eddie, a talented (but temper prone) pool shark, must learn what 'character' is.]
I inhaled at "FADE IN" & only exhaled at "THE END."
It seemed as if I'd read one continuous story, & I didn't notice any transitions, sluglines, or breaks.
My heart broke for these characters.
I suppose it's because:
1) they're so flawed & a bit raw, &
2) when they jumped an obstacle, there was a bigger one waiting.
ex. When Eddie takes care of Sarah, it's the first step beyond his self-centeredness. They bond, but soon he gets a chance to compete in another town & must leave her. She never asks him to stay...just that "I made you up, like everything else....I wanted you to be real."
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Character arcs thrive on showing flaws, overcoming obstacles, then making even bigger decisions.
The Hustler (1961)
by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen
I inhaled at "FADE IN" & only exhaled at "THE END."
It seemed as if I'd read one continuous story, & I didn't notice any transitions, sluglines, or breaks.
My heart broke for these characters.
I suppose it's because:
1) they're so flawed & a bit raw, &
2) when they jumped an obstacle, there was a bigger one waiting.
ex. When Eddie takes care of Sarah, it's the first step beyond his self-centeredness. They bond, but soon he gets a chance to compete in another town & must leave her. She never asks him to stay...just that "I made you up, like everything else....I wanted you to be real."
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Character arcs thrive on showing flaws, overcoming obstacles, then making even bigger decisions.
The Hustler (1961)
by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen
Friday, February 4, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #97 WGA Script of All Time - The Searchers (1956)
[Quick Summary: A Civil War vet goes searching for his niece who was kidnapped by Indians.]
This is an uncomfortable script.
Why?
- John Wayne plays an unrepentant racist.
- This isn't my genre of choice.
- This story happens over several years.
- John Wayne doesn't come face to face with his antagonist Scar until the climax.
But despite my misgivings, I was determined to figure out why this film is at the top of many critics' lists.
And I discovered that the script drives to the end with an energy & focus because the main character Ethan (John Wayne) is single minded.
ex. He makes difficult, unpopular decisions, like abandoning Martin at the homestead. But each one gets him closer to his goal.
ex. He hangs on to his goal like a bulldog. He is never far from his pursuit.
ex. The antagonist is always present (even if not physically present) because the protagonist continually plots against the antagonist at all times.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The script is blunt, to the point, & decisive.
This film endures because the Ethan character is unforgettable.
Right or wrong, you're never in doubt who & what Ethan is, where he is going, what he is doing.
The Searchers (1956)
by Frank Nugent
This is an uncomfortable script.
Why?
- John Wayne plays an unrepentant racist.
- This isn't my genre of choice.
- This story happens over several years.
- John Wayne doesn't come face to face with his antagonist Scar until the climax.
But despite my misgivings, I was determined to figure out why this film is at the top of many critics' lists.
And I discovered that the script drives to the end with an energy & focus because the main character Ethan (John Wayne) is single minded.
ex. He makes difficult, unpopular decisions, like abandoning Martin at the homestead. But each one gets him closer to his goal.
ex. He hangs on to his goal like a bulldog. He is never far from his pursuit.
ex. The antagonist is always present (even if not physically present) because the protagonist continually plots against the antagonist at all times.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The script is blunt, to the point, & decisive.
This film endures because the Ethan character is unforgettable.
Right or wrong, you're never in doubt who & what Ethan is, where he is going, what he is doing.
The Searchers (1956)
by Frank Nugent
Monday, January 31, 2011
QUESTION FOR THE READER: What's Selling Now
In response to a reader's question re: what type of scripts are best now, the 2010 Spec Market Roundup reports the top 3 genres are:
Comedy - 27%
Thriller - 27%
Action/Adventure - 26%
YOU: So I should ONLY write to the market?
ME: No.
YOU: Then I should ONLY write my passion.
ME: No.
YOU: Then what the hell should I write?
ME: A passion-filled story that is informed by the market.
YOU: Isn't that the same thing?
ME: No.
ex. In "The Town," Ben Affleck tried to see if he could "get a drama to succeed more commercially by introducing genre elements... Heist elements wrapped around a drama."
http://creativescreenwritingmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/12/ben-affleck-town-q.html
If your passion is drama, first pack the core full of high dramatic EMOTION. Then step back & see if you can add elements of action. Or maybe some comedic moments.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Don't let "conventional wisdom" that drama is dead limit you.
But don't ignore it. Work around/over/with it.
Comedy - 27%
Thriller - 27%
Action/Adventure - 26%
YOU: So I should ONLY write to the market?
ME: No.
YOU: Then I should ONLY write my passion.
ME: No.
YOU: Then what the hell should I write?
