Screenwriter of the Week

Matthew Michael Carnahan Had a Little Lamb

For someone who is fairly new to the film industry, Matthew Michael Carnahan has certainly found his footing rather quickly. The second script he ever wrote turned into The Kingdom, starring Jennifer Garner and Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx. He now has three more movies in the pipeline, the next being the Robert Redford-directed Lions for Lambs. The film, starring Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, features the intertwining stories of a college professor, a journalist and a presidential hopeful and their connections to two American soldiers facing deadly circumstances in Iraq.

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November 11th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Andrew Gnerre

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Ben Affleck Rides High with Gone Baby Gone

Okay, so there's a lot of talk lately of Ben Affleck—and not the type that he amassed just five years ago when "Bennifer" was the hottest thing in the tabloids. This time around, it's for the momentum he's regaining after years of critically-panned fare such as Forces of Nature (1999), Gigli (2003) and Surviving Christmas (2004). Beginning with his Golden Globe-nominated role in 2006's Hollywoodland and leading to his directorial debut, this month's Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has seen the kinder side of critics. But it was a long time coming after such a promising start.

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October 28th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Mallory Potosky

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Terry George Gets His Revenge

Terry George has always been a screenwriter with a passion for serving victims of injustice. But when does the pursuit of justice become lust for revenge? George delves into the emotional complexities of this question with his latest project, Reservation Road.

Based on the John Burnham Schwartz novel of the same name, Reservation Road follows two men and their families in the shattering wake of a fatal accident. Divorced father Dwight (Mark Ruffalo) is wracked with self-loathing after killing Ethan Learner's son in a hit-and-run on a Connecticut backroad. Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix) manifests his grief by hunting obsessively for Dwight, which takes a psychological toll on the grieving father and, by extension, his wife, Grace (Jennifer Connelly) and daughter Emma (Elle Fanning). Dwight, meanwhile, struggles between an urge to turn himself in and the need to care for his son. Writer-director George hopes his movie will make audiences look at retribution and responsibility in a new way. "In this post-9/11 world," he says, "'an eye for an eye' needs to be examined through drama. What happens when that thing you see on television—‘revenge’—comes home to you on a very personal level?"

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October 21st, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Daniel Fritz

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Tony Gilroy

The Oscar buzz had already begun when Tony Gilroy's directorial debut, Michael Clayton made its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September. Released nationwide this past Friday, October 12, 2007, this movie marks a watershed moment for Gilroy as he expands on his already action-packed screenwriting credentials. Michael Clayton stars George Clooney as a "fixer" for a prestigious law firm--a glorified janitor who covers up clients' dirty deeds so big players can stay on top. Faced with a crucial settlement against an agrochemical company, the firm's star litigator goes off the deep end, and Clayton must rein him in to preserve the lucrative case.

But Clayton must also look at himself and face the consequences of his work--much like the hero Gilroy constructed for the popular Bourne trilogy. The New York screenwriter scripted all of the movies in the trilogy, which have been widely lauded as top-quality, nail-biting spy films.

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October 15th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Andre Ward

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The Heartbreak Kids: Bobby & Peter Farrelly

Watching the Farrelly brothers' career evolve is a lot like watching a kid grow up. They started primarily with gross-out humor (see the scene in Dumb & Dumber where a character drinks a bottle of urine, or the infamous "hair gel" scene in There�s Something About Mary), but as they grew, they began to focus more on human emotions and interactions.

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October 8th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Brian Hickey

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James Schamus

James Schamus made his start in Hollywood as a producer in 1990. After gaining modest success, he turned his attention to writing and has practiced both crafts ever since. Over the years he has been a part of such production companies as Christine Vachon, Todd Haynes and Barry Elsworth's Apparatus and his own Good Machine, which produced films for some of independent cinema's most famous names including Nicole Holofcener and Edward Burns.

