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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    General Boards    Questions or Comments  ›  Five films all writers must see
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JamminGirl
Posted: May 16th, 2009, 2:23am Report to Moderator
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What are the five(completely arbitrary number btw) films all writers must see and give a reason for each.

Here are mine(until revised)

Groundhog day - this played with structure immenly and it was strong in drawing out the lead character. Also it was a romantic comedy that didn't follow the general boy meets girl boy loses girl template.

Taxi Driver - Raw, real brilliant writing that had a strong "doer" character who made atypical choices. Again, no template.

Ordinary People - emotional story that left a main character(not the protagonist) with a no win decision in the end. All the characters were well drawn.

did I say five? how about thr-- nah let me continue...

Kramer vs Kramer - This is a typical fish out of water film except that it felt fresh because the characters were all fully drawn and the story was told in a real way with no real "bad guy", but human beings bumping into each other.

Moonstruck - This is a super funny, very comedic take on real everyday situations and fully drawn characters. Every wanna be comedic writer can study the anatomy of comedy using this film.

Well there you have it!

sorry folks roy, Michael Clayton was a little too convoluted, Amelie was a little to light, When Harry Met Sally was a little too long-winded but good contenders for me.

Oh and The Shawshank Redemtion belongs in the group as well. I really should've said six films. eh...


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michel
Posted: May 16th, 2009, 3:24am Report to Moderator
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Only one comes in mind:

"Citizen Kane" the puzzle structure worth gold.

Then, maybe two more:

"Toto le Héros" a film from Belgium with an almost similar puzzle structure where are included a litlle boy fantasies

"Terminator" the film worth what it worth but I never could see any flaw in the storyline.


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Baltis.
Posted: May 16th, 2009, 3:45am Report to Moderator
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Magnolia - For structure alone
Ice Harvest - For pace
Employee of the Month (matt Dylan) - For story and plot points
Garden State - For subtle humor and character emotion
Wet Hot American Summer - For comedy and if you're a jew/like me/you'll love it

--
I mean, I could list more movies that you just hafta see but these are all very good movies in their own right. I also like Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind alot too. Eye's Wide Shut, also.

P.S. I do agree that Groundhog Day is a fantastic film. One of the best comedies I've seen.
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Colkurtz8
Posted: May 16th, 2009, 5:42am Report to Moderator
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Great post, Jammin girl

First off I'd have to agree with you on Taxi Driver - For character development alone

Pulp Fiction - For the obvious reasons, plot, structure, dialogue and character.

Magnolia - As Baltis said -- Structure, among other things

Any Coen Brothers film - In Particular, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo...and The Big Lebowski cause its simply the best comedy ever (with a big disclaiming IMHO after it)

Down By Law - A great example of somebody (Jim Jarmusch) not showing much respect for the conventions of storytelling, yet delivering a brilliant, funny, engaging and ultimately rewarding piece of film.



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Murphy
Posted: May 16th, 2009, 8:43pm Report to Moderator
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Even though the question posted was about films I basing my choices on the screenplay alone, these five, in my opinion, are the five best screenplays ever written and thus my choice for the films that all writers must see. They are not necessarily the best five films.

Jerry Maguire

Network

The Usual Suspects

The Silence of the Lambs

Rear Window
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Colkurtz8
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 8:34am Report to Moderator
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Murphy

I'm kicking myself I didn't say "Network", the closest thing you'll get to perfection in the screenplay medium, exemplary.

It's uniformly brilliant in all departments though.


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Sandra Elstree.
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 12:22pm Report to Moderator
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What if the Hokey Pokey, IS what it's all about?

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The Case of Benjamin Button

Once Around

Harry Potter (all)

Back to The Future (all)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Sandra



A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
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Sandra Elstree.
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 12:37pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


What if the Hokey Pokey, IS what it's all about?

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Quoted from Murphy
Even though the question posted was about films I basing my choices on the screenplay alone, these five, in my opinion, are the five best screenplays ever written and thus my choice for the films that all writers must see. They are not necessarily the best five films.

Jerry Maguire

Network

The Usual Suspects

The Silence of the Lambs

Rear Window


I really appreciate the fact that you've pointed out the fact that a really top notch script doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a top notch film.

Not too long ago in the script club here on simply, we read Angels and Demons.

