People – Page 4 – The Thinking Writer

All About Aaron

Was Aaron Sorkin high when he gave this interview? Sorkin, writer of the upcoming movie The Social Network (a biopic about the troubled and complicated genius behind Facebook ) is the troubled and complicated genius screenwriter behind so many great movies (The American President, A Few Good Men, Malice) and television shows (Sportsnight, West Wing). Nice interview. (Think magic mushrooms….)

Screenwriter Irving Ravetch Passes

headstone — Photo by Svadilfari @ flickr.com

Irving Ravetch, one-half of the husband and wife writing team behind Hud, The Long Hot Summer, Norma Rae, and more than twenty other films, died on September 19. Read his obituary here and a short bio here and dream of a life so beautiful.

“Don’t have him say something unless it’s really f*cking crucial.”

Movieline has done a nice interview with screenwriter Rowan Joffe, writer of The American, starring George Clooney.

“What’s the cheapest film I can make?”

Buried — Photo by jodywebsternw8 @ flickr.com

What would asking that question lead you to write? Here’s a pretty good interview with screenwriter Chris Sparling, who answered that question by writing the new movie “Buried”.

Screenwriter Says Tony Blair Plagiarized For His Autobiography

Screenwriter Peter Morgan, writer of Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and The Last King of Scotland, tells The Telegraph (UK) that Tony Blair “had one gin and tonic too many” when he copied fictional scenes written by Morgan and included in The Queen into his autobiography.

Why You Should Change Your Name To Sheldon

Sheldon Turner plays hard at being a screenwriter, and it shows. He is credited with the recent “Up In The Air” (a terrific script) and, according to IMDB, has more than a dozen projects in development. Hear him talk about writing and the biz.

Nineteen Years Ago, Thelma & Louise Drove Over A Cliff

2635230722_f7d3104561_m — Photo by bradleygee @ flickr.com

Nineteen years after Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon took their famous turn in a ’66 Thunderbird convertible, screenwriter Callie Khouri discusses her Oscar winning screenplay for “Thelma & Louis” with Sallie King of the Los Angeles Times. Discussing the ending, she says:

People either thought it was an uplifting ending or they thought they committed suicide at the end. It kind of depends on how they see it.

Uhm? If it isn’t suicide, what is it?

Seems Everyone’s Doing It

Angelina Jolie in Oil — Photo by onlyarts @ flickr.com

Here’s a new way to become a screenwriter. First, become a famous celebrity (or the celebrity’s kid), then write a screenplay, just like Angeline Jolie, Michelle Rodriguez, or Elizabeth Hurley’s 8 year old kid.