Read More Screenplays (And How)

Earl Newton — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:55:44 +0000

It’s a commonly-held bit of wisdom that if you want to become a better screenwriter, you need to read a lot of screenplays.

Well, Don Boose over at Simply Scripts.com has made that pursuit a whole lot easier. Simply Scripts.com has compiled the WGA’s Top 101 Screenplays with links to nearly all of them (some with multiple drafts available). The list is a comprehensive blend of great writing from the last hundred years: Pulp Fiction stands shoulder-to-shoulder wth North-by-Northwest and Dr. Strangelove.

So get over there and start reading. There’s no better place to learn than the footsteps of the masters.

Some interesting facts…

Sideways is ranked #90 on the WGA’s list. I had no idea it was even listed, and, having seen the film, respectfully, I’m not really sure why it was. Still, it can’t be an accident, so that script is going to the top of my “must read” list.
My favorite surreal/philosophical/pseudo-sci-fi comedies Groundhog Day clocked in at an amazing #27. I love that movie and I still can’t believe that.
Surprisingly, the Coens only make one appearance on the list, at #32 with Fargo. I would have thought they’d get at least two (perhaps No Country for Old Men or Barton Fink)
Charlie Kaufman, on the other hand, snags three places all by himself: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (#24), Being John Malkovich (#74), and my favorite, Adaptation (#77, technically co-written with Donald Kaufman).
Of the 70s-era blockbuster boys: Scorcese gets one at #41 with Goodfellas, Lucas’ Star Wars gets #68 (technically he’s got story credit on Raiders but I’m counting that as a Lawrence Kasdan win), and Spielberg has 0 (he’s not a writer, so this is a bit unfair, especially since four of his films are listed). But the heavyweight champion is Francis Ford Coppola, with four writing credits in the top 101: Patton (#94, no script available), Apocalypse Now (#55), The Godfather II (#10), and The Godfather (#2). Four top 100 scripts, putting him in the ranks of people like Woody Allen and Billy Wilder. The difference is, half of Coppola’s scripts are in the top ten.

Earl Newton.com » simplyscripts.com

Read More Screenplays (And How)