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October 1st, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Brian Hickey

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See Michael Ian Black Run

He's got three names and more comedic energy than seems humanly possible. Michael Ian Black has become a ubiquitous commentator on popular culture with his stints on VH1's "I Love the..." series and "Best Week Ever," and an increasingly prolific writer with such shows as Comedy Central's "The State" and "Stella" to his credit. In early 2008, he'll see his script for Run, Fatboy, Run, starring Simon Pegg and directed by David Schwimmer, brought to the big screen.

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September 23rd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Alexis Buryk

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Paul Haggis

In troubled times the masses look for something to help them understand--somewhere to find inspiration. Aside from the gods and political bodies, this position has often fallen to the artist. In fact, some of the most well respected movies in history have been the result of just such an attempt at confronting and challenging those conflicts that plague the world. Think Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Apocalypse Now, Schindler's List and Crash, the 2004 Oscar-winning feature written and directed by Paul Haggis. Whether it's challenging audiences to discuss the racial divide as he did in Crash or trying to explain the undercurrents of love as with Million Dollar Baby, Haggis has risen to the world's mandate: Help us understand ourselves.

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September 17th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Mallory Potosky

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Steven Knight

Steven Knight's screenplays are windows into the places that normally cannot be afforded windows. His Oscar-nominated script for 2002's Dirty Pretty Things showed us the life of immigrants in London, as well as the tortured world of prostitution and underground organ transplants. 2006's Amazing Grace was a look at one man's fight against slavery in 19th century England. His next movie, Eastern Promises, is the story of a midwife who witnesses the death of an immigrant while giving birth. She attempts to track down the girl's family and instead finds herself deep into the seedy underbelly of organized crime.

Eastern Promises, like all of Knight's screenplays, attracted quality cast and crew. Naomi Watts stars as the midwife, and Viggo Mortensen as a man within the mob.

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September 10th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Brian Hickey

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Dave Kajganich

Dave Kajganich was named both one of Fade In magazine's "Top 100 People in Hollywood” in 2005, as well as one of 2006's "Ten Screenwriters to Watch,” by industry staple Variety. A former literature teacher, Kajganich caught Hollywood's attention by selling a spec script called Town Creek.

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September 3rd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By Brian Hickey

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Susan Minot

She may have only written two screenplays, but Susan Minot is an experienced writer, with six popular books to her name. The first, Monkeys, received the Prix Femina Etranger in France in 1987 and established her writing abilities early on. From there came fans that included Bernardo Bertolucci, who personally invited her to develop a script based on his own story. The result: 1994â€(tm)s Stealing Beauty. Now in cooperation with fellow novelist/screenwriter Michael Cunningham (The Hours), Minot presents her audience with another aspect of family dynamics in Evening, out from Focus Features on June 29.

Making use of some of cinemaâ€(tm)s living lady legends, Evening depicts Ann Grant (played in two time periods by Claire Danes and Vanessa Redgrave), a dying older woman, reliving the memorable moments of her lifeâ€"particularly one Maine vacation when attending her friendâ€(tm)s wedding. “In the 1950s, Ann Grant has her moment,” explains director Lajos Koltai. “Itâ€(tm)s something that she keeps with her always, though her perspective on it has changed over the course of her life and changes for good during the course of the story, as it applies to her daughters.”

Like many of Minot’s stories, Evening takes note of the special relationships between women and the strong roles they play in each otherâ€(tm)s life. Thankfully for many, this translated on screen as well. “The casting process on Evening was the most exciting experience of my career,” gushes producer Jeff Sharp. “There were a number of wonderful roles, especially for actresses, but all the parts had been scripted with great detail and love.”

Drawing in talent like Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Toni Collette and Natasha Richardson, Evening is one more momentous notch on this New Englanderâ€(tm)s belt.

Read more about Minot and her Evening cast and crew at www.focusfeatures.com/evening.

SOUND OFF: Eveningâ€(tm)s list of accomplished actresses and actors is long. What is the best ensemble of actresses and/or actors seen on screen thus far in cinema history?

