Filmography

1. (2012) The Avengers
2. (2011) We Bought a Zoo
3. (2010) Iron Man 2
4. (2009) He’s Just Not That Into You Script
5. (2008) The Spirit
6. (2008) Vicky Cristina Barcelona Script
7. (2008) The Other Boleyn Girl Script
8. (2007) The Nanny Diaries [Transcript]
9. (2006) The Prestige Script
10. (2006) The Black Dahlia Script
11. (2006) Scoop
12. (2005) The Island 
13. (2005) Match Point
14. (2004) In Good Company Script [Transcript]
15. (2004) The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie [Transcript]
16. (2004) A Good Woman [Transcript]
17. (2004) A Love Song for Bobby Long [Transcript]
18. (2004) The Perfect Score [Transcript]
19. (2003) Girl with a Pearl Earring [Transcript]
20. (2003) Lost in Translation Script
21. (2002) Eight Legged Freaks Script
22. (2001) An American Rhapsody
23. (2001) Ghost World Script
24. (2001) The Man Who Wasn’t There Script
25. (1999) My Brother the Pig
26. (1998) The Horse Whisperer Script
27. (1997) Home Alone 3
28. (1997) Fall
29. (1996) If Lucy Fell
30. (1996) Manny & Lo
31. (1995) Just Cause
32. (1994) North

The thought and care that went into the prior films are now made evident in the way that they complement this new film, filling in plot holes and bringing closure to the previous five movies.

Needless to say, screenwriters must have had a very difficult time putting together the scripts for each individual movie. Not only did the scripts have to be entertaining and true to the original content, but it also had to match up with the other five films!

Reading the scripts of these films is a must-do for any person who wants to be a screenwriter. The intricacy and care that was put into each script is something that is rarely seen in Hollywood- not since the days of the Back to the Future saga. Make sure to take time to read these scripts- they are full of wisdom that will help any screenwriter in their profession.

Films

1. (2012) The Avengers
2. (2011) Captain America
3. (2011) Thor Script
4. (2010) Iron Man 2
5. (2008) The Incredible Hulk Script
6. (2008) Iron Man [Transcript]

Whedon’s career has been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transition between film, television and then film again. He is responsible for such famous scripts as the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and Toy Story (1994) while also working on several television shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the Series (1996-2003) and Angel (1999-2004).

Again, Whedon is trying to enter into the film industry again with his first comeback film script being The Cabin in the Woods (2011) which was just released recently. With his move back into the film industry, it will be amusing to see what he has learned over the years and has to show the movie going public.

Playwrights and screenwriters can take note of Whedon’s career to see how diversifying work can often prove to help a person find writing success. If one industry pays off then it is only natural to work in that industry. But if for some reason it stops paying, then it will benefit a person’s career to try again in a different venue.

Filmography

1. (2012) In Your Eyes
2. (2012) Much Ado About Nothing
3. (2012) The Avengers
4. (2011) The Cabin in the Woods
5. (2005) Serenity Script
6. (2001) Atlantis: The Lost Empire Script [For Purchase]
7. (2000) Titan A.E.
8. (1997) Alien: Resurrection Script [For Purchase]
9. (1995) Toy Story Script
10. (1992) Buffy the Vampire Slayer Script

As a novelist, Goldman was responsible for writing at least two of the most widely respected and loved stories of the American people. One is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) which inspired the love that America still has with Westerns. The other was The Princess Bride (1987), a complete 180 for Goldman to do. From the desert landscape of the Western film, he jumped to the classical enchanted surroundings of a fairy tale.

As far as screenplays go, Goldman has shown his flexibility in adapting to different genres with ease. For the horror movie fans, he was responsible for the Stephen King adaptation of the novel Misery (1990) which is still emulated and joked about to this day. He diversified into the romance district when he wrote such films as Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
and Year of the Comet (1992).

Without a doubt, Goldman is a prime example of a writer who did not put himself in a box. Unlike other writers who generally stick to one genre or another, Goldman gave himself the freedom to experience worlds from all different
perspectives.

Screenwriters should take note of Goldman’s actions and realize that screenwriting is an art of experience. The human life is full of ups and downs, and this effects what the screenwriter thinks like and writes about. This is not something to be ashamed of, but is an opportunity to grow in different directions as a human being and as a writer.

