When you need a break from Tiger King: 7 Classic Movies Every Screenwriter Needs to Watch

Right now your head might be telling you to ‘get on with it and get some work done!’, but your heart is just not into it. Well, the good news is you can still “do some work” by watching movies. 

Think about it, every film you watch is a new reference point for your own work - you might find a much needed jolt of inspiration, an idea for a new story, or you might learn some valuable lessons about subtext, pacing, and dialogue. Plus, Hollywood execs constantly reference movies as a shorthand when talking about story, so it never hurts to add more films to your mental catalogue.

While we all have a little more time on our hands, why not take a break from Tiger King and Love is Blind and dig into some great films? 

In no particular order, here are 6 traditional classics (and 1 “current classic”) to be inspired by:

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – Charlie Kaufman, Lois Duncan

If you want to learn a thing or two about structure, this one’s for you. Not just an incredibly endearing and entertaining movie, this screenplay shows that if you create a strong and simple structure to anchor your story, you can run wild with other aspects of your film. The movie jumps around in time, but keeps character change in a linear sequence (I know, it sounds confusing, but take a watch and you’ll be amazed how well it works).

2. Rear Window - John Michael Hayes (directed by Alfred Hitchcock)

Though parts of this movie are dated, there’s no denying Rear Window is filled with  great characters and a lot of tension. One thing this script does so well is take its time. A lot of modern movies keep a quick pace and move the plot forward using a lot of dialogue. This is a master class in how suspense and tension can be created when you take your time and don’t use much dialogue at all. 

3. When Harry Met Sally - Nora Ephron

Before this movie came out it was a common convention of romcoms to have the main couple fight against some kind of external conflict in order to be together - their families, their careers, their friends, etc. But in When Harry Met Sally the only thing standing in their way is them. If you’re writing a script that breaks genre conventions but you still want to appeal to fans of that genre - watch this one for some great inspiration.

4. The Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King, Frank Darabont

If you’ve been told narration in a film is a “cheat” watch this movie. Sure, narration can be used as an excuse to not write great dialogue, but when used well it can elevate your film. Shawshank doesn’t go overboard with narration, and it definitely doesn’t use it as a crutch - The narrative voiceover (done by Morgan Freeman) helps make this a more intimate story. If you’re toying with the idea of using narration in your script this is a great example of how to do it right - I don’t want to give away too much, but lets just say the scene in the rain gets me every time.

5. The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin

If you want to write characters who are super smart and can go toe-to-toe with rapid-fire dialogue put this movie on your watch list. Aaron Sorkin knows how to marry fast-paced lines with narrative info in a way that’s exciting and dynamic. This movie shows you how to write a scene that’s full of dialogue and still fill it with a lot of great subtext and misdirection (if binging a TV series is more your thing, Sorkin also did this brilliantly with The West Wing and Newsroom).

6. Juno - Diablo Cody

If you’ve ever doubted your own unique ‘writer’s voice’ take a look at Juno, Diablo Cody’s debut film. Cody’s dialogue has a style that’s completely her own. If you give this a watch, imagine how the scenes would have played if they had more ‘average’ dialogue. Then look at how Cody came at it with her own unique voice. Then imagine what you would do if you came at this story with your unique voice. How would you make it your own?

7. Ladybird - Greta Gerwig

First of all, Ladybird is just a fun film to watch: the story revolves around a teenage girl in the early 2000s which I’m sure will give a lot of you a heathy dose of nostalgia. But more than just being a great movie, this script is an excellent example of how every character - even the supporting ones - can be developed in such a way that you almost wish each of them had their own story. Also, Gerwig has said that when she writes a film, she always aims to have “maximum impact with minimum space.” If that’s not a great lesson for screenwriters I don’t know what is - watch and see how a script with “minimum space” can have “maximum impact”.

Here are a few more films to check out:

Can You Ever Forgive Me - Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty

Network - Paddy Chayefsky

Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki

Pan’s Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro

Good Will Hunting - Matt Damon & Ben Affleck

Her - Spike Jonze

The Breakfast Club - John Hughes

Psycho (1960) - Joseph Stefano

Fargo - Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

The Godfather (The Godfather #2 in the series, is the best one) Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, Robert Towne

American Beauty - Alan Ball

Chinatown - Robert Towne

Get Out - Jordan Peele

Whiplash - Damien Chazelle

This list is just a handful of the many great films out there, watch what speaks to you!

What movies inspire you? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!