June 17th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

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Screenwriter of the Week: Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow is just a loyal, humble kid from Long Island. Or so he would have you think. The truth is, he’s a loyal, humble, funny as hell kid from Long Island. And don’t you forget it.

Influenced by the likes of Bill Murray and Steve Martin, Apatow’s career has slowly blossomed into a comedian’s fantasy. Before garnering critical acclaim as a writer-director on the television series “Freaks and Geeks,” the comedian enjoyed stints on the writing teams of “The Ben Stiller Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” But it wasn’t until his 2005 directorial debut, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, that audiences finally discovered this was the wizard behind some of the funniest big- and small-screen comedies of the past 15 years.

Now the wizard is back with his unlikely band of brothers in Knocked Up. The comedy, starring “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl and Apatow regular Seth Rogen, offers the Apatow staple: A journey toward being good. “Basically, I try and make these movies with the thought that they’re about trying hard not to be an asshole,” explains the moviemaker. In this case, that means Rogen’s character will try to transform himself from pot-smoking slacker to responsible father figure in the nine months it takes his one-night stand to deliver their baby. “Hopefully,” Apatow muses, it’s “ultimately an uplifting movie about love and people trying to make connections with odd bedfellows.” And really, that’s all we ask for from this entertaining boy next door.

Sound off: While the story and screenplay might be all his own, Judd Apatow practices what he calls “writing a movie on its feet,” where improvisation is encouraged and often yields hilarious results. Of all the writer’s work, which line or exchange still manages to stand out? Share your thoughts in our comments section!

June 3rd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

Screenwriter of the Week: Adrienne Shelly

Adrienne Shelly was the underground queen of indie cinema—an inspiration and champion for all her subjects—before her untimely murder in November of 2006. Earning modest success as an actress early on, Shelly stood out in films (including The Unbelievable Truth and Trust) by fellow Long Island native Hal Hartley. But while audiences might venture to understand the multifaceted moviemaker through her on-screen performances, it is Shelly’s off-screen work for which she strived to be better known. That is the work that can best tell the tale of her reign.

As an active advocate for female moviemakers, Shelly promoted her cause in the documentaries Searching for Debra Winger by Rosanna Arquette and In Their Own Words for IFC. As part of the New York film community she became a founding board member of the Gen Art Film Festival and passed along her moviemaking skills to students at the One on One Studios and New York University. Yet, to really know this late, great moviemaker, look no further than her own shorts and features, including the recent Sundance hit Waitress.

Out this week in limited release, Waitress is the very personal tale of pregnancy, love and baked goods that warm the soul. Written and directed by Shelly, the movie, although not autobiographical, brings to light some of the hesitant feelings of impending motherhood she herself developed with her own bun in the oven. More than that though, the movie is a culmination of Shelly’s vision and art brought to life. “I’ve never met anyone with such a strong vision--such an amazing sense of exactly what she wanted,” producer Michael Roiff told MM earlier this year. “If you look back at her script, her stage directions aren’t ‘suggestions’—they are specific to the very last detail—and that all shows up on screen.”

Though her rule has tragically ended, the legacy of writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly will be one for the history books.

Sound Off: Adrienne Shelly’s life was cut short just before Sundance audiences (and now people everywhere) began falling in love with Waitress. Cinema history is full of tales of unrealized recognition. Who is your favorite moviemaker to not get his/her due until after passing?

May 30th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

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Screenwriter of the Week: Quentin Tarantino

It’s nearly impossible to find a moviemaker or film enthusiast who has not heard of Quentin Tarantino. One of the industry’s living legends, his is a career and creative mind many aspire to emulate. While the tale of Tarantino’s road to fame is, by now, tired--weaned on movies as a video store clerk in California, discovered by its patrons, somehow made the right connections and landed himself at Sundance--his movies are anything but. The mind of this man is a complicated, pop-culture sieve, intuitively holding tight to meaty (and not-so-meaty) morsels and relieving itself of the rest. This is how he crafts one clever, absorbing screenplay after another--and the reason so many pay to enjoy them.

