WOODY ALLEN: The Documentary
A lesson in Being Prolific
by Janet Lawler
November 28, 2011

I grew up watching Woody Allen movies all my life.

Back as a teen, I didn't quite get Woody's intellectual wit when I was watching "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" for the first time, but oh, how I wanted to walk around Woody's black and white New York... and sip wine with his movie characters who seemed to know so much about film, art and this magnificent city.

He presented New York City in the best light for the times.  It was far from the reality that most of us had growing up on city streets, but yet we knew there was an Upper West Side and Upper East Side that was within our reach.

I would dream about some day siting by the 59th Street Bridge with the person I loved... with New York illuminated in the foreground.  I did just that -- only sitting on a bench on Roosevelt Island -- looking back at the Manhattan skyline, which was a dream come true.

According to the PBS documentary Woody Allen: The Documentary, Woody had to put a bench by the 59th Street Bridge for that stunning scene in "Manhattan".  There were no benches there.  And although he knew it was a great shot, he never imagined it would become so iconic.

I found this two-part documentary absolutely fascinating.  PBS gets a donation just for this program alone.  It's filled with gems for the creative person or movie lover.

We think of Woody Allen as closed-off, reclusive, and aloof.  He is shy, but in this documentary, he opens up freely, especially about his creative process.  He is a writer.  It's his roots.  Directing came much later.

He takes us into his apartment in New York... to where he writes... He writes all his screenplays at a simple desk in the corner of the room.  He writes them on a manual Olympia typewriter.  It's the same typewriter he has used since his teens when he wrote jokes for other comedians back in the 50s and 60s.  No computers.

Woody Allen has a work ethic like you can't believe which is why he comes out with a new movie practically every year, including movies such as:  Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death; Annie Hall, Manhattan, Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, Purple Rose of Cairo, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands & Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, and Mighty Aphrodite; and his recent globetrotting phase with Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and this year’s box office smash Midnight in Paris.

His writing gets better and better.   So do his movies.


When he finishes one script and the movie, he starts another script the very next day.  There is no down time.  He works year round -- either writing, shooting, editing or thinking.  He shows us a box of "ideas" in his room... with napkins, scribbled papers... containing possible new movie ideas.  Each time he gets ready to start a new project... he rummages through his idea box... and thinks if the idea is worth pursuing as a movie.

As passionate as Woody Allen is about writing and directing (movies in general), he also loves music.  He plays the Clarinette. He plays in New York every Monday night.  When the Academy Awards used to be held on Monday nights, he always missed attending because his band played New Orleans Jazz at Manhattan's Carlyle on Mondays.  (He also adds that he isn't thrilled with awards -- unless it's for track -- where there is a clear winner.  Otherwise, there is no clear winner for the Oscars.)

Seriously?  Miss the Oscars to play your clarinette on a Monday night?  Yes, if you're Woody Allen -- being disciplined at the writer's desk or in his band are the same.

I find Woody's recent movies some of my favorites.  I loved Midnight in Paris with its whimsy and Paris charm.  I also was riveted watching Match Point when a husband decides to kill his wife and take his chances at getting caught.  Woody Allen hits and misses sometimes on the big screen, but at least he aims -- and works year in and year out to bring us something unique.

I have a long list of New York directors that I admire... Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Sidney Lumet, Sydney Pollack, Edward Burns... but Woody Allen somehow captures New York (and now Europe) in a glow that no others do. 

I still want to grow up and live in a Woody Allen New York movie and on occasion I do.  One time walking home from work around 10PM on Central Park South, I saw a movie crew.  I almost fainted when I realized it was a Woody Allen movie being shot... right outside the Essex Hotel... there was Woody Allen on the street directing.  And in this scene, Melanie Griffith drives up to the hotel and runs inside.  Action... cut.  It's one of my favorite all-time New York moments.  And this year, during the Hurricane Irene storm, my job put me up in a hotel for the night... at the Essex Hotel.  Dreams come true on their own timeline.  Now, if only I could sit on a park bench in Paris and write a great novel and...

... Woody Allen movies makes all those dreams possible on screen.

You can watch the complete two-part documentary at PBS website American Masters.  Here is the link:  http://watch.thirteen.org/program/american-masters

Until next time. 

Author: Barbara Forte Abate

An Interview with a Debut Novelist About Social Media and Words
by Janet Lawler
October 10, 2011

Okay, full disclosure here, Barbara Forte Abate is my longest and dearest friend on this planet.

We met in Study Hall when we were both only 13. Barbara asked to borrow a movie magazine that I was reading (hey, isn't that what Study Hall is for??) and we became instant buddies. She was a country girl and I was a city girl.  We both loved books, movies, TV Shows, celebrities and writing! From an early age, we each shared a passion for writing -- I for screenwriting/playwriting and Barbara for literature.

For over 35 years now (yeah, I know, we're old), we've shared rejection letters, ups and downs in life, family moments and just being there for each other when the other gets discouraged. Barbara was recently Best Gal at my wedding this summer. Her first born, Laurel, is my godchild. So, now you see just how important Barbara is in my life. She's truly my sister-friend.

