Snark's Script Nuggets

TODAY'S NUGGET: #41 WGA Script of All Time - Goodfellas (1990)

2012-02-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: As Henry Hill rises in the ranks of the mafia, he is entangled in vices which are his downfall.]

Voice overs are like dynamite.

If used improperly, they're like grenades that go off at the wrong time.

But if the writer knows what he/she is doing, they're like fireworks that illuminate and surprise.

This script is in the latter category. It's also the first script I've seen where there are not one, but TWO voice overs, i.e., Henry and Karen Hill.

So why does Karen's second voice over work here?

1 - This is Henry's story and told from Henry's point of view.

2 - Though Karen's voice over is told from her point of view, she tells us more about HENRY'S life.

She fills in the blanks about HENRY'S behind-the-scenes problems. She echoes how the audience feels about HENRY. She reflects HENRY'S point of view.

ex. KAREN (V.O.): "He was an exciting guy. He was really nice. He introduced me to everybody. Everybody wanted to be nice to him. And he knew how to handle it."

ex. KAREN (V.O.): "We weren't married to nine-to-five guys..."

ex. KAREN (V.O.): "None of it seemed like crimes. It was more that Henry was enterprising."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Yes, two voice overs are possible... IF it the 2nd re-emphasizes/amplifies/reflects the main point of view.

Gotta keep the unity-of-story thing intact, you know.

Goodfellas (1990)
by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese

TODAY'S NUGGET: #42 WGA Script of All Time - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

2012-02-01T09:49:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: Archeologist Indiana Jones must track down the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't talk to me about bad B stories/subplots.

I've seen bunches of them that:

- Wander off to nowhere
- Compete with the A story for the biggest twist
- Strangle the A story in complications

I define the B story as sub-story that supports, reflects, or pushes the A story forward.

So let's check out how Kasdan setup a good B story between Indy and Marion:

ex. "[Marion] is almost on him when Indy looks up smiling. Marion stops, stares, shocked.

INDY: Hello Marion.

She hits him with a solid right to the jaw, knocking him off the barstool on the floor. He rubs his jaw and smiles up at her.

INDY: Nice to see you, too.
MARION: Get up and get out.
INDY: Take it easy. I'm looking for your father.
MARION (bitterly): Well you're two years too late."

What do we know from this 1st meeting?

- Indy left Marion on bad terms, but still likes her. [The B story complicates his journey.]
- He needs her cooperation to find the ark. [The B story pushes the A story forward to his goal.]
- Marion is a useful partner. [She has a stake in his success, which keeps us focused on the goal.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The tension between Marion and Indy (subplot) increases the fun of the hunt (main plot).

That's really all you want in a subplot.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
by Lawrence Kasdan

TODAY'S NUGGET: #43 WGA Script of All Time - Taxi Driver (1976)

2012-01-26T11:13:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: A lonely war vet turned taxi driver turns violent to clean up what he views as "trash" in NYC, and manages to save a young prostitute in the process.]

Paul Schrader, the writer, said he knew he was writing about loneliness in this script.

Later, he figured out he was writing about the "pathology of loneliness," i.e., how a person reinforces his loneliness by his own behavior.

What is so compelling about this script is that it announces what it is about, keeps it cohesive, and delivers what it promises in every scene.

ex. "TRAVIS looks like the most suspicious human being alive.

His hair is cropped short, he wears mirror-reflecting glasses. His face is pallid and drained of color, his lips are pursed and drawn tight. He looks from side to side."

Now that is loneliness personified just in a description.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This script reaches a very deep "a-ha! I've been there" feeling that's hard to express.

[Even Scorsese said he had to make this picture to express the emotions that he could not express otherwise.]

Taxi Driver (1976)
by Paul Schrader

TODAY'S NUGGET: #44 WGA Script of All Time - Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

2012-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

[Quick Summary: When three military men return home from the war, it's an uncomfortable readjustment for all.]

Once upon a time, I covered a spec script where the writer insisted on three plots: A, B, and C.