ME: A passion-filled story that is informed by the market.
YOU: Isn't that the same thing?
ME: No.
ex. In "The Town," Ben Affleck tried to see if he could "get a drama to succeed more commercially by introducing genre elements... Heist elements wrapped around a drama."
http://creativescreenwritingmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/12/ben-affleck-town-q.html
If your passion is drama, first pack the core full of high dramatic EMOTION. Then step back & see if you can add elements of action. Or maybe some comedic moments.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Don't let "conventional wisdom" that drama is dead limit you.
But don't ignore it. Work around/over/with it.
Friday, January 28, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #98 WGA Script of All Time - Grapes of Wrath (1940)
[Quick Summary: A poor Oklahoma family loses their farm during the Depression and treks to California in hope of finding work.]
I don't know much about Steinbeck.
Heck, I'm far from a literary genius, so I'll be honest: I just didn't care for this script.
However, I did admire the details that make you feel the Depression up close & personal. You begin to worry about your empty belly. You'd get upset too if you couldn't feed your family on 2 1/2 cents an hour.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Too many details can create a wall between you & the reader.
The right ones can win over a skeptic.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
by Nunnally Johnson
I don't know much about Steinbeck.
Heck, I'm far from a literary genius, so I'll be honest: I just didn't care for this script.
However, I did admire the details that make you feel the Depression up close & personal. You begin to worry about your empty belly. You'd get upset too if you couldn't feed your family on 2 1/2 cents an hour.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Too many details can create a wall between you & the reader.
The right ones can win over a skeptic.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
by Nunnally Johnson
Friday, January 21, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #99 WGA Script of All Time - The Wild Bunch (1969)
[Quick Summary: Aging outlaws try one last run as the code of the Old West crumbles, & a new impersonal era begins.]
This was a head scratcher.
I didn't get the senseless killings. Nor connected with characters who betrayed each other. And maybe that was the point.
So why does Roger Ebert call this:
- "one of the most controversial films of its time--praised and condemned with equal vehemence" AND
- "one of the great defining moments of modern movies"?
I think it was the first of its kind.
The first to show that much violence.
The first to cause that violent of a reaction (whether you agree with the film or not, it does stir up discussion).
In the confusing age of the 1970s Vietnam War, it might actually have been a wistful longing for an Old West with a code.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I don't understand all the scripts on this list.
I probably would've passed if I were reading this today.
The Wild Bunch (1969)
by Walon Green & Sam Peckinpah
This was a head scratcher.
I didn't get the senseless killings. Nor connected with characters who betrayed each other. And maybe that was the point.
So why does Roger Ebert call this:
- "one of the most controversial films of its time--praised and condemned with equal vehemence" AND
- "one of the great defining moments of modern movies"?
I think it was the first of its kind.
The first to show that much violence.
The first to cause that violent of a reaction (whether you agree with the film or not, it does stir up discussion).
In the confusing age of the 1970s Vietnam War, it might actually have been a wistful longing for an Old West with a code.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I don't understand all the scripts on this list.
I probably would've passed if I were reading this today.
The Wild Bunch (1969)
by Walon Green & Sam Peckinpah
Friday, January 14, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: #100 WGA Script of All Time - Memento (2000)
[Quick Summary: A man who has lost his short term memory tattoos clues on his body, & wakes up each morning hoping to solve the mystery of who killed his wife.]
Um, this script is gut-wrenchingly raw. For that reason, I found it hard to read.
Yet I powered through because:
1) It's told backwards, which is risky, & I wanted to see how it's done; and
2) On p.3, Leonard (the lead) reminds himself to kill Teddy (who seems to be a friend, but maybe not). I couldn't shake the need to resolve this conflict.
For the rest of the script, this conflict builds & builds. I had to finish the script to find out what Teddy did to Leonard.
I can't say I understand Leonard 100%, but I did see his reasoning & that was satisfying.
WHAT I LEARNED: To build conflict, hand out bigger & bigger pieces of the puzzle.
Especially give glimpses of WHY a character makes the decisions he does.
Memento (2000)
by Christopher Nolan
Based on the short story, "Memory Mori," by Jonathan Nolan
Um, this script is gut-wrenchingly raw. For that reason, I found it hard to read.
Yet I powered through because:
1) It's told backwards, which is risky, & I wanted to see how it's done; and
2) On p.3, Leonard (the lead) reminds himself to kill Teddy (who seems to be a friend, but maybe not). I couldn't shake the need to resolve this conflict.
For the rest of the script, this conflict builds & builds. I had to finish the script to find out what Teddy did to Leonard.
I can't say I understand Leonard 100%, but I did see his reasoning & that was satisfying.
