Word: scripting
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...movie must begin with words: a book, a script, an acknowledgment from a producer that a concept is not a bankable text. David Thomson, a London-born critic based in San Francisco, reverses the procedure with a work of fiction drawn entirely from old films. His sources are such moody classics as Citizen Kane, Double Indemnity, Laura, Casablanca and dozens of other favorites from the Late Show of the American psyche...
...beautiful about love and sex. Since this is exactly the kind of project no one wants anymore, the trio finally fails. Having hung around Hollywood and learned a few things, all three actors offer well-observed and rather sympathetic portrayals of these familiar types. Actor-Producer Grodin's script is anecdotally acute but a little unfocused, and it is not especially well served by William Asher's muzzy direction. Steve Martin's guest appearance as an aging Latin lover is emblematic of the whole movie: it is a nice idea not as well executed as it could have been. Still...
...night; the lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer) must become a hawk by day. Always together, eternally apart, these two ironic superheroes have a mediating companion, the impish cutpurse Phillipe (Matthew Broderick again). Not a bad premise for a wistful romance, especially when it stars three such appealing actors. Alas, the script (by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas and Tom Mankiewicz) jumbles modern slang with chivalric sentiment; and Director Richard Donner (The Omen, Superman) is no spellbinder of medieval melancholy. "I believe in miracles," says the evil bishop (John Wood) who laid on the curse. "It's part of my job." Making miracles...
Most of the passion attending 1918 was spent in getting the story on film. This is a family movie in every sense of the term. The writer is Horton Foote (Tender Mercies), who based his script on incidents in his parents' lives in Wharton, Texas. Foote's wife was one of the film's producers; his son worked as an actor, casting director and production assistant; the bed in which Horace ails belonged to Foote's parents; the baby born at film's end is most likely the author. And the leading lady is Foote's daughter Hallie. A vanity...
Though the concept behind Songwriter has been kicking around since 1978, the movie never seems labored. Written by Nelson's good friend, novelist-screenwriter Shrake, the script freely betrays a real family and its affection for the musicians and the on-the-road-again way of life. Songwriter gives a taste of Austin, spirited style and music, along with a playful, rambunctious storyline. It is an avant-garde film of seething social commentary, Songwriter offers an example of smooth-talking Texan optimism...