We often note that writing kept us out of trouble in high school. While our peers were listening to Stairway to Heaven and partying in someone's garage, Barbara would come over my house and help me type up my latest script before I sent it to Hollywood. This was way before computers, folks, I'm talking typewriter and carbon paper.  Damn, we are old.  We were total writer geeks... and remain so to this very day.

Recently, Barbara published her debut novel The Secret of Lies. It's available on Amazon and in e-book format. I couldn't be happier for Barbara's success and for seeing one of her dreams come true. I know how hard she's worked. Writing isn't easy. She's also happily married and raised four wonderful children. She's not only my BFF, but she's an amazing woman and gifted writer. I thought her journey into publishing and social media might be helpful to other writers. Let's jump right into the Q and A.

Barbara, congratulations on your book.  How long did it take you to write The Secret of Lies?

Writing this book was pretty much a twenty year learning experience—give or take a few days! I didn’t know it when I started out, but I had a lot to learn. Trial, error, piles of rejection letters, weeping and gnashing of teeth, and yet all essential for a girl who mostly daydreamed through English class. The end result is a book I’m not ashamed to have my name on or to see on my mother’s coffee table.

I have a signed copy on my book shelf at home too!  What is your writing process like on an average writing day?

In my dream world I imagine how productive I would be if I were living in a cabin in the woods with no communication to the outside world. In real life, my days are a never-ending road race so I grab what I can at any hour of the day or night that offers some promise of quiet. I am one of those unfortunate writers who can only think in near absolute quiet, and I don’t have to tell you that the world is rarely set on mute. On top of that I’m a slow writer. It’s not unusual for me to spend hours perfecting a paragraph only to find it’s still lousy when I look at it again a day later.

 

You're so plugged into social networking, blogging and digital marketing for The Secret of Lies. Can you talk about how you immersed yourself in this new world for most writers? How time consuming is it, posting to your web site, blogging, doing podcasts?  

That’s a quandary I’m still trying to work out in a way that feels balanced and right. It’s wild to think that social networking is still so new to many of us. There are so many offerings it’s almost too much. I was and am something of a media ignoramus/techno dinosaur so finding a starting point involved my not so brilliant idea of just jumping into the deep end and seeing what happened. What happened, and quickly, was that I nearly drowned. Not only is social networking a very intricate network under the covers, it’s intimidating, time consuming, constantly changing, and insatiably hungry. And then of course wonderful once you get yourself settled in. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that “Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you should be.” Not all media offerings are a good fit, but I haven’t always recognized that until I’ve taken a test drive and seen for myself. There’s a lot of advice circulating about the importance of “Building your Tribe” and “Branding Yourself,” all of which translates as putting in the time and effort to get it right. Putting yourself out there, yes, but not promoting to the point of obnoxiousness. It’s about growing relationships not annoying everyone across cyberspace. On the other hand, unless you happen to be Stephen King or JK Rowling, you HAVE to promote. I think promotion can be a very tricky and fickle beast for anyone, let alone someone like me who loathes the idea of pushing My Book, My Book, My Book, at every click of the mouse. As a debut, non-brand name author, I do understand that no one other than friends and relatives are likely to find my book without promotion, yet I’ve been on the receiving end of those authors who promote with every breath and it’s largely obnoxious. It’s my experience that social networking, promotion, and the like require both patience and sincerity. Things rarely happen overnight and relationships take time to develop. That’s why it’s so important to carve out networking time every single day—now until the end of time—since that’s’ how long your book should be available. I admit that I tend to treat social networking as something of a buffet, trying a little of this and that to determine what most appeals before piling it onto my plate. I make it a habit to visit new blogs and check out interesting links on twitter and fb. There’s just so much great content out there. So much in fact, it can be a dangerous temptation, especially on those days when you’re staring at your own blank screen because your thoughts are hiding behind the clouds and your writing is trickling rather than flowing. You wander off to Twitter or FB and before you know it you’ve left a string of posts from here to eternity, but done no actual writing on your lonely work-in-progress.

What advice can you give a writer about to launch a book online or through independent publishing?

For starters I wish I’d known how important it is to start building buzz for your book as far in advance as possible. I’ve heard 2-3 years is ideal. Can you imagine? I certainly didn’t! Putting together a website with sample chapters, sharing your experience on your blog, maybe a book trailer to let readers know what’s coming. And definitely, absolutely, visit other blogs and websites and leave comments. (Caution—this doesn’t mean promoting yourself or your book. That’s what your blog and website are for.). When you’re consistent in sharing your thoughts and offering suggestions, opinions, or information, you’re also introducing yourself to the world at large and that’s a good thing for when your book comes out. If you have an ARC or PDF copy of your book available it’s also an excellent plan to approach reviewers. There are loads of reviewer blogs, podcasts, and websites devoted to book reviews. A word about reviews, they are invaluable, and not only important in the early life of your book, but something you should pursue for the entire life of your book. (Nee, forever!) It’s essential to remember that there are a bajillion books being published every year and if you hope to keep yours from taking a nosedive into the horror of obscurity you need to keep breathing life into it. Reviews can help do that.

Are you selling books more off the shelf or digitally?

Although my book is available on the shelf locally, (Alas, Borders in particular was very supportive), it’s online sales that have brought home the bacon. And absolutely, the eBook version of The Secret of Lies has kicked sales up a few notches. No question we’re all loving our digital books like crazy.

What inspires you to write?