His half of the highly-anticipated Grindhouse, in theaters April 6, will undoubtedly do the same, proving that wit and form can prevail over the crowd-pleasing fare dominating the box office of late. It is, however, at times ironic that this type of crowd-pleasing fare is what inspires the screenwriter to new lengths, and has, in the past, helped to earn him nominations and awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, BAFTA, Cannes and the Independent Spirit Awards.

Tarantino’s unorthodox dialogue--interlocked with rigorous action sequences--has made Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown and Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2 critical and popular darlings. When not in the director’s chair himself, Tarantino’s slick imagery has been transformed by the likes of Tony Scott (True Romance) and Oliver Stone (Natural Born Killers). All said, this screenwriter’s work has carved out its own niche in the continuum of film studies and already left its mark on the moviemaking community.

Sound off: Quentin Tarantino is well-known for his controversial subject matter and lightning-fast discourse. Together, they form some of moviemaking history’s best speeches. Which of this screenwriter’s memorable lines or conversations do you think deserves a top spot on the list? Everyone has got an opinion on this--share yours in our comments sections!
--Mallory Potosky

April 2nd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

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Sammy Scott

The creative process, in any form, can be cathartic. It certainly was in the case of up-and-coming screenwriter Sammy Scott. At just 16 years old, the Upstate New York resident finished high school in two years, holds down a full-time waitressing job and, at 13, completed a screenplay.

Perfect Payback is a story inspired by her school-year experiences dealing with the everyday trials of being a teenager and the anguish of being bullied. The screenplay follows five teenagers, aged 13 and 14, as they each confront bullying in different forms. At first silent victims of their tormentors, the five teenagers band together and decide to stand up for themselves and finally face their bullies.

Scott channeled her emotions and firsthand familiarity with bullies into an empowering work for all audiences, not just teenagers. Writing the script also allowed her to confront what she has faced in her own life in a way she wasn’t prepared for: “I feel no need to really talk about my memories of that time, so putting it into words on paper was like a weight off my chest,” Scott says. “I hadn’t realized it until I began writing. It was like being able to feel those emotions that I hadn’t let myself feel for so long. The words just poured out.”

The honesty Scott conveyed in Perfect Payback has garnered attention from Hollywood, and it won’t be long until her words are brought to life. But right now, she’s happy using the screenplay to give teenagers confidence to confront the issues they face daily, be they human bullies or emotional ones.

Sound Off: Sammy Scott is using her experiences with bullies to confront a significant problem many teenagers face. What film has been most effective at dealing and exploring the issues teenagers face?

February 28th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 5

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Many screenwriters attempt to use cinema to give history a human face, but few have done this as well as German screenwriter Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. His first feature, The Lives of Others, explores the culture of East Berlin during the Cold War, and is a Best Foreign Language Oscar nominee.

After studying in Leningrad and Oxford, von Donnersmarck found his calling in the movie business, with an apprenticeship under Richard Attenborough for 1996’s In Love and War. At the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film in Muchen, he made a number of his own short films before leaving the program to start work on The Lives of Others (ironically, the Hochschule awarded him a diploma for the completion of the film).

The Lives of Others takes place in East Berlin over a span of seven years, beginning in 1984 and continuing to detail the effects of the 1989 falling of the Berlin Wall. It tells the story of a Stasi secret police captain assigned to spy on “the lives of others,” and explores the impact of these actions on the captain’s own ideals, and on modern German culture. “To me, what was important was not to lose myself in historical details, but to tell a story about real people with an emotional viewpoint,” say von Donnersmarck.

To learn more about this internationally acclaimed movie and its writer-director, visit http://www.sonyclassics.com/thelivesofothers.