Since no plot overlapped, the story was mammoth.

I was always confused and at a loss what to recommend since the writer refused to consider subplots or any consolidation.

Is it possible to give multiple plots equal time, and still be one cohesive story? I would've said no... until I read this script.

Here, there are three distinct plots A, B & C, but it is amazingly cohesive.

The keys are:

- The 3 main characters are facing the same issue (readjusting to home life after the war)
- The 3 men meet up periodically and interact
- Two plots eventually intertwine
- When it is A's story, B & C are supporting cast. When it's B's story, A & C support him.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Multiple plots ARE possible...if they are all related somehow.

I underestimated the power of unity to help the audience follow along. ex. Each soldier had a different problem, but they were unified because they were misunderstood by civilians.

[BTW, this script holds up well and is still applicable even though it's 66 yrs. old!]

Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
by Robert E. Sherwood
From the novel by Mackinley Cantor

TODAY'S NUGGET: #45 WGA Script of All Time - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

2012-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

[Quick Summary: When a rebel is shipped to a super-oppressive psychiatric ward, he incites fellow patients to buck the establishment & take back some autonomy.]

My latest pet peeve in spec scripts are protagonists without goals.

"What if it's hard to describe the goal?" you might ask. "Like Jack Nicholson in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'? What's his goal?"

Let's take a look.

This is a hard script to explain, much less summarize.

Murphy, the main character, arrives and quickly learns he can't do squat. Everything is pre-measured. Every response is critiqued.

It's like a cult. The routine is dull and designed to strip all creative thought.

So what does Murphy want? His goal is to be able to make his own decisions. (That is so theoretical. Ugh.)

But what does Murphy do to get to his goal?
- He takes patients for a joy ride to go fishing.
- He includes an unlikely patient in a basketball game, and it becomes competitive for once.
- He challenges a nurse re: showing the World Series on the tv.

Hmmm...these are very concrete actions. Murphy pushes boundaries so he can have more freedom.

How do we measure if Murphy is moving toward his goal? This is a comedy-tragedy, so Murphy actually loses ground.

But his effect on the other patients is amazing. They begin to act differently, respond differently than pre-Murphy.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: When a goal is hard to explain, at least create step-by-step scenes so we see the protagonist making progress toward it.

Here, decision-making is the goal. Murphy creates situations that allow him to exercise and expand his decision making abilities.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
by Lawrence Hauben & Bo Goldman
Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

TODAY'S NUGGET: #46 WGA Script of All Time - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

2012-01-04T18:34:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: When two greenhorns and an old timer find gold in the Mexican Sierra Madre mountains, greed pits them against each other.]

I liked reading back-to-back two Humphrey Bogart scripts.

Both are strong, character driven scripts, which are as rare as bird's teeth today.

These suckers are darn hard to write. Not everyone knows how to write the characters' issues first, then the action second.

ex. This is one of the juiciest scenes (p. 55-58):

- The three men have just split up their hard earned gold dust. Each one hides his share somewhere near the campsite. [No one trusts anyone.]

- Dobbs gets paranoid the other two might find his stash. He starts talking to himself, then vents suspicions at the other two. [Dobbs (Bogart) has got VISIBLE trust issues.]

- One of the other men sees a gila monster scurry under a rock, and gets ready to kill it. Dobbs pulls out a gun on them. [Dobbs' mistrust causes him to jump to conclusions.]

- Dobbs accuses them of faking a gila monster, and the men realize this is Dobbs' hiding spot.
[What do you do with a raving maniac? Challenge his issue.]

- They dare Dobbs to retrieve his stash...but warn him that his hand might get bit by the gila. Does Dobbs believe their story, or protect his gold? [Dobbs must decide to trust or not.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Clear character issues make actions much easier to justify.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
by Robert Rossen

TODAY'S NUGGET: #47 WGA Script of All Time - The Maltese Falcon (1941)

2012-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

[Quick Summary: When a private investigator takes a case from a gorgeous client, he faces three thugs, two dead bodies, and a boatload of lies that surround a missing Maltese falcon.]

