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...

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The Case of Benjamin Button

Once Around

Harry Potter (all)

Back to The Future (all)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Sandra

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

I like Network as well, if even for being brave enough to make a bold statement on society.

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.

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

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.

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

The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Office Space

12 Angry Men

Blow

The Last Kiss

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.

Quoted from Murphy 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.

I never said that Classics were better than more recent films. I was just amazed than most of them weren't cited in the lists.

Quoted from Murphy 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.

Hitchcock made me feel like writing. In another thread I talked about the book "Hitchcock: A Definitive Study of Alfred Hitchcock" by Francois Truffaut. This book was a revelation for me. I wrote till then.

FYI

AFI's 100 Years... The Complete Lists


http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList

I feel like such an idiot here. Out of all of these movies, I have only seen six. As you can guess, I dont watch many movies. I guess if im going to ever become a good screen writer, some of these I should see. In fact, I may be the last person on earth who has never seen star wars, and I'm 46.

"I feel like such an idiot here. Out of all of these movies, I have only seen six."

"Watch a few movies, took a few notes, it was fun!" - Scream

The first scripts I ever read were Alien: Resurrection and Pulp Fiction when I was still in High School, so I'll always remember those.

My scriptwriting lecturer has said Chinatown is his favorite screenplay, but I couldn't really see it myself. Taxi Driver is a great script, and I really like James Camerons work. I'm also a fan of the Coen brothers pre-Intolerable Cruelty.

Here's five.


Sunset Blvd.

The Illusionist

Miracle Mile

Clockwork Orange

North By Northwest

Quoted from mcornetto North By Northwest

North by Northwest is one of the best example of a story without a plot. I mean the real one is never revealed. We barely know why Cary Grant is hunted. That was the first time a red herring led a story. That's a good example of an innovative script.

Michel

Other suggestions

Any Charlie Kaufmann script - I know he's the all too obvious example to mention, its like walking into a guitar shop and belting out "Stairway..." or "...Teen Spirit" but there is good reason why he's held in such high regard.

Just look at Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind and Synedoche, New York. He is the screenwriter at the moment.

Quoted from Colkurtz8 Just look at Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind and Synedoche, New York. He is  the screenwriter at the moment.

There's no doubting he's a great writer, but do you not feel that aside from ESOASM, his films lack a little heart? I mean, sure, they're exquisitely written scripts, but they feel steeped in academia, and don't evoke particularly strong emotions for me.

'Being John Malkovich' for example is a lovely little film, but will it be remembered in 25 years as a great film? I'm not so sure, and ESOASM seems to be the only film that has that glue. That felt like the film he had to write, and to me, it appeared deeply personal.

Having said that, I think the premise of the latest film is rather compelling - a touch of Howard Hughes, maybe.

Andrew

OK, a few from what I have seen.

Jacobs ladder

Swordfish

The princess bride

The color purple

Hamlet - Mel Gibson

Andrew

Good point, I hear what your saying. Funny you should say that as a friend of mine who loves Kaufman, levels the exact same criticism at QT's films. I think BJM has plenty of poignant moments though, John Cusack's character is a very sad but endearing one, that you can't help but like and empathise with (at least I did anyway).

Adaptation is definitely a more harsh and gloomy depiction of a lonely, detatched, self loathing, introspective (blah, blah, blah) individual. But what a trip/headfu?k of a film all the same.

All I can think of after watching one of his films is how would the hell would you ever even begin to storyboard them...the intitial concept, quirky, yet authentic characters, unconventional structure, the askew world he creates. They really are very unique scripts in every possible way (again, I know the "U" word is thrown around a lot)

"but will it be remembered in 25 years as a great film" -- Not among the masses maybe but I'd like to think they are deeply respected and treasured pieces among film lovers everywhere. I for one will be remembering them for a long time after that da?n Slumdog Millionaire tumbles out the far side of memory...in fact its already purchased the one way ticket, hopped on the bus and gone far and away over the horizon...but! Of course, Kaufman's films not for everyone.

Lots of new films being mentioned!  I've got some older ones.

It Happened One Night, by Robert Riskin - Considered, I believe, to be the first romantic comedy, this film is important for writers not just because the script is jaw-droppingly excellent in every way, and not just because it pioneered a genre, but also because it was from a time where a romantic comedy needed to have substance.  The script is about more than just the romance (delightful as the romance itself is), and this is something that newer romantic comedies lack.  Also, it's hilarious.

Ace in the Hole, by Billy Wilder - Hard to decide between a few of Wilder's scripts but this one stands out for me, I think, because never have I seen more vicious or more delightful satire.  This script shows us just how strong a statement we can make with our words, if we choose (and if we learn to write as well as Wilder...).

The Maltese Falcon, by John Huston - This would probably get my vote for the perfect script.  An absolute masterpiece in every possible respect, and the style of description, while somewhat dated in some ways, is inspirational -- the initial description of Sam Spade gets me every time.  One of the most boldly drawn heroes of all time, and a perfectly structured plot brimming with suspense.

Seven Samurai, by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni - There is so much brilliance in this film visually that it is easy to forget about the script, but for those who want to write action, there is no film more important.  Seven Samurai is THE action film of all time, and the script laid the groundwork for decades of action films to come.  

And, of course...

Back to the Future, by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale - While the film may not be my favourite blockbuster, there is in my opinion no script that is a better example of pure blockbuster movie magic fun.  Thrilling, funny, innovative, clever, and delightfully simple, this is a script for the perfect movie to just switch your brain off and enjoy.

I saw "It happened One Night" and it's ok. Maybe it was the first of its kind like you mentioned, in which case it would be a pioneer, but for me it was just ok.

I recently saw "His Girl Friday" as well. I didn't like the "colored" references but it was super funny and well written with even minor characters having their own drives.
Funny thing I realized about writing characters of the opposite gender, writers tend to write from their own gender instead of the character's.
If you haven't seen it, check it out here http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=8kZQ8-MmHwM

Indiana Jones
Rushmore
Memento
Any Woody Allen movie
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World