I’m not a huge fan of write-by-numbers screenplay books. Why aren’t the writers penning blockbuster screenplays, themselves? It’s a simple but honest question. The book authors who have also written famous screenplays, like David Mamet and William Goldman, write more about the spirit of movies than about hard-cast structure. Books that directly or indirectly proffer “all-you-need-to-write-a-great-screenplay” promise false hope. As though having the $25 purchase price is what separates professional from the fan. I went to a panel once where a newly-minted agent told the crowd of aspiring filmmakers “I just read Story, by Robert McKee, so you better have your structure in place.” Yes, and I should buy low and sell hi. Thank you.
But I had lunch this weekend with an intense young man who described an important part of his childhood. He laid out some basic information, and then gave snippets, descriptions, and emotional reactions, in no particular order. I could tell that his story was serious, but he struggled to frame it in a way that let me share his experience. My friend needed some plot work, is what he needed. I realized that a movie-goer might be struggling to organize his or her own life experiences into a sensible order. If watching a film with a traditional plot structure can provide a template, then that’s a good thing.
But I’m still suspicious of the cookbooks hiding out in the film section.