I've struggled for years to write suspense.

But how to craft an artful punch-in-the-gut reveal? I read several great ones in this script.

For example:

A) Sam Spade gets an early morning call to come to a crime scene. [He's a p.i. This is part of the job, you know?]

B) He looks down a hill at a dead body, but doesn't move closer. [Wow, wonder what happened to the deceased.]

C) Police tells Spade it was a single shot. Spade reconstructs what happened: "Miles goes back, taking the top of the fence..." [Wait a minute - Miles? Oh no! Not Miles, Spade's partner! How can Spade be so controlled?]

You see, the suspense here is built around Spade:

A) His non-reaction in here does not alert the audience. We think it's just part of the job.

B) He does not approach the body. This is also normal. Only later do we see why that's odd.

C) This is the first time we realize the likeable Miles has died. It's a shock for us, but Spade is just pragmatic, which is very consistent with his character. We're just not prepared for HOW pragmatic he is.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: For a good reveal, don't announce the reveal.

However, an unexpected (but in character) response works well.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)
by John Huston

TODAY'S NUGGET: #48 WGA Script of All Time - Bridge On the River Kwai (1957)

2011-12-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

[Quick Summary: At first, a British colonel POW defies the Japanese war camp commander over building a bridge, but eventually adopts the enemy's task with enthusiasm.]

Alas, I had a hard time reading this script. Just not my cup of tea.

However, I did find it interesting how the writer used the image of a pin up calendar girl in the Japanese commander's office.

This image was seen several times, always in the background or the commander looking directly at it.

As the story moves along, the commander looks crazier & crazier in contrast to the girl who remains the same...and that's a great way to tell a story without "telling" a story.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The right props can keep engaging the audience - all without dialogue.

Bridge On the River Kwai (1957)
by Pierre Boulle

TODAY'S NUGGET: #49 WGA Script of All Time - Schindler's List (1993)

2011-12-15T14:00:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: Businessman Oscar Schindler easily bargains/bribes/bullies to keep his factory open, but he is unprepared by the effect his Jewish workers have on him.]

I've seen lots of ensemble spec scripts. They usually aren't very pretty for one of 3 reasons:

1) Too sprawling
2) Too many characters to juggle in my head
3) Too many subplots fighting to be the main plot

So I was glad to read Schindler's List & see an ensemble script done right. Here's why:

1) Though the enormity of the Holocaust is the backdrop, it's really an intimate story about ONE man.

2) All characters are there to support the ONE man, Schindler.

Even if Schindler is not in the scene, the characters' actions will somehow affect or tie into Schindler.

3) All the subplots are there to support Schindler.

ex. The Nazis have their own agendas, but their purpose in this story is to provide obstacles for SCHINDLER. A woman may want to get her parents moved to the factory, but her purpose in this story is to provoke SCHINDLER into action.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Frankly, ensemble scripts are easier to follow if there's ONE main character to form the spine around.

Schindler's List (1993)
by Steve Zaillian

TODAY'S NUGGET: #50 WGA Script of All Time - The Sixth Sense (1999)

2011-12-05T15:37:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: A child psychologist tries to help a child who sees dead people (but doesn't know they're dead).]

When The Sixth Sense came out, I avoided it like the plague.

I don't like scary stuff, or reading scary stuff, or watching scary stuff.

But this script is on the official WGA list, so I read it.

Now I can confidently say that if you haven't read this script, you should for 2 reasons:

1) The reading is wonderfully vertical (thus the reading speed is very fast).

2) Everyone thinks the big reveal at the end makes this script special. But I've broken down and rebuilt enough stories to know that Shyamalan's skill is really shown in how he constructs the setup.

ex. Throughout the script, Anna avoids speaking to Malcolm in realistic ways:

- He thinks she's speaking to him, but she's actually speaking on the phone.
- She laughs with someone, and he turns away, hurt that she's not laughing with him.