WHAT I LEARNED: To build conflict, hand out bigger & bigger pieces of the puzzle.
Especially give glimpses of WHY a character makes the decisions he does.
Memento (2000)
by Christopher Nolan
Based on the short story, "Memory Mori," by Jonathan Nolan
Friday, January 7, 2011
TODAY’S NUGGET: #101 WGA Script of All Time – Notorious (1946)
[Quick Summary: Daughter of a convicted traitor reluctantly goes to Rio to infiltrate a group of her father’s friends, & falls for the recruiter who doesn’t trust her.]
Someone (me) reads your story.
Someone (me again) suspects the story doesn’t build suspense enough.
Someone (me, now grouchy) struggles to explain to you the building blocks of suspense.
Enter “Notorious” and Hitchcock. (Someone (me) is relieved.)
The key to suspense is that she must always be at a fork in the road.
Ex. Alicia must seduce Sebastian (a bad guy & the man who wants her), but she’s in love with Agent Devlin (the man who has put her with Sebastian).
How to keep her at a fork in the road:
1 – Increase stakes by increasing the consequences.
Alicia can only access the secret room if she marries Sebastian. Will she marry him and doom herself to a life without Devlin?
2 –The love triangle keeps see-sawing back & forth, so we’re never sure who’s won.
Alicia & Devlin clearly have chemistry (Devlin wins). Alicia must placate Sebastian (Sebastian wins). Alicia longs for Devlin (Devlin wins).
3- Every decision seems to extinguish conflict, but actually creates two more.
Alicia steals keys to the secret room & takes Devlin there. When Sebastian spots them, Devlin kisses her deliberately to distract him. Now Sebastian is furious at Alicia, & her heart breaks even more over Devlin.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: If it’s done right, the suspense arc should not end at a fork. Suspense forks and forks and forks again.
Notorious (1946)
by Ben Hecht
Someone (me) reads your story.
Someone (me again) suspects the story doesn’t build suspense enough.
Someone (me, now grouchy) struggles to explain to you the building blocks of suspense.
Enter “Notorious” and Hitchcock. (Someone (me) is relieved.)
The key to suspense is that she must always be at a fork in the road.
Ex. Alicia must seduce Sebastian (a bad guy & the man who wants her), but she’s in love with Agent Devlin (the man who has put her with Sebastian).
How to keep her at a fork in the road:
1 – Increase stakes by increasing the consequences.
Alicia can only access the secret room if she marries Sebastian. Will she marry him and doom herself to a life without Devlin?
2 –The love triangle keeps see-sawing back & forth, so we’re never sure who’s won.
Alicia & Devlin clearly have chemistry (Devlin wins). Alicia must placate Sebastian (Sebastian wins). Alicia longs for Devlin (Devlin wins).
3- Every decision seems to extinguish conflict, but actually creates two more.
Alicia steals keys to the secret room & takes Devlin there. When Sebastian spots them, Devlin kisses her deliberately to distract him. Now Sebastian is furious at Alicia, & her heart breaks even more over Devlin.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: If it’s done right, the suspense arc should not end at a fork. Suspense forks and forks and forks again.
Notorious (1946)
by Ben Hecht
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
TODAY'S NUGGET: I Am Lazy, i.e., Goal for 2011
Reading scripts is like a diet.
I don't want those deep mysterious greens, and scary orange looking vegetables. But they're good for me.
I get lazy. I try to survive without the discipline.
And that's how I end up uninspired, i.e., in the safe zone.
I look back at November when I was on a crazy schedule of one script (plus analysis for this blog) per day.
I loved it. I hated it. I went places I'd rather not go.
But for the first time, I understood why these films were "classic," "unforgettable," and "stirring."
So here's my goal for 2011: To read the remaining 71 scripts on the WGA's Top 101 Scripts of All Time.
This breaks down to one a week, sometimes two. I'll start with #101 Notorious and work backwards. Postings will be on Fridays (& the occasional Tuesdays).
Won't you join me? It's dashed lonely reading all alone.
I don't want those deep mysterious greens, and scary orange looking vegetables. But they're good for me.
I get lazy. I try to survive without the discipline.
And that's how I end up uninspired, i.e., in the safe zone.
I look back at November when I was on a crazy schedule of one script (plus analysis for this blog) per day.
I loved it. I hated it. I went places I'd rather not go.
But for the first time, I understood why these films were "classic," "unforgettable," and "stirring."
So here's my goal for 2011: To read the remaining 71 scripts on the WGA's Top 101 Scripts of All Time.
This breaks down to one a week, sometimes two. I'll start with #101 Notorious and work backwards. Postings will be on Fridays (& the occasional Tuesdays).
Won't you join me? It's dashed lonely reading all alone.
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