Sound Off: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is garnering praise for his work detailing the lives of people striving to live in a Socialist East Berlin. Somehow, he manages to depict the period as an emotional story rather than an historical one. Is it more effective to provide a straight historical account of an event, or to provide a more intimate take on the repercussions of these events for individual lives? Talk back in the comments section!

February 12th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

Anthony Minghella

Though you might think of Anthony Minghella as only a director, it is the screenwriting trade that first brought the now world-famous moviemaker to a career in film. Born to Scottish-Italian parents in 1954, Minghella worked briefly as a university professor, where he began writing music and plays. By 1984, he had won the London Theater Critics Award for Most Promising Playwright. Eventually, Minghella would move to television writing, making his directorial debut with the 1991 BBC made-for-TV film Truly, Madly, Deeply. When the company decided to release his film into theaters, Minghella would make the leap from small screen to big with almost immediate success, winning a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay in the process.

In 1996, the writer-director showed his talent for epic romances with The English Patient. The film would be nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning a total of nine, including Best Picture and Best Director, catapulting Minghella to international fame. Most recently, Minghella has teamed up for a third time with actor Jude Law in Breaking and Entering, which opens in limited release on February 9. An examination of the repercussions of literal and emotional theft, Breaking and Entering pairs Law with The English Patient star Juliette Binoche in a story of love and betrayal that crosses class boundaries in modern-day London. Says Minghella of writing his first original script since Truly, Madly, Deeply: “Oddly enough, when I’m writing, I don’t really think about actors. The truth is that, in the most banal sense, writing is an investigation of self… What I aspire to, as a writer, is to go as deeply into my own turmoil and debate and pain and joy, and try and animate it in some way.”

For more information on Breaking and Entering, visit its website.

Sound Off: Do you agree with Minghella’s assertion that “writing is an investigation of self?” Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section!

Director Anthony Minghella of Weinstein Company’s Breaking and Entering - 2006.

February 5th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 3

Richard LaGravenese

Not every screenwriter will find themselves nominated for an Oscar with only two films under their belt, but Richard LaGravenese did just this. 1991’s critical darling, The Fisher King. catapaulted LaGravanese into the limelight, the Brooklyn-born writer has been delivering memorable films ever since. From Alfonso Cuarón (A Little Princess) to Clint Eastwood (The Bridges of Madison County) to Robert Redford (The Horse Whisperer), directors have profited from LaGravenese’s universal interpretations of love, loss and strength.

With an Academy Award nomination practically right out of the gate, LaGravenese’s career has been the envy of many struggling writers; however, LaGravenese made some early detours before falling into the screenwriting trade. As a child he spent his days watching “The Million Dollar Matinee” instead of playing with the neighborhood children. And while this indicates an early affinity for the medium of film, LaGravenese’s first foray into artistic expression came when he pursued a degree in acting and experimental theater at New York University. Upon graduation, his talent for dialogue ultimately led him from stand-up comedy to a writing credit on David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo’s Rude Awakening (1989).

In the years since his first success, LaGravenese has branched out to directing, too. Of the five movies he has made, he has written four of them himself. On January 5th, the writer-director’s latest effort, Freedom Writers, was released nationwide. Starring Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey, the film is the story of a Los Angeles teacher who guides her disadvantaged students to higher education. It was adapted from the nonfiction book, The Freedom Writers Diary, written by the youths of Long Beach after the L.A. riots. For more information on the film and LaGravenese’s work, visit www.freedomwriters.com.

Sound Off: Seems like this writer-director may have found a muse! Next up, Richard LaGravenese will be directing his screenplay, P.S., I Love You, also starring Hilary Swank. Who is your favorite director/muse pairing and why? Let us know in the comments section!

Photo: Director Richard LaGravenese on the set of Paramount Pictures’ Freedom Writers.