We think she's mad at him (setup), only to find out later she isn't (reveal).

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I like that this script is devoid of "Look at me! See how clever I am!" tricks and gimmicks.

Instead, there are solid story building blocks put together in a clever way.

The Sixth Sense (1999)
by M. Night Shyamalan

TODAY'S NUGGET: #51 WGA Script of All Time - Broadcast News (1987)

2011-12-03T08:12:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: A driven female news producer is torn between two men: the new, handsome, not-so-talented news anchor, and the older, talented news anchor-on-the-way-out who is her friend.]

The more I read scripts, the more I see that scripts operate on two levels: spectacle & heart. You need both parts.

The better the two blend, the better the movie.

Broadcast News is a perfect example.

It's got the spectacle and rush of the big news room.

But it's also got the heart of a woman, torn between a guy who's probably the devil but exciting, and a schlub who's like a pair of old sneakers but brilliant.

The love story is enhanced by the spectacle of the news room. If Jane doesn't pick the right guy, the level of journalism could disintegrate.

The spectacle is enhanced by the romance. If Jane demands the journalistic integrity she's worked so hard for, she could be alone for the rest of her life.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The right amount of spectacle + heart = Fantastic story.

Too much spectacle = There's no heart.

Too much heart = It's maudlin & boring.

Broadcast News (1987)
by James L. Brooks

TODAY'S NUGGET: #52 WGA Script of All Time - Lady Eve (1941)

2011-11-28T10:28:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: After a con woman and a rich, gullible ophiologist (a snake scientist) fall in love and split up, she disguises herself as English aristocracy to dupe him once more.]

Farce is a tough genre. It's just too easy to go too far with the satirical comedy or improbable plots.

So why does it work here?

According to Roger Ebert, this story avoids the mistake of many films and gives a "baseline of sanity to measure the characters against....Henry Fonda is the rock."

Fonda is the gullible (but not stupid) snake scientist. He doesn't want to use Barbara Stanwyck for his career. He's sincere and earnest as he pursues her. He's puzzled by the "coincidences" but chalks it up to feeling more alive just by being with her. He's truly, madly, crazy in love.

So when he doesn't realize Barbara's dad is blatantly hustling him at cards, we believe him.

When he "happens" to get a photo showing Barbara is a con, we're crushed along with him.

When Barbara creates an English persona and Fonda does not recognize her AT ALL, it all makes sense.

We believe in Fonda, even if everything else is truly preposterous.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Farce can be way, way over the top - but only if there's at least one person who makes it feel real.

Lady Eve (1941)
by Preston Sturges

TODAY'S NUGGET: #53 WGA Script of All Time - All the President's Men (1976)

2011-11-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

[Quick Summary: In 1972, two rookie journalists piece together that a minor burglary at the Watergate building is a front for a much bigger political scheme.]

Dang, William Goldman can really write.

This script sucks you in & makes you care, the hallmarks of an exceptional storyteller.

One thing I picked up is his use of point of view.

The script focuses on the reporters Woodward and Bernstein. When they find out information, so does the audience, and thus the reveals are very natural. The audience is truly along for the ride, and becomes invested in the outcome.

But what if Goldman chose to follow the campaign workers or the crooks as the main characters instead?

I think the story would not have been as good.

In the script, Woodward and Bernstein were on the offensive, and literally chased down clues.

A story about the campaign workers would've been more about damage control and defensive p.r....not as interesting.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The right point of view can really make the story flow.

The wrong one often lends itself to a clunky story.

All the President's Men (1976)
by William Goldman

TODAY'S NUGGET: #54 WGA Script of All Time - Manhattan (1979)

2011-11-11T15:44:00.001-08:00

[Quick Summary: A unhappily divorced man falls for his best friend's mistress. Woody Allen type chaos ensues.]

This story is about a guy who falls for his friend's mistress against his better judgment, & is left with egg on his face when the mistress goes back to the friend.

