It’s a daunting task for the screenwriter, sometimes hard-pressed to fit decades of life into roughly 100-120 pages. That is probably why biopics often become monumental projects that bring the audience to a fast paced journey across a bunch of dissimilar environments.

But they are often the stories of those who shaped the world- for better or worse. And well written biopics seem to generally succeed in fulfilling the demands of reviewers and audiences alike. They are a challenge for the performer as well, compelled to carry most of the narrative weight through the whole shooting process. However, those efforts are often rewarded with wide recognition, and the Academy seems to have a certain weakness for biographical dramas.

A lot of moviegoers feel an inherent curiosity about watching the tale of a notorious figure in the big screen, and the list of famous –or infamous- individuals whose life has been adapted into a film keeps growing.

Here are some of the most acclaimed biopic film scripts of all time:

(1960) Spartacus

(1962) Lawrence of Arabia

(1967) Bonnie and Clyde

(1972) Lady Sings the Blues

(1980) Raging Bull

(1980) The Elephant Man

(1982) Gandhi

(1984) Amadeus

(1987) The Last Emperor

(1990) Goodfellas

(1992) Malcolm X

(1992) Chaplin

(1994) Ed Wood

(1995) Braveheart

(2001) A Beautiful Mind

(2002) Catch me if you Can

(2005) Walk the Line

(2010) The Social Network

(2014) The Theory of Everything

Original Screenplay:   The King’s Speech Script (PDF)

Adapted Screenplay:  The Social Network Script (PDF)

See all nominees in this post.

‘Tis Oscar season and for those of us looking for scripts on the internet it’s a bonanza.  The studios, in their quest for nominations and awards, made their candidates’ scripts available (and in PDF no less !)  This year’s list of screenplay  candidates (original and adapted) almost matches the Best Picture nominee list. The exceptions are Black Swan which did not get a screenplay nod and Another Year which didn’t make it on the best picture list.

Original Screenplay

• Another Year Script (PDF), Written by Mike Leigh
• The Fighter Script (PDF) , Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson, Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
• Inception Script (PDF) , Written by Christopher Nolan
• The Kids Are All Right Script (PDF) , Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
• The King’s Speech Script (PDF) , Screenplay by David Seidler

Adapted Screenplay

• 127 Hours Script (PDF) , Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
• The Social Network Script (PDF), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
• Toy Story 3 Script (PDF),  Screenplay by Michael Arndt, Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
• True Grit Script (PDF), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• Winter’s Bone Script (PDF), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Best Motion Picture of the Year

• Black Swan Script (PDF)
• The Fighter Script (PDF)
• Inception Script (PDF)
• The Kids Are All Right Script (PDF)
• The King’s Speech Script (PDF)
• 127 Hours Script (PDF)
• The Social Network Script (PDF)
• Toy Story 3 Script (PDF)
• True Grit Script (PDF)
• Winter’s Bone Script (PDF)

With Social Network (2010) stealing a lot of last year’s cinematic thunder, audiences wait with baited breath on what he’ll be releasing next.

Check out the complete collection of David Fincher’s feature length scripts.

1. The Social Network Script (2010)
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Script (2008)
3. Zodiac Script (2007)
4. Panic Room Script (2002)
5. Fight Club Script (1999)
6. The Game Script (1997)
7. Seven Script (1995)
8. Alien 3 Script (1992)