Words words, beautiful words. Honestly, but I have wild love for the power of words. Things of life inspire me enormously—people, emotions, strength of the human spirit, a certain expression, a beautiful phrase—so often it’s the tiniest seed that becomes a story spanning hundreds of pages. I’m very partial to hands. They say so much about a person and an interesting set—hardworking, lived-in, honest—can start an entire plot ticking in my mind.

What's next on your plate? Any new projects in the works?

I’m hoping to get through the final edit (Ha,final? As if!) of my novel in progress in the next couple of months. But I use the word hope loosely. Having a book out on the shelf, while thrilling, does change the dynamic of writing habits I’ve cultivated over the past twenty years, for the fact that marketing doesn’t ever end. And selling books and writing books, on most days, feels something like a horse trying to run in two separate directions at the same time.

Thanks, Barbara! I know your inside tips will help many writers out there.  Good luck with your new book. See you and the family soon for Halloween!!

Note to Bloggers, you can order Barbara's book through Amazon.com or visit her website at:
http://barbaraforteabate.com/Buy_the_Book.html
Barbara is also on Facebook.  

Emilio Estevez Works As Quietly... As His Younger Brother Charlie Sheen Lives Loud

by Janet Lawler
October 1, 2011

Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen

We all know Charlie Sheen. We know Charlie for his tiger blood, winning days and losing ones of late. Charlie made Wall Street and Platoon. He also made the hit TV show Two and a Half Men and was paid more than any working actor on TV... until he imploded in the media.

Emilio Estevez, his big brother, and the eldest child of actor Martin Sheen, has also had success in movies. Emilio starred in Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Young Guns and The Mighty Ducks. He's written and directed movies as well -- like Bobby -- and don't forget he was part of the Brat Pack and dated Demi Moore, long before Ashton came along. (Wow, the Sheen family must really love this guy for always picking up where they leave off.)

Emilio, writer and director The Way (2011)

Nowadays, Emilio seems to have found his passion on the page and behind the camera. His days are busy writing and directing movies. On October 7th, his new movie The Way opens nationwide. His dad stars in it. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the journey.


Maybe you've heard about this new movie -- but, chances are you haven't. Emilio doesn't make splashy headlines like his brother. He's not big on the metaphors and soundbites. He doesn't seem to be on the same wild guy journey as Charlie, but he still wants to reach an audience. His audience. Emilio's ways are lower key.

Martin Sheen in The Way

I'll go The Way when it comes out next week. It looks like a beautiful movie about a father reconnecting with his dead son, filmed in France and Spain. I love Martin Sheen. He's not only a great actor, but a good Catholic always championing for the poor, an activist, an Irish lad (and Spanish), and has made some helluva movies Apocalypse Now and the TV show West Wing.

Brothers Emilio and Charlie with dad Martin

This is a talented family with lots to say, on camera and off. Emilio's voice, however, is not his brother's nor his father's. It's his own. He's got his own style and journey to share on screen. Sometimes it's the quiet ones in the family who have the most to say.
Until next time.

TV Just Keeps Getting Better
by Janet Lawler

How fun were The Emmys on Sunday night?  Jane Lynch did a great job.  I loved it when she said she was on "finger shooting terms" with Jon Hamm from Mad Men (gosh, that man gets better looking every year!) and Jane's nod to director Martin Scorsese in the audience.   Lucky Jane.

One very funny family

Modern Family won for best comedy series.  Every cast member delivers on that show.  Julie Bowen and Ty Burrel are terrific together.  Hats off to the writers for creating such amazing characters living out ordinary, yet hysterical, situations on Modern Family.

Mildred Pierce

Kate Winslet won for Mildred Pierce.  Yay!  I loved the original starring Joan Crawford and worried when HBO was producing this remake of Mildred and Veda, until learning Kate Winslet would play Mildred.  She's brilliant.

The Miniseries

I streamed the entire The Kennedys miniseries on Netflix and found it well done, even besides the bad press and Kennedy family giving it a thumbs down.  (I'm a Kennedy geek.  Anything Kennedy and I'm hooked. I can't wait to read Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.)  Barry Pepper won an Emmy for his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys.  He doesn't resemble RFK in looks at all, but he steals the miniseries with his multidimensional performance as the brash yet sensitive attorney general. 

TV comedies and dramas just keep pulling us in and keeping us home.  Television writing is sharp and as top notch, actually better, than any you'll find in a feature films.  Movies lack the character depth and dialogue found on television today -- shows like Mad Men, The Good Wife, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights don't disappoint.

Cheers to Julianna Margulies who won for The Good Wife and Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights. 

I'm off to set the DVR in anticipation of the new fall season.  I love this time of year.

Here is a recap of winners at Sunday's 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

— Drama Series: "Mad Men," AMC.
— Actress, Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife," CBS.
— Actor, Drama Series: Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights," DirecTV/NBC.
— Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones," HBO.
— Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Margo Martindale, "Justified," FX.
— Writing, Drama Series: Jason Katims, "Friday Night Lights," NBC.
— Directing, Drama Series: Martin Scorsese, "Boardwalk Empire," HBO.
— Comedy Series: "Modern Family," ABC.
— Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory," CBS.
— Actress, Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, "Mike & Molly," CBS.
— Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Writing, Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Directing, Comedy Series: Michael Spiller, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Miniseries or Movie: "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce," HBO.
— Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Barry Pepper, "The Kennedys," ReelzChannel.
— Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce," HBO.
— Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Brian Percival, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Julian Fellowes, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Reality-Competition Program: "The Amazing Race," CBS.
— Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central.
— Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Don Roy King, "Saturday Night Live," NBC.
— Writing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central.