For me it wasn't such a pleasure read. Know too however, I hadn't read the book, which was probably excellent.

I knew that the movie would be a strong one and it was. One thing that happened actually left me with a really big DEJA VU!!! The scene when they're underwater at the fountain. I REALLY had felt like I'd SEEN it before. And yet, I couldn't possibly have since it's new out. What was it about that scene?

Anyways, the script must be necessarily a "tool". Is it "really" meant to be read? I know that sounds weird, but who goes around looking to read scripts except us. We're the ones trying to learn how to write them and thus we read them. We're lucky enough to come across some really good stories along the way, but a script is very unique compared to other forms.

Sandra



A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
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JamminGirl
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 2:32pm Report to Moderator
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I like Network as well, if even for being brave enough to make a bold statement on society.


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ReaperCreeper
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 3:00pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted Text
but who goes around looking to read scripts except us.


Well, Executive Producers read screenplays for a living, as do script doctors and hired readers. But I do see your point.
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Andrew
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 3:26pm Report to Moderator
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Murphy, so glad to see someone else recognises 'Jerry Maguire' - Crowe is a terrific writer, and he really doesn't get the credit he deserves.

Andrew


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michel
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 3:50pm Report to Moderator
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One thing struck me. Among every films cited above, they are no classics (except maybe Rear Window) Don't you guys ever watch any good classics on TV or DVD?

What about:

The Night of the Hunter (Laughton)
M (Fritz Lang)
Greed (Von Stroheim)
City Lights (Chaplin)
Some Like it Hot (Wilder)
It's a Wonderful Life (Capra)
Sunset Boulevard (Wilder)
The Ghost and Mrs Muir (Mankiewicz)
Casablanca (Curtiz)
Grand Illusion (Renoir)
Scarface (Hawks)
High Noon (Zinneman)
Laura (Otto Preminger)
It Happened One Night (Capra)
Vertigo (Hitchcock)

and I'm sure I missed a lot of more.

I'm not only talking about the durability of those films, but only the quality of the scripts. I remember when I was at school, I was bored by classic litterature. But these classics were the foundation of what is litterature today. It's the same with old movies. How comes we still refer to them today? No doubt because of the quality of the stories. Who will remember some of the nowadays films in 50 years? I don't want to feel like a knows-it-all, but classics are real gold mines.

By the way, even at this time, they tried to play with the STRUCTURE of the script. Some films were more daring than most of the recent formatted flicks.



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Sandra Elstree.
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 4:01pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


What if the Hokey Pokey, IS what it's all about?

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Quoted from ReaperCreeper


Well, Executive Producers read screenplays for a living, as do script doctors and hired readers. But I do see your point.


Precisely. Industry people. That's what I mean by "us".

Most people don't go to watch a movie and then say, "Wow! That was really excellent! Now I want to go and read the script!" But they do read a book and say, "Wow! That was so excellent! Now I want to go see the movie!"

This is why when people start bringing up "the rules" threads, good points are made on both sides of the story.

A script needs to be a working technical document that serves as a tool. This aspect might seem like a burden to those who say it stifles their creativity, but there must be a level of consistency that we pursue as we learn just "how" to create a sound script, both in technical terms, but also as a story.

That's why the advice: Read a lot of scripts And- Watch a lot of movies is excellent advice.

Sandra




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skylightlynch
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The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Office Space

12 Angry Men

Blow

The Last Kiss


"If somebody tells you your first script is good, it's because they are lying. It will be awful, trust me." - Blake Snyder
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Murphy
Posted: May 17th, 2009, 4:46pm Report to Moderator
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Quoted from Andrew
Crowe is a terrific writer, and he really doesn't get the credit he deserves.


Too true, thought I might get slated for that choice, but I think it really is an exceptional script.  I also loved Elizabethtown, he certainly knows how to write a script.


Michel, I have mentioned before my love for classic era films, I grew up on Jimmy Stewart and Capra. For me though, the best scripts written in the last 30 years are better than anything written previously. I love It's a Wonderful Life, It is my favorite film but cannot honestly say it is a better script than The Godfather or The Deer Hunter and those two did not even make my list.

Hitchcock probably deserves more of a mention, really any wannabe writer could do a lot worse than watch every one of his films. He was more than just a film-maker, he practically wrote the blueprint for the way films are still written and directed today.
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