Filmography

1. (2003) Dreamcatcher Script [For Purchase]
2. (2001) Hearts in Atlantis [Transcript]
3. (1999) The General’s Daughter [Transcript]
4. (1997) Absolute Power Script [PDF]
5. (1996) The Ghost and the Darkness Script
6. (1996) The Chamber
7. (1992) Chaplin
8. (1992) Year of the Comet
9. (1992) Memoirs of an Invisible Man [Transcript]
10. (1990) Misery Script
11. (1987) The Princess Bride Script
12. (1986) Heat Script
13. (1978) Magic
14. (1977) A Bridge Too Far
15. (1976) Marathon Man [Transcript]
16. (1976) All the President’s Men Script
17. (1975) The Great Waldo Pepper Script [For Purchase]
18. (1975) The Stepford Wives
19. (1972) The Hot Rock
20. (1969) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Script [For Purchase]
21. (1966) Harper
22. (1965) Masquerade

In all respects, Taxi Driver does represent many of the qualities that have distinguished Scorcese as a director. However, the film was written by Paul Schrader. The mental workings of this creative genius are apparent when looking at a few other scripts that he has written. Raging Bull (1980) was a profound drama about a boxer who goes through much tumultuous inner struggles before coming out on top in the end. The same thing goes for Taxi Driver.

                In addition to these two films, Schrader is also responsible for the adaptation of one of the most controversial films in recent history. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) is among a few select films that have defied conventional morality in the retelling of Jesus Christ.

It goes without saying that Schrader has had a positive career in the industry, simply by knowing that he had a part in the making of the previously stated three films. However, his career has not been perfect. For every successful film script he wrote, there were a few flops that were considered weak. Some of his scripts became films that remain in anonymity to this day!

The most important lesson for a screenwriter to learn when writing a script is to have faith in their writing ability regardless of how an audience interprets one script. No matter how good a writer is, there will always be a time when he or she simply cannot express an idea in a way that an audience accepts wholeheartedly. Sometimes it takes years or decades for people to even start appreciating the work of one writer. However, he or she must not give up and continue to write; for each writers’ experiences are important and are worthy to be expressed, no matter how the rest of the world depicts it for a moment in time.

1. (2007) The Walker
2. (1999) Bringing Out the Dead Script
3. (1999) Forever Mine
4. (1997) Affliction Script
5. (1997) Touch
6. (1996) City Hall
7. (1992) Light Sleeper Script
8. (1988) The Last Temptation of Christ Script
9. (1987) Light of Day
10. (1986) The Mosquito Coast [Transcript]
11. (1985) Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
12. (1980) Raging Bull Script
13. (1980) American Gigolo
14. (1979) Old Boyfriends
15. (1979) Hardcore Script
16. (1978) Blue Collar
17. (1977) Rolling Thunder
18. (1976) Obsession [Transcript]
19. (1976) Taxi Driver Script
20.  (1974) The Yakuza

However, the world is a very bizarre place, and not all people fall in love the same way that the “average” person does. In a world with diverse people, there are bound to be romantic stories that just don’t fit into that traditional “boy-meets-girl” theme. That is where the following list comes into play.

The films below deal with love stories that defy mainstream expectations and, sometimes, even societal norms about morality.  Many of the films below have stirred up controversy; frightening members of society who just aren’t willing to accept such a disturbingly different representation of love. However, many of the following films have also (eventually) been reveled as cult classics or even Hollywood blockbusters, owing to the fact that they touched on a controversial subject long before it was financially rewarding.

Script writers who plan to write love stories can learn a lot from reading the following scripts and/or watching romance movies that push the mainstream boundaries. The best love stories come from a person who knows love. If a person is limited to understanding love on a strictly conventional standpoint then what does he or she have to add to the millions of romantic movies that already exist?

Love is far more complex than anyone can imagine. It can happen anywhere and at any moment to any person in the world. The screenwriter who can truly understand love will not only write romance scripts with ease, but he or she will be able to communicate those messages to a world that constantly seeks to understand the cryptic subject of love.

1. (1967) The Graduate Script
2. (1971) Harold and Maude Script
3. (1992) The Crying Game Script
4. (1999) Boys Don’t Cry [Transcript]
5. (1999) American Beauty Script
6. (1999) Snow Falling On Cedars Script
7. (2005) Brokeback Mountain Script
8. (2007) Lars and the Real Girl [Transcript]
9. (2008) The Reader Script

        Despite her ability to play a pretty girlfriend or a love interest, Watts has defied conventional stereotypes to play intelligent, frightening and bizarre characters. In Mulholland Drive (2001), Watts played a struggling young actress overwhelmed with bitterness over her lover’s rejection of her. The rejection causes her to behave erratically and imagine things that are not quite real.

In Funny Games (2007), Watts is a quite normal character. However, when a pair of sadistic young men break into her house to play deathly mind games with her, she is transformed from a pretty housewife to a desperate, three-dimensional character.

Watts has climbed the ladder to stardom and is now considered a quite respectable mainstream star. However, she did not start out that way. Her film history is littered with independent films that have helped her build up the reputation that she needed to succeed.

As an actress, Watts provides a great example of how important it is for actors to choose their roles wisely. Not all independent films are good, and an actor or actresses must protect their new reputation by choosing the best roles possible for themselves. If an audience leaves a film feeling good about themselves and their experience, then they will associate the actor with good things as well.

Same thing goes for screenwriters. If a screenwriter cannot write characters that are interesting and three dimensional, then he or she will handicap the script from attracting great up and coming actors/actresses. Nobody wants to ruin their reputation on a terrible script. To ensure the success of a film, a writer must make sure that they create characters that actors would kill to play.