Congratulations to all! 

Oprah-isms to Lift My Weary NY Spirits

by Janet Lawler
New York 
September 12, 2011 

Oprah Winfrey

It's been a crazy few months here in New York.  We survived an earthquake, a hurricane, floods, a terrorist threat and the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted.  Emotionally and physically.

We need to lighten things up around here.   So I'm turning to some O.  No, not O for optimism this time.  O for Oprah.

That's right.  I admit it.  I really miss Oprah.  Have you noticed since her show went off the air the world has gone to hell?  I miss O being a part of my day (on DVR).  The good news is her new nightly show Oprah's Life Class (yes, I am enrolled) begins on 10/10 on the OWN network.

But why wait until October?  That's like pumpkin season.

I need some life lessons now.  Pronto. 

It's like Oprah heard me.  She appeared on Facebook's new web TV show last week.  Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg interviewed Oprah for an hour.  It was just the fix that I needed to lift me out of my NY funk.  During the chat, Oprah revealed tips about her own success and life's journey.  (Hey, you know the word journey has to come up when talkin' Oprah.)

Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

So.  What journey are you on these days? 

Do you have a plan or are you just winging it for the rest of your life? 

Well, one thing I've learned is that success leaves clues. So I took notes when Oprah appeared on Facebook.  Here's what I came away with from Professor Winfrey.  I'm paraphrasing, but you'll get the point.  Feel free to apply these to your own life.

Keep standing and keep moving forward.

Be your authentic self.  

Don't imitate others work. 

Be the highest expression of yourself.

Ask yourself, why am I here?  What is my purpose and intention for doing this job?

Always think about your audience.  What do you want the audience to get from this work? 

Don't produce something that gives energy to darkness (i.e., hatred, violence, etc.)

Move toward the light.  Enlighten your audience.

Elevate using your own unique platform, whether you're a writer, teacher, secretary, reporter, or an actor.  

Inspire.  Educate.  Inform.

Before doing something important, be still.

Don't do something simply for ratings or approval. 

Surround yourself with people who are "all in" with you.  If someone doesn't want you, YOU DON'T WANT THEM.  

Move on.

Compete only with yourself.  

Raise the bar every day.

Whatever it is you do, do it with service and honor.  How can you serve others in your work?

Use your talent as a service for your family, community, country and industry.

Let go of the past.  

You will become what you believe.

Oprah wrapped up the interview on Facebook by suggesting we think about our legacy before we leave the planet.

What will your legacy be?  O says it will be your "heart print" on others.  You don't need a TV show to do it.  Or a TV network.  Or even a book club, for that matter. 

Create your legacy starting now.  Today -- right where you are. 

Once you find your voice -- your truth -- go deeper and expand your reach.  Oh, and enjoy the "journey", where ever it may lead you today. 

Class dismissed. 

https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey

Filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green

A Chat with the Writer/Director of the New Indie Film GUN HILL ROAD
by Janet Lawler

The title of this movie caught my eye before knowing anything else about it. I was born in the Bronx and grew up near Gun Hill Road. I always thought Gun Hill Road would make for a great movie title. Apparently, I'm not alone.

GUN HILL ROAD is a new indie movie by a writer/director Rashaad Ernesto Green. Keep an eye out for it at your local art house or soon on Netflix. Keep a closer eye on Green as a new director to watch. Gun Hill Road is Green's first feature film. The NYU graduate and Bronx native's film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews and became a finalist in the 2011 Jury Award.

The film is also a recipient of the Spike Lee Fellowship.

Gun Hill Road starring Esai Morales, Judy Reyes, and the breakout star Harmony Santana tells the story of a family in transition. It focuses on a young man exploring his sexuality in an intolerant and judgmental world and his exploration's impact on his relationship with his parents and himself.  Here is the movie's trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0EMxEK2CN8

The NY Screenwriting Life recently asked Rashaad Ernesto Green about his new work and his creative process on Gun Hill Road:

How long did it take you to write the screenplay for Gun Hill Road?

From conception until final draft, it took me about a year and a half to write GUN HILL ROAD.

What is your daily writing process like? Do you write daily or binge write? Prefer to write during the day or at night?

I'm more of a binge writer unfortunately, and bit unorthodox I'd say. I come from an acting background and always left the writing up to someone else. Now that I write for myself, I usually burn the midnight oil before deadlines.

Filmmaker Ed Burns often says he considers himself a writer first. Do you consider yourself more a director or a writer? Which is your primary passion?

I usually enjoy the process of writing once I force myself to do it, but as far as passions are concerned, I'd say it's probably the last on my list. Acting is first, then directing, and finally writing. The trouble is... I have a lot to say, and the only way I have found that I can fully express it is by putting it on paper first.

You directed/edited/wrote several short films before Gun Hill Road. Do you recommend aspiring writers/directors begin with short films before taking on their first feature?