The script is approx. 90% dialogue & it's ok there's very little narrative.

Why? The emotional conflict is so primal, so full of contradiction, so ripe for heart break again & again that it totally engrosses you.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Above all, keep the emotion raw.

Manhattan (1979)
by Woody Allen
Four Films of Woody Allen (book published 1982)

TODAY'S NUGGET: #55 WGA Script of All Time - Apocalypse Now (1979)

2011-11-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

[Quick Summary from IMDB: During the on-going Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe.]

I know this is considered a classic, a movie of its time, among the first about Vietnam.

I know Rotten Tomatoes calls it a "masterpiece" & "brilliant", & gives it an extremely rare 99%.

But I don't get this script. I barely understood it until p. 100 of 155 pages. I even had to use the logline from IMDB because I was unable to make up my own.

Coppola clearly had a vision, given the finished film. But I couldn't see it on the page.

I didn't know why Willard is really on this journey. Tell me again why I want him to succeed?

I don't know what is the purpose of locating crazy Kurtz. To show the fruitlessness of war? To criticize the decision to go to war? I have no idea.

I exited the jungle very dissatisfied...but even worse than that, I learned squat.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I simply don't get this script, but wish I did. Anyone care to comment?

Apocalypse Now (1979)
by Francis Ford Coppola

TODAY'S NUGGET: #56 WGA Script of All Time - Back to the Future (1985)

2011-10-27T12:47:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: When a teenager accidentally gets sent back to the past & meets his parents, he must ensure they fall in love, or he'll cease to exist.]

I was really worried for Marty McFly. There are real, urgent consequences to his situation.

If he doesn't get his dad to the dance, his parents won't meet, & he'll cease to exist.

If he doesn't push his mom toward his dad, they won't fall in love, & he'll cease to exist.

If he doesn't find Doc, he's stuck in the past without any help.

If he doesn't get to Main Street at the exact time, he will miss his one chance to get home.

If Marty fails, the world won't end, but the consequences are important TO HIM. And that's why I really worried.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Tell me what is so urgent. I need to know why the character MUST succeed.

Back to the Future (1985)
by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale

TODAY'S NUGGET: #57 WGA Script of All Time - Crimes & Misdemeanors (1989)

2011-10-21T08:39:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: An opthamologist has his mistress killed, & a documentary filmmaker falls for another woman.]

I couldn't find this script available anywhere (boooooo!)

So I re-watched the movie instead (yayyyyyy!)

But it wasn't the same (boooo!)

I was particularly disappointed because this film has many, MANY flashbacks, and it's rare to see flashbacks done right.

(And by "right", I mean flashbacks are there for a specific reason, and not just information dumping.)

In this film, Woody Allen uses flashbacks to show a character's PRESENT EMOTIONAL STATE. That's right - he uses the past to show motives, and/or what the character is feeling NOW.

ex. The mistress waits for her married lover Judah.

The scene goes back to a happy moment when she and Judah walked on the beach. Judah voices doubts: "I don't think we should do this here." She distracts him and mixes up Schubert with Schuman. Judah reassures her: "I'll teach you...some day we'll have a lot of time."

Why is the flashback there? It shows us why the mistress is holding on so tight to Judah NOW.

In the past, they had fun together. He was debonair, he cared about her. He even seemed to promise a future together ("some day we'll have a lot of time").

When the scene returns to the present, it's clear why the mistress feels the way she does.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The flashback can show motive & PRESENT emotional stakes.

ex. If the mistress loses Judah, she loses the only joy her life seems to have.

Crimes & Misdemeanors (1989)
by Woody Allen

TODAY'S NUGGET: #58 WGA Script of All Time - Ordinary People (1980)

2011-10-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: After his well-liked older brother dies, a teenage boy grapples with his feelings, his concerned father, & a bitter mother.]

I really like how this script resolves a household in hell.

In Act 3, Conrad (the son) has a significant breakthrough. The only thing left to wrap up is the subplot of the parents' rocky marriage.

