I have not seen Barney's Version, but I've added it to my To See list after reviewing the script. It's one of those adult dramas populated by deeply flawed characters, most notably the Protagonist Barney. He is incorrigible, making awful life-choices over and over again. And yet, like a trainwreck, I found it hard to look away, wanting to see what mess Barney would get into next. A Protagonist doesn't have to be likeable or even sympathetic, although that is pretty much the line of least resistance in Hollywood development circles, but they DO have to be compelling. Barney, as a kind of anti-hero, got and kept my attention. The other primary characters were interesting and in some ways, we know more about what's at their core than Barney. Even by the end, he is somewhat of a mystery. Why is he the way he is? What is missing inside his psyche that so profoundly causes him either to routinely dull his senses through excessive drinking or try to find acceptance and whatever he thinks 'love' might be in the arms of - yet - another woman. Finally, the script demonstrates the significant challenges confronting a screenwriter attempting to adapt a novel. The book, clocking in at 400+ pages, represents a LOT of material, which shows in that the script is 130 pages. My guess is the filmmakers used flashbacks as a way of trimming some of the excess narrative material and focusing on essential content. Not my favorite script, but worth the read. How about you? Reactions to Barney's Version?

Great exercise! I like Paul Giamatti, and this role seems a perfect fit, so I might watch it. But. As a reader, the Barney/Blair/Boogie, plus Clare/Cedric/Chaim/Caroline, added to Irv/Izzy and Miriam/Michael, all make me cringe. I'll have to see it, I guess, to see if the flashbacks work.