ONTD Original - What's Your Favorite Screenplay?

[drnilescrane]

While we are all here for the gossip, something we can all connect over is that we love expressions of art in media - film, television, theatre, music. Originally this was going to be a discourse about the impact of the screenplay (television or film) on our userbase but

Comments

[whowants_candy]

From screenplays I've read and own(ed) in some shape or form:

* The pilot of Mad Men
* The Social Network
* Up in the Air
* Pirates of the Caribbean
* Hereditary
* The Dark Knight

There was also a screenplay that made The Black List one year about how Stanley Kubrick worked with NASA to fake the moon landing and I loved it. But I read it years ago and can't remember the name.

[drnilescrane]

I really hate how much I've grown to dislike POTC for obvious reasons because the script itself/plot is so incredible. That was such a fantastic, fun film.

TSN is such a great script!!! Honestly I hope Sorkin is getting some kickback from Zuck because it helped rehab his image somehow??

As I go on TDK is a great script but I feel like if it wasn't a Batman movie I'd like it more? That or if it was ... different? Idk, I guess I want more traditional Batman like a lamewad.

[whowants_candy]

POTC is why I'm only talking about the screenplay and not the movie because the DVD has been long trashed (oblig fuck D*pp).

Re: TSN do you think? I feel like I knew nothing about Zuck prior to the movie and walked away absolutely hating him. But I never knew what the audience reaction was to Zuck as a real person, so it's interesting to think that people felt bad for him when he came across as so unlikable.

Re: TDK, it's definitely doesn't feel like a Batman movie. Like, I think The Batman (2021) does a much better job at conveying that The Long Halloween/A Serious House on Serious Earth/Miller/Loeb-esque Batman, which is interesting because The Long Halloween was a huge inspiration for TDK. But reading the screenplay was such a wild ride. The pacing and action beats were so well written. I felt like I was reading a novel!

[drnilescrane]

With TSN I Think what I mean about Zuckerberg is it made him a human being. He has every time after when I read something about him I'm kind of like is this a person or like some sort of alien? But to see him as a person that fucked up was a talking point. We didn't like him and disagreed with him but he was a person.

Oh yeah, if they'd made it about a made up superhero I would see it as God tier. I haven't watched it in a while but I might just to watch/read at the same time. I just think Nolan enjoyed the idea of Batman but didn't want to lean too heavily into it. On the other hand Reeves does, which makes it feel like a Batman movie.

[missmagic12]

Goddamn “The Social Network” is a great fucking film. So good. Still can’t believe it didn’t win Best Picture. And Andrew should’ve been nominated for Supporting Actor.

Love “10 Things,” such a high bar for teen movies. “Remove head from sphincter, then drive!”

And while it’s absolutely nothing like my high school experience, “Mean Girls” is among the most quotable movies ever.

[drnilescrane]

"Hello, Katarina. Make anyone cry today?"

"Sadly no. But it's only 4:30."

[ahkna]

I am the first to drag Aaron Sorkin at every possible opportunity, but Two Cathedrals is a fucking masterpiece. The West Wing's neo-liberalism hasn't aged well but it's been 20 years since the season 2 finale and I still think it's one of the greatest episodes of television ever written/acted/directed.

The Latin rant obviously, the cigarette, Mrs Landingham and Jed at school, Bartlett's relationship with Mrs Landingham being so deep that she doesn't even need to be alive to admonish him, the final tracking shot to Dire Straits (especially Charlie taking his coat off because the President didn't put his coat on). *chef kiss*

[my_moloko]

Would it still be worth watching The West Wing today?

[carolinalily]

Imo Yes tho S1-4 with Sorkin as head writer are better than the later seasons

[drnilescrane]

agree, it's kind of like ER in that you have to view it with a lens of what was happening v what we know the consequences are now. SUPER entertaining tho.

[polynucleotide]

cliche answer, but the sopranos is the best-written television series ever created.

and yes, aaron sorkin is a great writer. the social network, two cathedrals... absolute bangers.

[drnilescrane]

I wish Sorkin would try to stretch himself to a REALLY really romantic film ... I feel like that would show his mastery.

[elevatorshaker]

The Social Network took a lot of dialogue from actual depositions, didn't it?

[nyse]

I think if that’s true, TSN still remains a masterwork because there’s a true symbiosis that occurs between Fincher’s visual direction/style and Sorkin’s. I think the opening scene alone is so impactful. It shows you what to expect and the movie is relentless in delivering really memorable moments. You have to remember that there is little overt action in this film. It doesn’t lean heavily on sex or violence to titillate. Like you’re glued to your seat and hanging on every word to see who’s going to best who at any given moment. Like, I read the original Rolling Stone profile that was written about the origins of Facebook and the lawsuits and I had completely forgotten the outcome watching this movie. It’s really suspenseful!

[theharleyquinn]

it really defies genres. it's a legal procedural, a college movie, and a "business movie" but in combination it really becomes something else. just extremely well written and paced.

[nyse]

Yes, you’re so right! Well said!