FILM REVIEW: TALES FROM THE SCRIPT

Paul Shrader (Taxi Driver, Affliction) tells Tales from the Script.

By Miranda Inganni

In Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman's documentary, Tales from the Script, veteran and neophyte screenwriters alike delve into the grim reality of writing, selling and making a movie in Hollywood today. And what most of them describe sounds, quite frankly, miserable yet slightly inspiring.

Despite the caliber of many of the contributors to this film, the production values of the documentary comes across as amateurish (perhaps due to the terrible music, of which, fortunately, little is played). Each section begins with a scene from a mainstream movie about screenplay writers. Following this pseudo introduction is a series of clips of screenwriters discussing their trade.

As self-congratulatory as some of the participants are, some do show a fair amount of humility. And some of their comments are especially grounded. William Goldman (Marathon Man; All the President’s Men; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), for instance succinctly states that if Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were made today with a star playing the leading role and a well known director at the helm, it would cost $150 million dollars easily, as opposed to the $4.8 million it cost to make it with Paul Newman and Robert Redford starring and George Roy Hill directing. Naomi Foner (Bee Season; Losing Isaiah) puts is more bluntly when she says, “Ordinary People would be a Lifetime [Network] movie” if it were made today.

While some of the writers interviewed are truly thankful and realize how lucky they are (and admit that luck has quite a bit to do with it), others come off as whiney. Are screenwriters underappreciated? Sure, many of them are, but the folks interviewed for this doc all have at least one, if not multiple, successful film to his, and less likely, her credit.

Most disconcerting was the lack of female writers interviewed. Out of the 45 interviewees a mere five are women. Whether Mr. Hanson just couldn’t find other women to participate or he didn’t try, it is rather disappointing that the female voice was not more strongly represented. Maybe the ratio is indicative of Hollywood’s notorious sexism?

This film would be a welcome addition to an introductory screenwriting class in high school or college, but unfortunately isn’t as informative as it could be. The anecdotes are interesting, but I’m not sure I learned how best to go about becoming a screenwriter.