Filmography

1. (2011) J. Edgar Script ($)
2. (2011) Dream House
3. (2010) Fair Game Script
4. (2010) You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
5. (2009) Mother and Child Script
6. (2009) The International
7. (2007) Funny Games [Transcript]
8. (2007) Eastern Promises Script
9. (2006) The Painted Veil [Transcript]  
10. (2005) King Kong Script    
11. (2005) Stay Script
12. (2005) The Ring Two [Transcript]
13. (2005) Ellie Parker
14. (2004) I Heart Huckabees [Transcript]
15. (2004) The Assassination of Richard Nixon
16. (2004) We Don’t Live Here Anymore
17. (2003) 21 Grams [Transcript]
18. (2003) Le divorce [Transcript]
19. (2003) Ned Kelly [Transcript]
20. (2002) Undertaking Betty
21. (2002) The Ring [Transcript]
22. (2002) Rabbits
23. (2001) Mulholland Drive Script
24. (2001) Down
25. (1999) Strange Planet
26. (1998) Dangerous Beauty
27. (1997) Under the Lighthouse Dancing
28. (1996) Persons Unknown
29. (1995) Tank Girl [Transcript]
30. (1993) The Custodian
31. (1993) Gross Misconduct
32. (1993) Wide Sargasso Sea
33. (1993) Matinee
34. (1991) Flirting [Transcript]
35. (1986) For Love Alone

With all of these intense horror films that came up during this period, it is easy to forget the less appreciated and more formulaic teen horror movies that were also being ground out on a regular basis. However, as time goes by, these teen horror films are beginning to stand apart for their own unique reasons.

The 90’s teen horror film brought up many teen issues which, before, would seem untouchable. For instance, Scream (1996) had a protagonist who suffered the death of her mother the year before. However, by the film’s end, she finds out that her mother was the town slut and had been murdered for that reason.

Disturbing Behavior (1998) was another film that focused on the depression that many kids dealt with during the emotionally-dead grunge era. The film is introduced with a teenager trying to cope with the suicide of another teen. These types of issues, once considered off-limits for teen films, were now being expressed. Not only that, but the plots were well accepted by the teen communities that flocked to see it.

Every generation of teens have problems that the previous generation did not have. Until a decade ago, the risk of a teen committing suicide over being cyber-bullied on the internet was slim to none. Nowadays, it is quite commonplace. Sex scandals with teen boys and adult teachers have become overwhelmingly popular in the modern day, despite the massive backlash by the public. A screenplay writer must take this into consideration when writing a movie aimed at teenagers. If a film maker wants to make a film aimed at teens, he or she must know the problems that they face in the modern day and implement these ideas into his or her script. By doing this, he or she will not only grab an audience, but will also help young people feel that they are being accurately represented and understood by the movie industry, which is crucial for making them life-long movie goers.

1. (1996) Scream Script
2. (1997) An American Werewolf in Paris Script [PDF]
3. (1997) I Know What You Did Last Summer [Transcript]
4. (1998) Disturbing Behavior Script [PDF]
5. (1998) The Faculty Script
6. (1999) Idle Hands [Transcript]

However, there are people in the United States who still aspire to the classic American westerns that graced the screen prior to 1980’s. The nostalgic filmmakers who remembered the cowboy dramas of their youth were not so quick to throw the genre aside.

However, in order to make a living, filmmakers had to ensure that audiences would not dismiss their films as just another Western. A twist needed to be added to capture the short attention spans of a new, computer-aged generation.

Thus the creation of the sci-fi western films. By improvising a bit of the storyline and adding new twists, filmmakers were able to capture the attention of young audiences and lure them into the theaters for a western in disguise. Instead of having villainous Indians or cattle rustlers, audiences were amazed to see villainous robotic castle rustlers and giant aliens living beneath the surface of the towns.

The creation of sci-fi westerns can easily be seen as a noble attempt by writers to introduce their childhood heroes and stories to a new generation. The writers could have sat on noble high horses and refused to adapt their beloved Westerns of the past to a new generation. However, by mixing the Western themes of the past with the technology of the future, they instilled a place for Westerns in the hearts of children for years to come.

Screenwriters who hold on deeply to nostalgic films of their youth can take a lesson from sci-fi westerns. Regardless of how great a story is, it will not be a success unless it adds something new and different. Remake films are often failures because they try to regurgitate the same story in a higher resolution film. To reach a wide audience, a nostalgic script writer must be able to compromise their classic ideals with the new trends of the present.

1. (1973) Westworld [Transcript]
2. (1981) Indiana Jones Script
3. (1990) Back to the Future Part III Script
4. (1999) Wild Wild West Script
5. (2004) Tremors 4: The Legend Begins Script
6. (2007) Ghost Rider Script
7. (2011) Priest Script