Cute may be what Darby was about, but cute is not what Mattie Ross is about, and she puts a big gash in the center of True Grit.
Understanding Screenwriting #66: The King’s Speech, Tangled, Get Him to the Greek , & More
eventy years in the making. No, really.
Understanding Screenwriting #65: Hereafter, Fair Game, Morocco, The Good Wife, & More
Will somebody around here please call rewrite?
Understanding Screenwriting #64: Unstoppable, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Boxing Gym, & More
With that buildup you are probably thinking I am going to dump on Unstoppable. Guess again.
Understanding Screenwriting #63: The Social Network, Inside Job, Capitalism: A Love Story, & More
The Social Network has the best opening scene in a movie since that great montage at the start of Up.
Carlos is the exception that proves the rule.
As in most heist movies, we are sympathetic to the robbers.
What would you do with head lice?
Why does it work? It’s funny.
Understanding Screenwriting #56: The Other Guys, Edge of Darkness, Great Day in the Morning, & More
I always thought Harry Langdon was creepy. Jerry Lewis seemed mostly silly.
I have always had mixed feelings about Todd Solondz’s films, which I expect is exactly what he wants.
Understanding Screenwriting #54: The Kids Are All Right, The Informant!, Rubicon, & More
And the grown-ups are even better.
Understanding Screenwriting #53: Salt, Farewell, The Recruit, It’s Love I’m After, & More
By Salt. But, but, but…the dog.
Understanding Screenwriting #52: Inception, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Story of Louis Pasteur, & More
Chris, meet Fred and Alain. Fred and Alain, meet Chris.
Understanding Screenwriting #51: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Dark Mirror, Rizzoli & Isles, & More
Not a lot of film programs at the Academy, the American Cinematheque, UCLA Film Archive, etc focus on writers.
Toy Story 3 is a grand balancing act of character and story.
Understanding Screenwriting #49: I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, This Is Korea!, Hot in Cleveland, & More
What could possibly go wrong? A lot, it turns out.
Understanding Screenwriting #48: The Father of My Children, Shrek Forever After, Letters to Juliet, & More
European producers focus almost entirely on the money and the administration of the money.
Understanding Screenwriting #47: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Please Give, Date Night, & More
It’s not The Secret in Their Eyes, but it’s still pretty good.