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Peter Sagal - How Many Writers Did it Take to Make The Fugitive? You Might Be Surprised
Everybody knows that the writing credits on big Hollywood movies are lovely fictions, but it's generally considered rude to draw attention to the fact. Try telling that to one of the producers of The Fugitive, who practically bragged about the teams of writers he brought in to assemble his 1993 chase picture: "We got the best dialogue guy to do the dialogue, the best action guy to write the action scenes, the best police guy to do the police stuff..."
That quote is from memory -- it was seared into my brain back then by such a bold statement of contempt for the Writer's Art. I was a young playwright and aspiring screenwriter, and knew that a writer was an Artist who could not be cheapened into a highly paid plumbing specialist, brought in to fix his bit of pipe so the sewage could flow more efficiently.
Hah.
The fact is, on major movies producers will often hire as many writers as they can afford, sometimes for a total rewrite, sometimes for a week-long "polish," sometimes because an actor is upset about his or her dialogue, sometimes because the director wants more "passion," whatever the hell that is, sometimes because everybody's in a panic and certain names have a tranquilizer-like effect on morale: "Oh, don't worry, everything is going to be fine, we've got John Sayles in to do a polish." This is all very insulting to the idea of the Writer as Artist, and upsetting to the Writer's Guild of America -- my union -- which insists that no matter how many writers a movie has, the screenplay will be credited to a maximum of two individuals or writing teams. Okay, four or more if you add in story credit. (As a general rule, if you want to know how many writers worked on a big budget movie, multiply the number credited by three, or by five if the movie is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.)
But what's even more frustrating and insulting to us writers is that sometimes, as in The Fugitive, this writing-by-specialty approach really works. The movie is the kind of efficient, propulsive, studiously low-tech thriller about which people say, "They don't make 'em like that anymore," even while it's being made. Watching it again, especially after 17 years of increasingly stylish cinematography, plasticized actors and computer generated effects, it almost seems like it should be in black and white starring Humphrey Bogart.
The movie can be broken down into discrete sections, each as well designed and essential to the movie's function as the parts of a car. The opening sequence, with poor Sela Ward's murder at the hands of the One Armed Man and Harrison Ford's subsequent (and believable) conviction for the crime; the amazing (non-CGI!) train accident that allows Ford's escape; the first sequence on the run leading to a credulity-stretching leap off a dam; Ford's return to Chicago and his sleuthing and continued narrow escapes, while pausing to save a child's life with his medical expertise... watching all of it, you realize that this kind of successful, smart, commercial movie-making is in fact an industrial process that requires a whole bunch of really smart people manning the levers.
In fact, let's propose a counterfactual: Could one writer -- even one as gifted and professional as either of the two credited writers, Jeb Stuart and David Twohy -- really have written The Fugitive on his own? You'd need somebody who could handle the murder-mystery plot and the police/judicial procedurals, who could also write for Tommy Lee Jones' wisecracking team of Federal agents and the pasty, hostile Chicago detectives. He or she would have to have the medical chops to handle the Cook County Hospital sequence -- "Look at the film! Look at the film!" -- and the action sensibilities to script three or four brilliant escapes. Plus he would need the narrative wit to come up with Tommy Lee Jones's famous, Oscar-winning retort to Ford's protestations that he didn't kill his wife: "I don't care!" A line that according to some reports, Tommy Lee Jones came up with himself.
Don't get me wrong -- as a writer, I believe that the very best movies are the most personal ones, which means one writer pursuing his or her own vision. That's how you get Annie Hall and Adaptation and dozens of other precious works of genius. But anybody who knows the first thing about how movies are made knows that Hollywood is, in fact, a sausage factory, with a process as far from the Pristine Pursuit of Artistic Vision as a factory farm is from Old McDonald's. But anybody who loves movies -- and everybody loves movies -- has to admit: Sometimes, the sausage tastes fantastic.
Peter Sagal is the host of NPR's news quiz, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! heard by three million listeners each week via 520 public radio stations and podcast, and the author of The Book of Vice: Naughty Things and How to Do Them. He is also a playwright and screenwriter, and once wrote Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights without meaning to.
