[…] I’d also ask you to think about why the dialogue is notable. Is there anything about the dialogue which provides …read more […]

SHATTERED GLASS Written and Directed by Billy Ray ----- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amd6hjScF58 ----- STEPHEN: How about the commas in dates? Are we supposed to circle those too? CAITLIN: Let's just get this done, okay? MICHAEL: What the hell is this? CAITLIN: Marty told us to circle all the commas in the last issue, so he could show us how we used them improperly. MICHAEL: What? ROB: He said commas should always appear in pairs. Apparently the issue was rife with comma errors. MICHAEL: "Rife"? ROB: That's what he said. MICHAEL: I see. MICHAEL (through door): No, I'm not angry, Marty. I'm embarrassed for you. These people work grueling hours for meager pay. They deserve a thank you, not another one of your world-famous tantrums. Yeah, okay, I'd resign before I'd let you bully them like that again. And I will. Do you understand that? Okay. Thank you. MICHAEL (stepping out of office): The "Great Comma Debate" is history, so we can all go back to work. ----- Hank Azaria's Michael Kelly has just a handful of scenes, but everything he says (and does) helps build his character into an almost mythic entity. Since the film is mostly told in flashbacks (with an unreliable narrator), you can questions how much of Kelly's defense of his staff is grounded in reality, but whether if what he said on the phone is true or exaggeration, the point that this man was a great boss (as well as a great journalist) in Stephen Glass's eyes is never in doubt.

Barton Fink (1991) Written and Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Actually two related scenes.... http://www.anyclip.com/movies/barton-fink/barton-meets-lipnick/#!quotes/ Jack Lipnick Is that him? Is that Barton Fink? Let me at him. Let me put my arms around this guy. Let me hug this guy. How the hell are ya? Good trip? My name's Jack Lipnick. You know that. You read the papers. Lou treating you all right? What's the matter with your face? What's the matter with his face, Lou? Barton Fink It's not so bad. A mosquito in my room. Jack Lipnick Where'd we put him? Barton Fink I'm at the Earle. Jack Lipnick Never heard of it. Let's move him. Stay at my place. Barton Fink I wanted a place a little less... Jack Lipnick Less Hollywood. Say it. It's not a dirty word. Say whatever you want. The writer is king at Capitol Pictures. Look at your paycheck. That's what we think of writers. So, what kind of pictures does he like? Lou Breeze Mr. Fink hasn't given a preference, Mr. Lipnick. Jack Lipnick So, how about it, Bart? Barton Fink Well, uh, to be honest, I don't go to the pictures much. Jack Lipnick That's okay. You probably walked in here thinking that was going to be a handicap, thinking we wanted people who knew something about the medium, thinking there's technical mumbo jumbo to learn. You were dead wrong. There's only one thing... Can you tell a story? Can you make us laugh, make us cry, make us want to break out in song? That more than one thing? I run this dump, and I don't know technical mumbo jumbo. Why do I run it? 'Cause I got horse sense, showmanship! And also I'm bigger and meaner and louder than any other kike in this town. I don't mean my dick's bigger than yours. It's not a sexual thing. Coffee? Barton Fink Yes, thank you. Jack Lipnick Lou! http://www.anyclip.com/movies/barton-fink/lipnick-hates-the-script-part-2/#!quotes/ Jack Lipnick Blood, Sweat, and Canvas These are big movies, Fink, about big men. In tights! Both physically and mentally... especially physically. We don't put Wally Beery in a fruity movie about suffering. I thought we were together on that. Barton Fink I'm sorry if I let you down. Jack Lipnick You didn't let me down or even Lou. We don't live or die by what you scribble. You let Ben Geisler down. He liked you, trusted you. That's why he's gone. He's fired. That man had a big heart. You fucked him. He tried to convince me to fire you, too, but that'd be too easy. You're under contract. You'll stay that way. Anything you write is property of Capitol Pictures. Capitol Pictures won't produce anything you write... not until you grow up a little. You ain't no writer, Fink. You're a goddamn write-off. Barton Fink I... I tried to show you... something beautiful. Something about all of us. I... Jack Lipnick You arrogant son of a bitch. You think you're the only writer that can give me that Barton Fink feeling? I got 20 writers under contract I can ask for a Fink-type thing from! You swell-headed hypocrite. You don't get it. You think the whole world revolves around whatever rattles inside that little kike head of yours. Get him out of my sight, Lou! I want him in town, though. He's still under contract. I want you in town and out of my sight. Now, get lost. There's a war on. Trivia: The first film to win all three major awards (Palme D'or, Best Director, and Best Actor) at the Cannes Film Festival. Also, it was unanimously chosen for the Palme D'or. The character of W.P. Mayhew is based on William Faulkner, whose first Hollywood contract was to write Flesh (1932), a wrestling movie for Wallace Beery.