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 3

Nick Cassavetes

Talented moviemaking progeny seem to have become a commonplace sight among the Hollywood ranks—Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, and more recently Jaden Smith have all carried on their families’ film legacies—but somehow Nick Cassavetes stands out. Perhaps it’s because he’s the son of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, and is therefore bred of great artistic talent on both sides. Or maybe his cinematic vision is just that good.

Last January the writer-director watched his latest movie, Alpha Dog (which opened on January 12), close the Sundance Film Festival. As the lights went down on Park City, this little film (starring some big names—Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake and Emile Hirsch among them) seemed to have generated the most buzz. Cassavetes wrote and directed this take on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood, a notorious young drug dealer who made the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list at the tender age of 20.

Cassavetes had minor success as an actor (see Face/Off and The Astronaut’s Wife) before moving on to directing (including his father’s screenplay, She’s So Lovely, and The Notebook, in which his mother starred). More recently, Cassavetes has moved on to penning the films Blow and Whatever We Do before starting work on the controversial Alpha Dog (Cassavetes was given access to the Hollywood case files while the trial was still pending). Next up for the writer-director is God is a Bullet, which follows one cop’s attempt to take down a dangerous cult, with the assistance of a former member of the organization.  The film is currently in production, but is slated for a 2007 release.

Check out www.alphadogmovie.com for more information on Cassevetes’ latest flick.

Sound Off: Although Nick Cassavetes has made it in Hollywood largely on his own merit, he is an undeniable part of the Cassavetes dynasty. What Hollywood dynasties do you see as being under-appreciated? Which are most talented? The least? Talk back in the comments section.

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Celeste Davis

Celeste Davis as Silver Strand in Purgatory House.

Stories of troubled or angst-ridden teens are no stranger to the independent film landscape. Nevertheless, eloquent stories written by girls that have just entered those teen years are pretty few and far between. We last saw Nikki Reed accomplish this feat, when her much talked about indie drama, Thirteen, was released in 2003. And now itâ€(tm)s Celeste Davisâ€(tm) turn. At the young age of 14, the young writer-actress recorded her life struggles on paper and, soon after, on screen. The result was Purgatory House (shot a year before Thirteen), which has experienced a wide run on the festival circuit and will be released on DVD January 16.

When Davis was seven, her parents divorced and she moved across the country with her alcoholic mother. Things became tense and she left shortly after. Back in California, Davis lived for a time with her father, but ultimately landed herself in a shelter for runaway teens, struggling to find meaning in a life she didnâ€(tm)t ask for and couldnâ€(tm)t deal with alone. Serendipitously, Davis’ attempt to rehabilitate herself was what also landed her a spot in the world of moviemaking.

Davis joined The Big Sisters of Los Angeles and met her would-be director Cindy Baer.  Davis came to Baer with her script for Purgatory Houseâ€"a film that examines the female perspective of life through its protagonist, a lost soul named Silver Strand, and her communication with a god that is distinctly feminine. “Like [Silver] in Purgatory House, I am learning that I canâ€(tm)t run away from my problems,” says Davis, now a mature and adjusted young adult. “They go where I go. I have to deal with them, and only I can make them better.”

For more information on Davis and Purgatory House, visit her website.

Sound Off: Every moviemaker was a teenager at one point in his or her life. But does it take an actual teenager to accurately convey all of those turbulent emotions puberty brings about? Can adults do it just as well by recalling their own adolescence?

January 16th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro directs Picturehouse’s Pan’s Labyrinth - 2006

It might seem like a near-impossible feat to make it big in Hollywood while maintaining your own unique voice, but Mexican writer-director Guillermo del Toro has proven that being successful does not have to mean selling out.After the smash success of his first feature, Cronos, in 1993, del Toro quickly gained a reputation as one of the most original and imaginative moviemakers working today. After being recruited to direct the cult hit Blade II, del Toro became the go-to guy for quirky, science-fiction and fantasy flicks—he wrote and directed the film adaptation of the comic book favorite, Hellboy, and his most recent endeavor, Pan’s Labyrinth, was released in theaters on December 29.

