Best description of dialogue, ever : )

One of the eight Core screenwriting principles I teach is Dialogue = Purpose. Maybe a writer has some wiggle room in a novel, but there is next to zero in a screenplay [apart from, perhaps, a line that exists solely because it's damn entertaining]. Each line of dialogue has a purpose. It's a great way to edit, looking at your sides through that lens. Much easier to 'kill your darlings' if the lines don't have any point or contribute to the narrative.

I think one has to be a little careful here. Granted, when it comes to shooting, talking across each other and not finishing sentences etc are a must, if you want to avoid things being overly-theatrical. But in terms of reading a script, it can become really tiresome. Use interruptions and unfinished sentences to make a dramatic point - doubt, impetuousness, anger etc etc. Spending too long trying to mimic naturalistic speech can end up getting in the way of story, IMHO.

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[...] Grammar Nazis will have to plug their ears for this one. Real language is full half developed sentences that just get… well… you know… interrupted. “Bad movie dialogue speaks in complete sentences without any overlapping or interruption, and avoi... [...]

You can read the entire PTA interview here: http://cinephilearchive.tumblr.com/post/36159278998