100%. Absolutely. A feature film is a beast. The best way to develop your craft and hone your writing/directing skills is by starting small and making short films.

What was the Sundance Film Festival experience like for you? How has it helped the film along the way?

Sundance has been wonderful. I had a short film at Sundance in January of 2009 when I began writing GUN HILL ROAD. Once you're in the family, they really look after you. I was really happy to return two years later with my first feature.

In this digital age, how can audience see Gun Hill Road if they can't see it at their local theater?

Eventually, the plan will be to release it on DVD and VOD. However, if they want their local theater to play it, they can go online to request the film at www.gunhillroad.com

When will Gun Hill Road be available on Netflix?

Not exactly sure. I'm guessing a couple months after the end of its theatrical run.

I have amazing memories of growing up in the 70s in The Bronx. How did growing up in The Bronx influence you as a filmmaker?

My earliest memories and images of the Bronx are so vivid and bright. The Bronx that I knew has never been portrayed in films, which is why as an artist, I have attempted to offer a different perspective on a section of New York that often goes overlooked.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer/director now since making your first feature film?

Tell the stories in you heart that need to be told. We need them like we need water and air. Never give up, and always work with people you love.

What's next on your plate?

I always have a couple of pots in the fire. I'm working on my next script as well as reading many scripts to see if my voice vibes with someone else's.

Thanks, Rashaad, for taking some time out with us here at The NY Screenwriting Life.

Thank you, Janet! You can keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/greenbrotherfilms
***

Cheers for Gun Hill Road and let's support indie films as we head into fall 2011. It will open in many cities like Chicago and Miami on September 16th. Check the film's website for details. www.gunhillroad.com

Hope you all had a wonderful, productive summer!
Until next time.

PS -- Don't forget to follow The NY Screenwriting Life Blog on Facebook. Also available on Amazon.com for all you Kindle lovers.

Emma Stone plays a writer in The Help

Why Do We Love Movies About Writers?
by Janet Lawler

There are certain professions that movie audiences seem fascinated by. We are obsessed with detectives, doctors and medical examiners. We love to see how they do their jobs, interact with colleagues and overcome obstacles.

We're also drawn to movies about writers.

I know I am.

The new movie The Help is about an aspiring writer. Emma Stone plays Skeeter who is trying to get her big break (submitting articles to New York) while writing for her local weekly newspaper. I liked this movie a lot -- for its genuine heart and focus on Civil Rights in the 60s -- and it didn't hurt that the lead character is a writer.




As anyone who has labored over an article, poem, play, novel or screenplays knows... writing is darn hard work. It takes commitment, discipline and a thick shell to withstand rejection. It also takes courage to tell a story and especially to tell the truth.

Think of the many movies we've loved at the box-office that focus on writers: All the President's Men, Wonder Boys, Hannah and Her Sisters, Finding Forrester, The Hours, Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas and recently Midnight in Paris.

Remember Sophie's Choice? It was one of the most horrifying, powerful films I ever watched. Sophie's pain of surviving a Nazi concentration camp is told to her new downstairs neighbor -- Stingo, a writer -- played by Peter MacNicol.

How about The Great Gatsby (1974)? We witness Jay Gatsby's lavish and tragic life through his new friend -- writer Nick Carraway -- played by Sam Waterson.

Or Little Women (1994) starring Winona Ryder? She played "Jo", a writer who tells the story of life with her three sisters in a small town.

One of my favorite movies The Way We Were (1973) starring Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand is remembered as a love story. Hubbel Gardiner (Redford) and Katie Morosky (Streisand) start out the movie as aspiring authors in college. Scenes show Streisand laboring over her short story to submit in writing class -- a montage of her at the library, rewriting while working at the malt shop, and racing to class in hopes of her story being read aloud in class. Instead, her professor chooses Hubbell's story (Redford's) and shatters Katie's dream of being a writer.

For me, The Way We Were is as much about Redford selling out as a screenwriter in Hollywood as about McCarthyism and a failed romance. There is a great scene where Katie gives Hubbel a typewriter for Rosh Hashanah. It's her way of pushing him to write. I love that scene -- but of course, everyone only remembers the ending of the movie with the couple outside the Plaza Hotel.

Another movie which I can watch over and over again is Sunset Boulevard (1950). William Holden plays a down and out Hollywood screenwriter who has bill collectors on his tail. He sells his soul to the devil -- or in this case, to Norma Desmond -- and pays with his life. As the movie opens, he's found dead in a Hollywood swimming pool. This is where Joe Gillis' story begins and ends -- a washed up screenwriter shot in the back for choosing to love a woman for the wrong reasons. It's a classic movie with classic lines and it's all about writing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDSRhwSA6f4

Writers may not be as exciting to watch in movies as cops and coroners -- but they sure give us something to talk about when the lights go down or when we open that new book. They give us our voices.

Until next time.

Side note: The NY Screenwriting Life is on Facebook and also available at Amazon.Com if you'd like to subscribe to your iPad. http://www.amazon.com/The-NY-Screenwriting-Life/dp/B004X8FQ4U

The Woman and Writer Behind Lucy
by Janet Lawler

August 8, 2011
New York

Unless you spent last weekend under a rock, you know that it would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday. Tributes flooded the Internet and airwaves.