The film, considered by many to be del Toro’s best work to date, details the adventures of a young girl living in Franco-era Spain and has been lauded by critics for its darkly surreal dreamscape of a story. With the success of high-concept fantasy flicks like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pan’s Labyrinth may even find significant success stateside, breaking out of its foreign indie niche. What’s more the Pan’s Labyrinth illustration contest (http://www.panslabyrinth.com/mysketchbook) offers fans the chance to win a movie poster signed by the writer-director and have their work featured on the film’s DVD.

Next up is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel, The Witches, produced by another acclaimed Mexican moviemaker, Alfonso Cuarón. With the Children of Men director behind the scenes and del Toro both writing the script and directing, this version (an update of the lackluster 1990 film by Nicolas Roeg) promises to do justice to Dahl’s wickedly twisted story as only del Toro’s original and entertaining voice can accomplish.

Shameless Plug: Read del Toro’s take on the Latin film scene in the summer issue of MovieMaker, available to purchase here.

Sound Off: Guillermo del Toro has established himself as one of the most talented creators of sci-fi and fantasy cinema in the business. In addition to The Witches and his own Pan’s Labyrinth, what classic fantasy tale would you like to see the writer-director tackle? Talk back in the comments section of the blog!

January 7th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Iris Yamashita

It’s not every screenwriter who gets to see his or her first brought to life by two of the most powerful names in Hollywood, but that’s what happened to Iris Yamashita, whose Letters From Iwo Jima opened in theaters on December 20.Yamashita’s path to writing one of the most anticipated movie events of the year was anything but direct. Born in Missouri to first-generation Japanese-American parents, Yamashita went on to study engineering at U.C. San Diego and Berkeley, and also spent a year at the University of Tokyo studying virtual reality. Nevertheless, Yamashita found herself drawn to fiction writing, and embarked on a career that landed her first place honors at the Big Bear Lake Screenwriting Competition. From there it was just a hop, skip and a jump to an agent and an introduction to Letters from Iwo Jima producer Paul Haggis, who recruited Yamashita to write the script for Clint Eastwood’s companion film to Flags of Our Fathers.

The two films, which recount the battle of Iwo Jima from American and Japanese perspectives, provide a unique look at what was a profound moment in the history of both nations and a tide-altering battle of the second World War. Says Yamashita: ”Letters from Iwo Jima is an innovative project, part of a concept that has never been done before, and I hope I’ve been able to help create a memorial to the characters in a story that otherwise wouldn’t have been told.”

SOUND OFF QUESTION: Yamashita landed her coveted role as Letters from Iwo Jima scribe through the efforts of an agent. In your wildest dreams, would you rather be shopped out to work on a big-name picture like Eastwood’s or would you prefer to have your own screenplay “discovered?” Do you think it is easier to succeed in screenwriting if you are willing to tackle other people’s projects in addition to the stories you want to tell? Talk back in the comments section!

January 2nd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Hanif Kureishi

Director Roger Michell and writer Hanif Kureishi on the set of Sony Pictures Classics’ The Mother - 2004.

While he may have dabbled in other areas of moviemaking, Hanif Kureishi’s talent and passion clearly lies in the written word. The London-born screenwriter made a name for himself with Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. After this first success, Kureishi continued crafting passionate indie dramas, most notably Udayan Prasad’s My Son the Fanatic and the upcoming Venus, which has already landed Kureishi a nomination for Best Screenplay at the British Independent Film Awards.

Venus, which tells the story of an unconventional relationship between an aging actor and a 19-year-old family friend, is already gaining buzz for the lead performance by Peter O’Toole (who may finally win that long elusive Oscar). In addition to his work as a screenwriter, Kureishi has also found success as a playwright, short story writer and novelist. His book, The Buddha of Suburbia, won the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel in 1990. Over the years, Kureishi has proven his ability to tackle a variety of topics adeptly, including immigration, national identity, sexuality and race. By interweaving these various elements, he has managed to consistently create powerful and complex characters, whether it be on stage, within the pages of a book or realized on screen.

