Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You--for Better or Worse

Draws On Interviews With Top Hollywood Writers As Well As Up-and-coming Novices To Trace The Process From Conception To Script To Film, In An Account That Documents The Evolution Of Twenty-five Screenplays. 1. Get A Life: Gladiator: David Franzoni -- 2. Scripter : Long Island Lolita Was My Muse! : American Beauty : Alan Ball -- 3. I Didn't Think This Was Really Going To Happen : Random Hearts : Kurt Luedtke -- 4. It's Two People; Nothing Happens : Lost In Translation : Sofia Coppola -- 5. Gotta Stay On This Job : Black Hawk Down : Ken Nolan -- 6. Let's Shoot Big : Troy : David Benioff -- 7. Anti-troy : Hero : Zhang Yimou -- 8. Can I Write Midnight Cowboy? : Pay It Forward : Leslie Dixon -- 10. Sith, Schmith. Thanks For All The Fish : The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy : Karey Kirkpatrick -- 11. Roll Over, Cary Grant : My Best Friend's Wedding : Ron Bass -- 12. Life's Two Tragedies : Mona Lisa Smile : Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal -- 13. It's Difficult Talking To Idiots : Bounce : Don Roos -- 14. Great Science Fiction--but Don't Tell Anyone : Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind : Charlie Kaufman -- 15. Slaves To Desire : Happiness : Todd Solondz -- 16. Sex Ain't What It Used To Be : A Dirty Shame : John Waters -- 17. If You Talk To Earl, Tell Him To Call Me : Witness : Bill Kelley & Earl W. Wallace -- 18. The Best Script That Couldn't Get Made : Monster's Ball : Milo Addica & Will Rokos -- 19. The Golden Lion, Sure. But Did She Get An A? : Monsoon Wedding : Sabrina Dhawan -- 20. Protecting Howard : The Aviato : John Logan -- 21. Chance, Fate, And Homework : A Simple Plan : Scott Smith -- 22. No Similar Movies : The Hours : David Hare -- 23. Good Work Fails Sometimes : Evening. Susan Minot & Michael Cunningham -- 24. The Return Of The (spec) King : Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang : Shane Black -- 25. All You Need Is One Person To Believe In You : The Caveman's Valentine : George Dawes Green. David S. Cohen. Includes Index.