- The husband sees Conrad healthy for the first time, & also sees that it's such a stark contrast to the wife's (antagonist) unrelenting indifference.

- The husband breaks down & weeps. He can't go back to the way things were.

- The wife tells Conrad she's leaving. She's bewildered & has no idea what really just happened.

- The wife breaks down in her bedroom. "She can't find safety [in her familiar surroundings]."

What a satisfying emotional ending! The good guys learned & grew.

The antagonist continues her superficial existence because she refused to learn or change.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: When the protagonists are better off than when they started, it's a good day.

Ordinary People (1980)
by Alvin Sargent

TODAY'S NUGGET: #59 WGA Script of All Time - It Happened One Night (1934)

2011-10-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

[Quick Summary: When a spoiled heiress tries to make it home to New York with only a few dollars in her pocket, a journalist helps her out in order to scoop a story, but inadvertently falls in love with her.]

This script is 67 years old, yet it's got more romantic zippity-do-dah than many rom-coms today.

1) Peter (Clark Gable) gets Ellie (Claudette Colbert).

ex. When Ellie gives a poor boy their last dollar, Peter silently admires her for it.

2) Ellie gets Peter.

ex. She silently realizes he's conning the police...& she plays along without missing a beat.

3) They have fun, exasperating adventures together.

ex. Ellie complains that she's hungry. After Peter slips away to find food, Ellie panics. She yells for him, since she's never really been alone before. Peter comes running. She says she's so scared that she's no longer hungry. Peter wants to wring her neck.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I want more "they belong together." I want more of this thing called "chemistry".

It Happened One Night (1934)
by Robert Riskin

TODAY'S NUGGET: #60 WGA Script of All Time - L.A. Confidential (1997)

2011-09-29T17:45:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: In post-war L.A., three very different cops face corruption in three intertwining stories.]

Helgeland & Hanson are good writers. Damn good.

Of the 71 scripts I've read so far on this list, this is the only one that keeps THREE protagonists with THREE story lines going at once.

(In an interview, Hanson said that producers tried to get him to reduce the number of protagonists, but he resisted.)

How did they make it easy to follow?

1) The three story lines are like three strands of a braid. All are distinct, but will eventually combine to form one unit.

2) It is always clear which protagonists' story it is, even if the other protagonists are present.

ex. Early on, Bud's partner gets in trouble. Exley agrees to testify against Bud's partner in exchange for a promotion. For the rest of the script, Bud tries to clear the partner's name.

This is Bud's story line. Exley is not involved... until much later when Exley's story crosses with Bud's.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This story wouldn't have been as good with 2 protagonists.

It is possible to have three protagonists...but only if the story remains tight.

L.A. Confidential (1997)
by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson

TODAY'S NUGGET: #61 WGA Script of All Time - Silence of the Lambs (1991)

2011-09-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

[Quick Summary: A female FBI agent-to-be must elicit information out of the incarcerated psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter in order to find the serial killer Buffalo Bill.]

In this script, I really like how Clarice Starling is introduced to us. We infer a lot about her personally through her actions.

- She's polite.

ex. In the middle of Crawford's long dialogue: "Claire notices, in the corner of the room, a rumpled cot, a hot plate, soiled dishes. She looks back at him." (p. 3)

The absence of Clarice speaking here shows us that she's too polite to mention the mess.

- She's vulnerable.

ex. "Clarice flinches as a heavy steel gate CLANGS shut behind her, the bolt shooting home." (p. 5)

- She thinks fast on her feet.

ex. "CLARICE (quickly blocking him): Dr. Chilton - if Lecter feels you're his enemy, then maybe I'll have more luck by myself. What do you think?" (p. 7)

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Another way to look at "Show, not tell" is to infer.

This allows the audience to put 2 + 2 together for themselves.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)
by Ted Tally

TODAY'S NUGGET: #62 WGA Script of All Time - Moonstruck (1987)

2011-09-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: After a mousy accountant gets engaged, she visits her fiancee's brother to invite him to the wedding, & falls in love with him.]