For more information on Kureishi and his current projects, visit www.hanifkureishi.com.

Sound Off: Kureishi has made his name in the screenwriting world by writing unapologetically sexual characters and narratives, including his most recent film, Venus, which examines a May-December romance. Is it important for writers of independent films (like Kureishi and John Cameron Mitchell) to portray the subjects that are inherently censored in mainstream cinema? Talk back in the comments section!

December 18th, 2006 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Daniel Burman

Burman and Daniel Hendler on the set of Family Law. Courtesy IFC First Take, 2006

As a moviemaking triple threat, screenwriter-producer-director Daniel Burman is finally getting his due. The Argentinean’s latest film, Family Law (out in limited release on December 26), has been put forth as his country’s 2007 Oscar contender for Best Foreign Film. Although it is an unparalleled honor, this isn’t the first time Burman is receiving high praise for his work. Two of his previous films, 1996’s A Chrysanthemum Burst in Cincoesquinas and 2004’s Lost Embrace, have received worldwide accolades—from Berlin to Park City.

Burman is considered by many to be a part of the New Argentine Cinema alongside such directors as Fabián Bielinsky and Alejandro Agresti. The Polish-Jewish Argentinean was brought up in the 1970s, in the El Once neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina—a traditionally Jewish settlement within an otherwise strongly Christian culture. Both his feature and documentary work employ the common thread of this unique identity, often leading to comparisons with Woody Allen.

Using his diverse background and personal experiences, Burman’s success lies largely in his ability to delicately and comically weave tales of conflicted men—stories that resonate with audiences, no matter what their background—and his most recent endeavor is no different. Caught in-between the idealized roles of dutiful son and doting father, Burman’s protagonist, Ariel (played by long-time collaborator Daniel Hendler), finds himself unexpectedly examining his life choices, and reflecting on his own relationship with his father.  Throughout his career, Burman has demonstrated a rare ability to tap into the complexity of human relationships with both insight and humor, making him a welcome addition to the growing list of accomplished modern-day moviemakers around the world.

December 11th, 2006 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Nancy Meyers

Director/writer/producer Nancy Meyers on the set of Columbia Pictures’ The Holiday - 2006

It would be too easy to label Nancy Meyers as a writer of chick flicks. True, her movies are often light comedies and, yes, they typically feature and are geared toward women.  But if Meyers belongs to the chick flick camp at all, she should be recognized as a writer who breathed life into the genre with complex female characters and often sparkling wit. Meyers first gained attention with the Goldie Hawn comedy Private Benjamin, co-written with Harvey Miller and her then-husband Charles Shyer. The trio picked up an Oscar nomination as well as a WGA Award for the screenplay, and Meyers continued to collaborate with her husband on the scripts for such hit comedies as Shyer’s I Love Trouble and Father of the Bride (I and II). After a brief lag, Meyer reenergized her career by taking on the role of director as well, starting with the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, but earning commercial and critical acclaim with 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give, which earned Diane Keaton her fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination and her second Golden Globe statue. Now, Meyers returns with The Holiday, which stars Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Kate Winslet as a quartet of lonely singletons who meet cute during a cross-continental house swap.With an as-yet untitled project in the works for 2007, it seems that Meyer’s 20-plus year career shows no signs of slowing down—and why should it? Meyers has a knack for writing crowd-pleasing films that are fun without being vapid—and that’s a talent that’s all too rare nowadays.

Sound Off: What, in your opinion, is the last great romantic comedy? Is it possible to make a quality film in this genre without taking the quirky route (à la You and Me and Everyone We Know or Punch Drunk Love)? Let us know your stance in the comments section of the blog!

December 3rd, 2006 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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