Phew. Various crises (computer issues, sick kid, sick dad) have now been averted, and regular life can continue! Regular life for me includes going to the movies at least once a month. I think going to the movies regularly is as important for a writer as reading regularly. Yeah, that’s my line and I’m sticking to it. No, seriously, movies can teach you a whole lot about writing. Here are just a few things I’ve learned from movies I’ve seen over the past few months:
A Single Man: Write what you know. Apparently Tom Ford read Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 book of the same name as a young man and was deeply affected by it. When he decided to make a movie after working as a fashion designer for many years, he chose to adapt the book he connected to on an obviously very personal level. The love and passion he has for the material shines through. (And the costumes and sets aren’t bad, either!)
Avatar: Go the extra mile. Creating a whole new film technology and a real, working language was crazy expensive, but James Cameron’s efforts paid off in droves.
Up in the Air: Be true to your own style. Writer/Director/Producer Jason Reitman has said in an interview that he would have made the worst Ghostbusters (directed and produced by his father, Ivan Reitman) ever–all the characters would have been sitting around *talking* about ghosts! While he has deep respect for his father’s ability to entertain, the younger Reitman continues to make talky movies about morals in his own inimitable style, and hits home runs every time.
Sherlock Holmes: Don’t mess around too much with classic genre stuff. (I missed my gentlemanly, erudite Holmes!)
The Hurt Locker: Don’t be constrained by so-called rules. You’ll be hard-pressed to find evidence of a three-act structure or turning points in this one. It’s completely episodic and makes no apologies for being so. The movie is a faux-documentary about a bomb squad’s 30-day tour in Iraq. The ‘plot’ comes from wondering whether the squad will live through it. Period.
And then there’s the movie that just came out that sparked an idea–well, gave me the final piece in the puzzle of an idea I had long been thinking about. Stay tuned for details…!