Lucille Ball was an original -- a true American icon and legend.

We still love Lucy Ricardo. Thankfully, Lucy lives on forever on TV and through our laughter.

But have you ever wondered who wrote all those hysterical skits and lines for Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred? Think about it. Those shows were hilarious from start to finish, line to line.

The classic comedy ran for six years on CBS. It never won an Emmy for comedy writing. Imagine that? One of its writers was a remarkable "girl writer" (that's what they called women on writing staffs in TV then) named Madelyn Pugh.

Years later, she became Madelyn Pugh Davis.

In the 1980s, I had the pleasure of corresponding with Ms. Davis through snail mail. I still have the letters saved. She was one of my idols in the television writing world. She wrote I Love Lucy for heaven's sakes. At the time of being pen pals, she was writing and producing for the CBS TV Show "ALICE" starring Linda Lavin. Ms. Davis knew of my passion for writing. She sent me Alice scripts to read and study with a note to "let me know your progress."

She was a sweet, refined lady on paper and in interviews. Her letters came typed, professional in tone, but yet closing with warm words of advice and support.

Ms. Davis, along with her longtime writing partner, Bob Carroll, Jr., wrote for every one of the 179 episodes of I Love Lucy. They also went on to write for all of Lucille Ball's TV Specials and shows.

Before TV, Ms. Davis started writing for Lucy on the radio... caught the actresses' attention and was plucked to help with writing I Love Lucy.

It was a match made in heaven -- not just for Lucy and Ricky, but for Lucille and Madelyn. According to articles, the female pair weren't best of pals -- Lucille Ball wasn't Lucy Ricardo off-camera -- but Lucille Ball respected solid, funny writing. She was smart to keep Madelyn close by and she always gave credit to her writers.

Ms. Davis noted in interviews that before putting Lucy through the famous skits, she would run through the scenes herself with her writing partner -- making cigars, flipping pizzas, milking a cow, swimming in the shower, working in a chocolate factory, getting tipsy filming a vitamin commercial, stomping grapes... and much, much more.

As hard and fast as Ms. Davis clanked on her typewriter, the bigger the belly laughs came for Lucy and Ricky.

And for us watching at home.

So this week we celebrate Lucille Ball, but hats off to Madelyn Pugh Davis too -- a great woman, writer and producer. She died in April. She was 90. She lived a life filled with love, success and laughter.  Who could ask for more?  She was the woman behind Lucy... and that's saying a lot.

After all, I'm certain Lucille Ball wouldn't want us to forget the "girl writer" behind all the classic belly laughs.

(Here is one of the longest live TV studio laughs in television history:  Lucy Learns to Tango.  Episode 172.  Aired in March 1957.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixkijZYcPE8&feature=related

Until next time.

WORKING AND WRITING... CREATING A BALANCE

How often have you said "Oh, if only I didn't have to work full-time, I could write my novel... my screenplay... my play... my magazine article... my blog" and so on?

How many of you have taken time off from working full-time to do just that?

I have.

I have worked full-time most of my adult life and vented that if only I had more time to write. Well, from 2009-2011 I took two years to work part-time and write, write, write. I managed to finish a first draft on my novel From the Ground Up and write two plays Extreme Green and NetFits that were produced in NYC. I've polished up a couple of screenplays and started a new animation one.

But when you're writing (which is usually on "spec" which means for no paycheck), you spend a great deal of time worrying about making money (or not making money) instead of creating. The first year I was fine working only part-time and writing, but by the second year, I was writing less and worrying more. New York City living is not cheap, people.

I'm too young to retire. Darn it.

Now I may hit the lottery, but won't count on that.

So guess what -- I'm back to work full-time. Back to the grind. 5-6 days a week.

It's a new, crazy, stressful job in TV News in New York. NY is the number one news market in the nation. For this job, baby, you bring your A-game. I'm working with seasoned pros and the stakes are high (and the pay is nice!)... so writing goes on the back burner for now.

That's why I haven't blogged for two months. I apologize. I love writing this blog! If you notice I've posted lot until I went back to work full-time. Bummer, in the summer no less. But, I have to say it's nice to get a weekly paycheck, go to Broadway shows, out to fine restaurants and shop again online.

So I'm making time for writing where I can. TV News is my profession, but writing is my passion. Pay or no pay. Without writing in my life, I could make a million dollars a year in TV and it wouldn't matter -- I'd feel empty inside -- a void.

Life is about balance. Writing and working take balance too -- a juggling act. I'm trying to keep all the balls in the air. I drop one now and then. I'm sure you're doing the same in your life. But we try again...

Have a wonderful summer. Let's try to write between the BBQs and beach days.

Until next time.

Super 8 is Great Summer Fun
by Janet Lawler

This movie will make you feel like a kid again.

Super 8, the latest movie from director/producer/writer J.J. Abrams is terrific. It literally had us jumping out of our seats. Here is the trailer.



The story is about a young boy (Joel Courtney) who is dealing with the recent death of his mother. He's now cared for by his aloof father, played by Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), who is the town deputy. The boy spends his free time hanging out with a group of neighborhood boys who are making a short film. While shooting a scene at night, they witness a massive train crash and find themselves up to their ears in trouble.