Ghost World (2001) Written by Daniel Clowes, Terry Zwigoff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL3RO1_8KgQ MANAGER I'm gonna let you handle the four thirty crowd by yourself - that way I can evaluate your performance while it's slow and ease you into the bigger crowds. ENID You can count on me, sir! LOSER Do you serve beer or any alcohol? ENID I wish!... actually you wish... after about five minutes of this movie you'll wish to God you had about ten beers! MANAGER What are you doing? You don't ever criticize the feature! ENID Why? What difference does it make? You already got his money... MANAGER Look, that's the policy... if you want to make up your own rules open up your own theater... CUSTOMER Let me have lots of butter on that. ENID Ewww!... Here you go -- smothered in delicious yellow-chemical sludge! MANAGER What the hell is wrong with you?! ENID What? I'm just joking around with the customers... It's my shtick! MANAGER Well lose it! And why aren't you pushing the large sizes? Didn't you get training about upsizing? ENID But I feel weird... it's pretty sleazy. MANAGER It's not optional! ENID Jesus... CUSTOMER #2 Can I get a medium 7-UP? ENID A medium sprite? Why sir, do you not know that for a mere twenty five cents more you could purchase a large beverage? And you know ... I'm only telling you this because we're such good friends -- Medium is strictly for suckers who don't understand the concept of value! Trivia: The character of Seymour appears only as the victim of the girls' prank in the comic and was made significant at Terry Zwigoff's suggestion. Another change includes Rebecca having a rather diminished role compared to her role in the comic, which gave a more balanced amount of attention to both girls.

Comments: The scene shows Enid's sarcastic personality and her problems with authority in a funny way. There's also some subtext - she wants to be fired. Takeaway: show, don't tell. And do it in a scene you can naturally insert into your storyline.