The thing about John Patrick Shanley's dialogue is that it is funny AND realistic, WITH subtext & attitude, WITHOUT edging into farce.

MR. JOHNNY: And I'll have the special fish.
LORETTA: You don't want the fish. [Nice attitude.]
MR. JOHNNY: No? [Meekness here shows he cowers before strong females.]
LORETTA: It's the oily fish tonight. Not before the plane ride. [She's got funny point of view, but she's got a point.]
MR. JOHNNY: Maybe you're right. [Dude is a doormat.]
LORETTA: Give him the manicotta, Bobo. Me, too. [She's in charge.]
BOBO: Yes, Miiss Loretta. [Everyone else also knows she's in charge.]
LORETTA (to Mr. Johnny): That will give you a base. For your stomach. You eat that oily fish, you go up in the air, halfway to Sicily you'll be green & your hands will be sweating.
MR. JOHNNY (smiles): You look after me. [Ironic. He sees this as caring, even though he's really being told what to do.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Great dialogue contains conflict without saying so.

Moonstruck (1987)
by John Patrick Shanley

TODAY'S NUGGET: #63 WGA Script of All Time - Jaws (1975)

2011-09-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: A police chief, scientist & grizzled fisherman battle to protect a summer resort town that is terrorized by a gigantic white shark.]

Should you ever need to write a blood spatter scene, take note of this excellent one:

"ANGLE - GROUP OF KIDS ON RUBBER RAFTS

They begin a water fight, slapping at the ocean with karate-type blows, sending little explosions of water at each other.... [Ah, a nice innocent set-up.]

MATHEW

He hits the water, which sprays all over another youngster.

CLOSE - MATHEW

His face dripping with red rivulets. [Hooray! Tension increases without announcing 'tension increases here.']

CLOSE - P.J.

Looks down at his hand. The water surrounding all the boys is slick with blood." [More tension. How will this resolve? Must read on.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Blood in motion should stay in motion.

Jaws (1975)
by Peter Benchley

TODAY'S NUGGET: #64 WGA Script of All Time - Terms of Endearment (1983)

2011-09-09T12:02:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: A mother-daughter relationship struggles over 3 decades to make sense of themselves, men & family.]

The best description I've seen of this movie is that it's about characters trying to connect.

The writer (James L. Brooks) sets up the situation beautifully for the mother Aurora (Shirley McClaine): She is her own worst enemy.

ex. Aurora desperately wants to be loved, yet she's extremely critical & difficult. She attracts men like flies, yet not one is good enough.

To connect, Aurora has to change. She has to modify her words & expectations.

The genius is that it's also funny as she trips all over on her way to self-improvement.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Aurora is memorable, specifically because she's so difficult.

Terms of Endearment (1983)
by James L. Brooks

TODAY'S NUGGET: #65 WGA Script of All Time - Singing in the Rain (1952)

2011-09-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

[Quick Summary: A famous silent film era actor must convince a new female singer-dancer to help out when his team has trouble transitioning into the talkie era.]

I liked the scene inside the movie theater, which cuts between action on the movie screen & action in the audience.

For once, I didn't mind the use of several "CUT TO:" in a row.

Why? Because 1) it clarifies where to look; & 2) it reads faster than a lot of narrative.

"There is laughter from the audience and shushing.

CUT BACK TO: SCREEN

DON (kissing Lina's hand): Imperious Princess of the night, I love you.
LINA: Oh, Pierre!
DON: I love you!
LINA: Oh, Pierre!
Don (covering her arm with kisses up to her neck): I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you - I love you -

CUT TO:
AUDIENCE

They start to laugh.

COSMO: Did someone get paid for writing that dialogue?

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: When there are a lot of transitions in a scene, it's best to keep it simple.

Singing in the Rain (1952)
by Aldoph Green & Betty Comden