I’m not trying to be mean but I rarely come across dialogue that’s great or even good.   Maybe my standards are very high.  When I’m reading a script I need to be able to hear the characters voices in my head as I’m reading the dialogue.
There’s scripts to classic movies I’ve read you can instantly hear their voice just by reading the dialogue.

You write a movie like mean streets  I expected the characters to sound Italian and they did.    When I read the script boom instantly hear their voices in my head as I’m reading.  
   Dialogue was perfect.  




But If the writer fails to do this then in my opinion I don’t think the dialogue is good.  I’ve seen many many scripts where I can’t hear their voices.  

A 50 year old man should sound like a 50 year old man if I can’t hear a 50 year old man’s voice in my head in the dialogue then it’s not for me.    
  
Dialogue is hard and it’s tricky yes but it’s the most important out of anything when it comes to screenwriting that’s why I’m so hard on dialogue.  

Hi Marty,
This comment seems to be an extension of the thread you started here:

https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-screenwrite/m-1694873647/s-new/

Do you think you could post your comment there? Or else I can merge the threads.

This is more pertinent to the Screenwriting Class thread.

And are you referring to amateur or professional scripts?

Maybe give some examples of dialogue in film you don't think makes the grade.

Edit: I merged and moved your threads, Marty.
How I learned bad and good dialogue & 98% of dialogue I read is bad. (Original thread) and this one. I hope you don't mind. Same topic pretty much.

Libby

Quoted from Martymcnugget1971 When I’m reading a script I need to be able to hear the characters voices in my head as I’m reading the dialogue. There’s scripts to classic movies I’ve read you can instantly hear their voice just by reading the dialogue. You write a movie like mean streets  I expected the characters to sound Italian and they did.    When I read the script boom instantly hear their voices in my head as I’m reading. Dialogue was perfect.   But If the writer fails to do this then in my opinion I don’t think the dialogue is good.  I’ve seen many many scripts where I can’t hear their voices.

Are you reading scripts of movies you've already watched?

I ask as that can shape our experience of the script. I tend not to bother reading scripts if I've already seen the movie (unless there's something specific I want to see, like how a scene was written before if had been filmed).

Heck, I even avoid watching the trailers for the scripts I'm reading as that can shape how I experience it too. For example I was reading Empire of Light recently and when I saw in the trailer that Olivia Coleman was playing the main character, I then saw that character differently too, as I couldn't help but hear her voice, rather than the one I'd been hearing beforehand.

Quoted Text I’m not trying to be mean but I rarely come across dialogue that’s great or even good.   Maybe my standards are very high.  When I’m reading a script I need to be able to hear the characters voices in my head as I’m reading the dialogue. There’s scripts to classic movies I’ve read you can instantly hear their voice just by reading the dialogue. You write a movie like mean streets  I expected the characters to sound Italian and they did.

Hi Marty - Gotta agree with LC and Max that the above is a bit unfair. With Mean Streets you've already got Keitel and De Nero playing the lines out for you - two great actors from New York.  I feel their talents and accents would complement the dialogue.

To look at this another way - I remember reading the screenplay for "Groundhog Day", as brilliant and ingenious as the script was, I remember thinking how unnatural the dialogue seemed for the character of "Bill Connors". I remember thinking "this would never work... unless BILL MURRAY played the part!"

Anyway, fascinating thread - I think good/bad dialogue will always be subjective... unless the writer is making classic mistakes.