It's a thrilling movie. J.J. Abrams script is tightly written and pays off throughout. The action scenes are amazing. It's paced nicely with scenes between father and son dealing with their fears and grief.

The actors all give solid performances, especially lead actor Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's younger sister), as well as the cast of young boys.

The adolescent humor is true without being overly crass or gross like in most movies today. It will transport you back to the days when you rode your bike with friends, had your first crush and pondered how to break out of an ordinary small town life. These kids find the way -- and there is no turning back.

Steven Spielberg produced Super 8 and his presence is felt -- in many shots of the film I was reminded of Jaws (the town cop fighting authority and a monster) and ET, kids riding bikes and understanding more about love and yearning than the adults. It's moviemaking at its best.

I saw Super 8 at a screening for the Producer's Guild of America at the DGA (Director's Guild Theater on W. 57th St in NYC). The audience laughed and screamed throughout and applauded at the end (twice!). That doesn't happen often at screenings by "industry types" -- they can be a tough room to please.

They loved Super 8.

So did I.

If you want to see a really fun, suspenseful, heartwarming movie this summer -- check out Super 8.. It's rated PG13. You can bring your kids without worrying much (unless they frighten easily!).

And stay in your seats for the closing credits!! It's then that the audience sees the finished short film the kids were making in the movie. It's sweet and funny.

On a side note, this blog is now available for subscription through the Kindle Store on Amazon.com -- thanks for your support!

Until next time.

THE MYSTERY BOX

J.J. Abrams gave a talk at the TED Conferences a few years ago that is worth revisiting today.

Abrams, the Hollywood writer/director/producer, talks about how as a child his grandfather took him to a magic store in New York City. He purchased a "mystery magic box" for $15 but it promised $50 worth of magic inside. J.J. Abrams never opened the box to this day. He keeps it in his office in Hollywood as a reminder of his beloved grandfather, who bought him his first Super 8 movie camera, and to always remember to chase the mystery in story.

Abrams points out that in many of the best movies what works are not the explosions and the special effects, but the mystery inside the characters or villains.

What we remember about Rocky is not the fight scenes, but the heart of Rocky Balboa not wanting to end up a bum in life... or Die Hard not just the thrilling aspects of a cop battling terrorists in a skyscraper, but of John McClane trying to win back his wife as she contemplates divorcing him.

Quentin Tarantino used the mystery box in Pulp Fiction. When John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson open the trunk of their car and something mysteriously glows in their faces. What was that thing in the brief case?

Or Jaws, when we hardly see the shark in the water but we know it's there... looming... stalking its next victim in the ocean. That mystery hooks us as moviegoers, as readers of a script or story, and pull us in. It hooks our emotions.

Think of movies that you love and there is probably some mystery involved.

Check out J.J. Abrams TED talk... it's a treat. Who knew he was so funny too?



And remember when writing -- to keep the mystery in every scene, every act and on every page of your next story.

Side note, The NY Screenwriting Life is on Facebook. And also available on Kindle as a monthly subscription for .99 cents!! We're like the Lady Gaga of blogs!! .99 cents... check us out.

Until next time.

Woody Allen makes Paris look as Magical as his Manhattan
by Janet Lawler

Nobody makes movies like Woody Allen.

From the moment the credits roll, we know we're in for something quite different, something made on a shoe-string budget but with mega talent.

Allen's latest film is Midnight in Paris starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams -- both are terrific as the mismatched young couple about to have their lives transformed while in Paris.

Owen Wilson, as Gil, does a great job as a Hollywood "hack writer" who longs to live the literary life and finish his first novel. He's a true romantic. While visiting Paris with McAdams (his unromantic fiancee) and her well-to-do parents, Wilson wanders the streets of The City of Lights alone... only to be whisked away and magically taken back in time.

I won't give away the delightful moments of this movie -- but let's just say Wilson gets to pal around with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald (and booze-guzzling Zelda) and have his novel critiqued by Gertrude Stein.

The dialogue is witty (naturally, written by Woody Allen). The cinematography stunning and the music a joy, drifting us back to the days of Cole Porter and the 1920s.

The movie asks the questions -- why do we so often long for the past? Is nostalgia just a cop out from the present? What are we running from and doesn't every new generation think the previous one was the "Golden Age" of something?

The cast of Midnight in Paris is top shelf -- from Kathy Bates, to Michael Sheen, to Marion Cotillard, to Carla Bruni and Adrien Brody playing Salvador Dali.

I loved every frame of Midnight in Paris. If you're a writer, know one, or aspire to follow your literary heart, you'll appreciate this sweet tale.

The movie comes out May 20th by Sony Pictures Classics. Fresh from the Cannes Film Festival.


If you enjoy this blog and like reading on your Kindle, The NY Screenwriting Life is now available through Amazon for only .99 cents a month. http://www.amazon.com/The-NY-Screenwriting-Life/dp/B004X8FQ4U/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr

Until next time.

Broadway and the Fight Against AIDS Continues...
by Janet Lawler

Larry Kramer's revival play on Broadway

Don't miss The Normal Heart now playing on Broadway. 

What an incredibly powerful play!  It's about the AIDS epidemic that struck the New York gay community in the 1980s... and how medical officials, a NYC mayor, a United States president, the medical community and even some in the gay community itself turned its back on the disease and on those dying from it.  

