The 100% Guarantees: Good Will Hunting American Beauty The Shawshank Redemptions The Breakfast Club The Probables/Personal Favourites: The Pursuit of Happyness The Prestige Into The Wild Warrior Brokeback Mountain Paris, Texas

Thank you, Ned. You've got us off to a good start. A reminder for everyone: if you happen to have links for the scripts you're recommending, especially for PDFs, please include them in your post. But if you don't have links, don't worry: go ahead and make your suggestions and I'll try to track the scripts down. If you have the time for a longer comment, I'm interested to learn why you're recommending these particular scripts and what you think writers can learn from them. (No obligation there, just a personal request.)

PS Here's a tech Public Service Announcement. I've spent the last week looking for (and opening) scripts in PDF files--and today one of my machines was locked up with a virus that I probably got courtesy of security holes in Adobe Reader. If you're opening a lot of scripts (or other PDFs): 1. Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date; and 2. You may want to consider installing an an alternative to Adobe Reader, at least until they clear up their current security issues; I recommend Foxit Reader, which is free, fast and secure. (We normally use Foxit Reader but the machine in question just came back from some repairs and we hadn't installed everything yet.) Full dislosure: I have no connections to Foxit Software or Adobe; I've just spent an afternoon manually cleaning a virus of a machine and I'd rather not see you face the same chore.

Check out the WGA 101 screenplay list here. Lots of good dramas here.

Fantastic list, Scott. Thank you. While we wait on more suggestions from readers, I'll look up scripts for the dramas on the list and for Ned's suggestions. Come one, people: no suggestions yet for Chinatown? Witness? Casablanca? Ned and Scott have got us off to a solid start here. Roll up your sleeves and dust off your script collections and meet the standard they've set. I'll do my darndest to track down the scripts so make some good suggestions and put me through my paces. You may never have your own personal script-seeking flunky again, so make the most of this opportunity.

Scent of a Woman Donnie Brasco The Godfather

Here's a list of the (PDF) scripts I've found so far (just a list, not links, or else this comment will get jammed in the moderation queue; I'll send our full list with script links on to Scott later by email), pulled from reader suggestions, Scott's link to the WGA list, and lists of the Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar winners: ALL ABOUT EVE Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward APOCALYPSE NOW Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx. CASABLANCA Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison CHINATOWN Written by Robert Towne CITIZEN KANE Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles CRASH By Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco DEAD POETS SOCIETY Written by Tom Schulman. DOUBLE INDEMNITY Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain FARGO Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen THE GODFATHER Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo THE GODFATHER II Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather" GOODFELLAS Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book "Wise Guy" by Nicholas Pileggi THE HURT LOCKER by Mark Boal. THE KING'S SPEECH By David Seidler L.A. CONFIDENTIAL Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence MILK By Dustin Lance Black. MIDNIGHT COWBOY Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy NETWORK Written by Paddy Chayefsky RAGING BULL Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage SCHINDLER'S LIST Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King TAXI DRIVER Written by Paul Schrader UNFORGIVEN Written by David Webb Peoples THE USUAL SUSPECTS Written by Christopher McQuarrie THE VERDICT Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed WITNESS Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace (I'm packing it in for tonight but I'll pick up the Oscar lists again tomorrow. Consider it covered.) . . . I am eyeballing all of these lists late at night; someone else may feel these films fit better in a different category. That's fine with me! Go ahead and say which genre you think a film should go in. Everyone is welcome to check these lists and try to find more PDF scripts with my blessing. I'd love it if other people could come up with more quality script links. Nayan and Ned, I've tried to find links for the scripts you suggested and I haven't found PDFs for many of them--I apologize. If you want to give it a shot yourselves, please share any good links you can find. I hope you have better luck than I have.

I found this Scent of a Woman http://screenplayexplorer.com/wp-content/scripts/Scent-of-a-Woman.pdf The Godfather http://screenplayexplorer.com/wp-content/scripts/The-Godfather.pdf Donnie Brasco http://www.weeklyscript.com/Donnie%20Brasco.txt

Wonderful! Thank you very much, Nayan.

I've taken the suggestions from this thread, and rounded them out with any scripts I could find for Oscar and Genie nominated or winning drama scripts in PDF form, plus a handful of other strong dramas where a PDF script is available online. As usual, what follows is a plain text list, and I've sent the full list with script links on to Scott. A DRY WHITE SEASON - script Screenplay by Colin Welland and Euzhan Palcy. Based on the novel by Andre Brink. ALL ABOUT EVE - script Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on “The Wisdom of Eve,” a short story and radio play by Mary Orr ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN - script Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER - script Screenplay by Delmer Daves, Donald Ogden Stewart (originally uncredited) and Leo McCarey. Based on a story by Leon McCarey and Mildred Cram. APOCALYPSE NOW - script Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr AWAY FROM HER – script Screenplay by Sarah Polley. Based on a story by Alice Munro. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - script Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx. CASABLANCA - script Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. CAPOTE - script Screenplay by Dan Futterman. Based on the book by Gerald Clark. CHINATOWN - script Written by Robert Towne CITIZEN KANE - script Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles CRASH - script By Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco THE CRYING GAME – script By Neil Jordan DEAD POETS SOCIETY - script Written by Tom Schulman. THE DEPARTED - script By William Monahan. Based on the 2002 screenplay “Mou gaan dou” by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. DOUBLE INDEMNITY - script Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain EASTERN PROMISES – script By Stephen Knight. FARGO - script Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen FROM HERE TO ETERNITY - script Screenplay by Daniel Taradash. Based on the novel by James Jones. THE GODFATHER - script Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo THE GODFATHER II - script Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather” GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK - script Screenplay by George Clooney and Grant Heslov GOODFELLAS - script Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese. Based on book “Wise Guy” by Nicholas Pileggi HOTEL RWANDA – script Screenplay by Keir Pearson and Terry George THE HURT LOCKER - script by Mark Boal. THE KING’S SPEECH - script By David Seidler L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - script Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - script Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence THE MALTESE FALCON – script Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett MIDNIGHT COWBOY - script Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy MIDNIGHT EXPRESS – script Screenplay by Oliver Stone. Based on the book by William Hayes and William Hoffer MILK - script By Dustin Lance Black. NETWORK - script Written by Paddy Chayefsky PRECIOUS - script Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher. Based on the novel by Precious. RAGING BULL - script Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage REAR WINDOW – script Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich SCENT OF A WOMAN - script Screenplay by Bo Goldman. Based on the novel "Il Buio E Il Miele" by Giovanni Arpino. SCHINDLER’S LIST - script Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - script Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy. Based on a novel by Vikas Swarup THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - script Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King THE SOCIAL NETWORK – script Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Based on a novel by Ben Mezrich. SYRIANA – script Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan. Based on a novel by Robert Baer. TAXI DRIVER - script Written by Paul Schrader UNFORGIVEN - script Written by David Webb Peoples THE USUAL SUSPECTS - script Written by Christopher McQuarrie THE VERDICT - script Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed WITNESS - script Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace

Ned and Nayan (and anyone coming late to this thread), please make sure you come and cast your votes for the top 10 scripts, and the top 10 films, at the Drama voting thread.