These ’themes’ are a terrific idea, Scott! Thank you for these opportunities. Here’s one that I could not resist. As often happens, it contains dialogue & scenes slightly different from the final Film ‘Print’, but very close overall when following the film, screenplay in hand. Regardless, a classic and one of my favorite films of all time. Excerpt from COOL HAND LUKE (1967) EXT. ROAD The Bull Gang is working at the bottom of a high embankment and the guards stand on the road high above their heads, looking down, shotguns out now, alert. The men work away at a rackety pace. EXT. GODFREY'S EYES (DAY) as he turns at the SOUND of a distant motor approaching and the image of a car coming closer enlarges in his glasses. EXT. ROAD The car pulls up beside the guards and the door opens. The Captain steps up to the road edge and looks down. He says something to Boss Paul. BOSS PAUL Awright, hold it! The men stop working, puzzled, looking up. Then from the car a guard escorts Luke to the edge of the pavement. Luke grins down at the men sheepishly. His prison uniform is filthy and torn, his hands are cuffed behind his back, his face is dirty and stubbled. EXT. ROAD PAN REACTIONS OF MEN They are stunned, saddened. ANGLE ON LUKE, CAPTAIN, GUARDS Behind Luke are Godfrey, Paul, Bosses Six and Seven and the Captain. Kean and Shorty flank the gang. The guns are held leveled at the men. One guard un-cuffs Luke's hands; others produce a sledge hammer, ball peen hammer and a set of leg irons from the Captain's car. Two guards kneel before Luke and begin hammering on the irons. Silence except for the HAMMERING AND CLINKING. Luke is silhouetted, a tall, straight figure on the low horizon. The Captain looks directly ahead. CAPTAIN (to Luke) You gonna get used to wearing tthem chains after a while, Luke. But don't you never stop listenin' to them clinkin'. That's gonna remind you of what I been sayin'. LUKE Yeah, they sure do make a lot of cold, hard, noise, Captain. The Captain feeds his fury staring, then reaches out his hand and Boss Paul lays the blackjack in it. As the chain guards finish and stand up, trembling with rage, the Captain takes a convulsive step forward and brings the sap down behind Luke's ear. As Luke tumbles down the littered embankment toward the men: CAPTAIN Don't you never talk that way to me! You hear? You hear? Never! His rage subsides and his voice becomes calm, reasonable. CAPTAIN (to the men) What we got here is a failure to communicate. Some men you can't reach, that is they just don't listen when you talk reasonable so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well he gets it, and I don't like it any better than you men. Nodding curtly, the Captain gets back in his car. Someone throws a shovel down the embankment. It CLATTERS until it lands beside Luke. Dragline and the others are by his side, helping him to his feet. Above Godfrey stares down at them. ... (Later) LUKE and the other men are off the Road and now back at the Prison. ... THEIR P.O.V. BOSS PAUL AND BOSS KEAN BOSS PAUL Luke! Kean steps forward, draws a long line in the dirt of the yard, barring the path, moves three feet back and draws a parallel line. BOSS PAUL Boss Kean say that's his ditch. I tol' him that their dirt is yore dirt. What's yore dirt doin' in his ditch? Luke looks up at them blindly. LUKE (weakly) I don't know, Boss. Boss Paul canes him and the other prisoners scatter. Boss Kean throws a shovel at Luke's feet. BOSS PAUL You git yore dirt outa his ditch, boy! Luke takes up the shovel and starts to dig. BOSS PAUL Roll! I wanna see you roll it! He canes Luke across the back, Luke digs. ANGLE ON BARRACKS It is later. The men sit on the stoop, the usual Saturday activities. ANGLE ON LUKE He is hidden up to his waist in the trench he has dug, about three feet deep and wide and as long as the lines Kean drew. ANGLE ON MEN watching. ANGLE ON BOSS SHORTY walking along briskly, feigns surprise at seeing what Luke is doing. He stops. TWO SHOT BOSS SHORTY AND LUKE BOSS SHORTY Luke, what you think you doin'? LUKE (not stopping) Diggin' my dirt outa Boss Kean's ditch, Boss. Shorty is carrying a hoe handle with which he hits Luke on the head. Luke slumps to the ground. BOSS SHORTY Be damned iff'n you gonna put your dirt in mah yard. You hear me? LUKE (getting to his feet) Yes, Boss. BOSS SHORTY Then git it out there. Roll it, heah? Luke begins slowly shoveling the dirt back into the ditch. Boss Shorty nods with satisfaction and walks away. ANGLE ON LUKE (LATE AFTERNOON) The dirt is almost all back in the ditch. A shadow falls on the dirt beside Luke. A walking stick falls across his buttocks and he staggers to his knees. BOSS PAUL'S VOICE Ah done told you to get yore dirt outa Boss Kean's ditch, didn't ah? LUKE (getting to his feet) Yes, Boss. BOSS PAUL Then how come it ain't done yet? LUKE I don't know, Boss. BOSS PAUL You don't know! He canes Luke on the back of the legs. Luke falls and rolls over and Paul canes him across the head. Luke gets up on all fours and makes a rush right at Boss Paul. He is so weak and uncoordinated that the attack does nothing but smear blood and dirt over Paul's uniform. The guards beat Luke away and he falls on his back in the soft dirt. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The men are restless, their efforts to ignore what's happening are futile. Dragline gets up and looks out the window into the yard. Koko leans over beside him. He holds the picture. DRAGLINE'S P.O.V. Luke under the lights, working again, slowly, dumps a shovel full of dirt and hasn't the strength to move the shovel. Momentarily, he stops moving and is hit. We HEAR the thud and the groan he gives. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) Dragline goes back to his bunk. We HEAR another thud and a cry from outside. Dragline begins to WHISTLE. Koko begins to chink his chains. OnionHead and Dynamite join in with their chains. Other prisoners rhythmically beat on bunk posts. Only Society Red does not join in. EXT. YARD (NIGHT) Luke works. From inside we HEAR the music from the prisoners. Boss Paul and Boss Kean appear. BOSS PAUL What's all this dirt in the yard? LUKE I... I... I... He can't talk. Paul hits him and he falls again on the dirt. Paul hits him again. LUKE Please! Please! BOSS PAUL Git to work! LUKE Don't hit me! Please, for God's sake, don't hit me. BOSS KEAN What was that? What was that name you said, Luke? LUKE God. I pray to God you won't hit me. (he grovels in the dirt before them, tears streaming down his cheeks) I'll do whatever you say, but I can't take no more. Please. TWO SHOT PAUL AND KEAN A trace of smiles. BOSS PAUL (kindly) You got your mind right, Luke? CLOSE ON LUKE LUKE Yes, Boss. I got it right. ON KEAN AND PAUL BOSS PAUL Supposin' you was to backslide on us, Luke? Supposin' you was to backs-ass or try to run again... LUKE No, Boss! I won't. I won't. I got my mind right. I got it right, Boss. Please don't hit me no more. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) The music has stopped, the men listening . ON KOKO His face tightens into an expression of contempt, hatred. He grabs the picture (Luke & two ladies) on the bunk beside him and violently tears it in half. EXT. YARD LUKE, BOSSES PAUL AND KEAN (NIGHT) BOSS PAUL (kind and reasonable) Luke, you run again and we'll kill you. LUKE I know, I know. Just don't hit me. The Captain steps in -- out of the dark. He has been watching from his porch. CAPTAIN Okay, son. Go get shaved and cleaned up and get you some sleep. I reckon you need it. Luke slowly struggles to his feet and begins painfully stumbling toward the barracks. INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT) As the chute opens and Luke staggers inside and the door is slammed behind him. LUKE I got my mind right. I got it right. He stumbles toward his bunk, passing Tattoo and Alibi who turn away embarrassed. LUKE I got my mind right. Others like Dragline and Koko stare straight ahead, not seeing him; Society Red has his back turned; Dynamite, Blind Dick, Loudmouth Steve meet his gaze contemptuously. LUKE (collapsing on his bunk) Where are you now? I got my mind right. You hear me? I got it right! Silence.