Back then, there were a few brave individuals who raised their voices over the hot button political issue, the homophobia, the bigotry and demanded attention and research be paid to fight AIDS.  Those individuals saved lives.

There is still no cure for AIDS.  It remains a global plague (although never officially labeled one).

Actress Ellen Barkin plays one of these courageous souls -- a NYC doctor -- who screamed from the top of her lungs to fight AIDS while her young, male patients died in droves at her hospital.  Barkin has one major scene toward the end of Act II, where she confronts a government medical panel dragging its feet on giving her funding to fight the disease.  Barkin delivers some of the best lines of the play and leaves the audience stunned and cheering when the scene ends. 

Gosh, I hope Ellen Barkin wins the Tony Award in June.  She's phenomenal.  Go see the play if you're in New York.

35 million people have died from AIDS worldwide.  35 million people.

This weekend in Central Park (May 15th) is the Annual AIDS Walk.  I'll be taking part with a group of my friends.  http://www.aidswalk.net/newyork/   Sign up online, put on your sneakers and join in.  The fight is not over.

After seeing The Normal Heart last Friday night, some of the actors came outside to take pictures and sign autographs.  They were all gracious and enjoyed mingling with theatergoers.

Photos by Carolina Correa.

Actor Jim Parsons

Actor Joe Mantello

Ellen Barkin

John Benjamin Hickey

Right next door another play That Championship Season was just letting out.  That cast includes Christopher Noth, Keifer Sutherland, Jason Patric (his late father, Jason Miller, wrote the play) and others.  The crowd of theatergoers along W. 45th Street went ballistic -- screaming and running to see the actors at the stage door.  Noth and Patric laughed and worked the lines smiling, taking photos with fans and signing Playbills.

Chris Noth greets fans at stage door

Chris Noth & Jason Patric sign autographs

Fun night on Broadway!  Go see this play soon -- it ends May 29th!  http://thatchampionshipseason.com/

Until next time.

The 2011 Tony Award Nominations
by Janet Lawler

Attention theater geeks and theater lovers! The nominations for the 2011 Tony Awards are out. I'm sure some of your favorite actors and actresses made the list -- Edie Falco, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Al Pacino, Vanessa Redgrave and more.

For some folks, the Tony Awards is the closest they'll come to seeing a Broadway show. Before I moved to New York, I would see maybe one or two shows a year (if I was lucky)-- it was always a special day coming into the city on a Wednesday for a matinee show.

I love seeing plays, but usually everyone else I know wants to see a musical. They say "It's Times Square... it's Broadway... we want singing, dancing, costumes and jazz-hands." Fine, I've seen plenty of big Broadway musicals, but I still like to sit in cramped theater and listen to a well-written, acted play with snappy dialogue... with riveting characters, few costumes, minimal sets... and, unless it's Cabaret or Chicago, please, no jazz hands.

In 1988, I remember convincing my mother to come with me to see Madonna on Broadway. It was Madonna's debut. Madge was starring in David Mamet's play "Speed the Plow". It was a big deal at the time. My mother didn't particularly care for Madonna (the whole Catholic thing) -- and she really didn't care for Mamet (the whole profanity thing on stage) -- but she sat through the play, for me.

However, the next time we came to Broadway we saw Miss Saigon. No more plays, she insisted. "They're long and boring." My mother loved BIG musicals (Tommy Tune and more). She felt she got her money's worth seeing a musical (who could argue -- they landed a helicopter on stage in Miss Saigon.)

Don't forget Mother's Day is this weekend (May 8th). Take your Mom to see a show -- but do yourself a favor and let her choose which one. I bet she picks a musical.

Now more about the Tonys, I'm particularly excited by the list for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play this year.

	Ellen Barkin	The Normal Heart
	Edie Falco	The House of Blue Leaves
	Judith Light	Lombardi
	Joanna Lumley	La Bête
	Elizabeth Rodriguez	The Motherf**ker with the Hat

The NY Times review of Ellen Barkin's performance in The Normal Heart said she makes a "slam-dunk Broadway debut".

Ellen Barkin has long been one of my faves. I loved her in the movie Sea of Love (1989) starring Al Pacino. Barkin stole scenes from Pacino in that cop thriller -- no easy task. She also starred in The Big Easy. Barkin is multi-talented, smart and a former Bronx girl. What's not to love?

Al Pacino (a former Bronx boy) is also nominated for a Tony for the The Merchant of Venice.

I'm seeing The Normal Heart this weekend. It's a powerful play written by Larry Kramer, the AIDS activist and playwright. It tells the history of the AIDS pandemic and how it touched everyone's lives in the '80s from nurses to doctors to politicians to the gay community. AIDS is still claiming lives around the world. This play remains relevant.



The Normal Heart promises to be what theater, for me, is truly all about -- conflict, emotion, and the human spirit presented on stage. Here is the play's website http://bit.ly/TNHYouTube

So come visit NYC -- see a musical or drama, or whatever theater your heart desires (Blue Man Group, anyone?). Or just watch The Tonys and sample a little of everything from Column A and Column B. Jazz hands and all.

The Tonys air on CBS, Sunday, June 12th. Here is the official link for the 2011 Tony Award Nominees http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

Happy Mother's Day.