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I think it was either Mr. Jones or Mr. Ford who described the "I don't care" moment on The Actor's Studio. They said that bit came out of a process of stripping a larger sequence of dialogue down to the essence of the scene. In any case, I can't imagine the moment playing better with additional dialogue.
I also agree the best movies are the personal ones. I prefer acting and emotion to action and train wrecks and CGI, but I hope there is room for all of that. I also hope the sausage doesn't crowd out the caviar.
"Could one writer really have written The Fugitive on his own?"
Yes -- because The Fugitive wasn't really all that good. It was basically on par with a typical hour-long TV police drama of the era. That's fine -- it was a perfectly entertaining popcorn movie. It baffles me to this day, though, how this movie was nominated for Best Picture.
Erm, maybe it was nominated for Best Picture because it was entertaining?
Just to give credit where credit is due -- Annie Hall's
screenplay was not solely written by Woody Allen. It was co-written by Marshall Brickman.
script three or four brilliant escapes. Plus he would need the narrative wit to come up with Tommy Lee Jones's famous, Oscar-winning retort to Ford's protestations that he didn't kill his wife: "I don't care!" A line that according to some reports, Tommy Lee Jones came up with himself. Dental jobs
weird to say that ironically movies written by a bunch of writers are not that good. So, I think writers don't mind if their names are on the credit list or not.
I would love if a writer would write scripts for weird movie themes let's say pool supplies.
What do you think?
weird to say that ironically movies written by a bunch of writers are not that good. So, I think writers don't mind if their names are on the credit list or not.
I would love if a writer would write scripts for weird movie themes let's say pool supplies.
What do you think?
Well, I agree that best movies are written by writer pursuing his or her own vision. But ideas from others will be a great help to make one manuscript a better one.
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Well, I agree that best movies are made a writer pursuing his or her own vision. But ideas from others can also be a great help.
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I think it was either Mr. Jones or Mr. Ford who described the "I don't care" moment on The Actor's Studio. They said that bit came out of a process of stripping a larger sequence of NCERT Books dialogue down to the essence of the scene. In any case, I can't imagine the moment playing better with additional dialogu.
This is something very entertaining. I like watching this. This is the best movie according it.
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weird to say that ironically movies written by a bunch of writers are not that good. So, I think writers don't mind if their names are on the credit list or not.
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My son, told me something about free online chat rooms, I tried it and I like it. One of my chat mate told me about this movie the fugitive. I was curious, and I watched it twice and indeed for me it's interesting.
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This was actually quite a surprise for me. I could see a small team of writers (as I'm told is how the TV world works) would crank out something that maintains a similar pacing and voice throughout...but this sort of blows my mind.
Or maybe I'm underestimating how good professional writers can mesh styles.
-Lars
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Its does not matter how many writers it took. This is one of the best movies that you will ever see. It is so action packed and keeps you on the edge. The actors did so well. Sweet things to say to a girl
Big fan of peter sagal, always liked his work. restaurant recipes
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Now I know how many writers it take to write the FUGITIVE. I was surprise to know about it after reading this article
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I had no idea the number of writers it took to write The Fugitive! Not one of my favourite films to tell the truth! Anyway, this article was nicely written and got me interested in the writing of movies, thanks for sharing, Mike, Buffalo Bills Tickets
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It's amazing it took so many writers to write such a turd of a movie.
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I always love to see Hollywood movies and mostly like movie of peter. but Its does not matter how many writers it took. This is one of the best movies that you will ever see. It is so action packed and keeps you on the edge. Thanks for share
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Aw, it was a top quality content. Actually I would like to write like this as well – taking time and real energy to bring about an excellent post… however what can I say… I procrastinate an awful lot and by no means appear to get things completed…
I have to be one of your biggest fan. I have been watching the show since it came on. What makes the show is the writers and the actors.
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Well, you do have to hand it to them, it was a very well written movie. The scene where they landed in the swimming pool covers still freaks me out, and the non linear story from was very refreshing for a blockbuster movie.
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Could one writer really have written The Fugitive on his own?"
Yes -- because The Fugitive wasn't really all that good. It was basically on par with a typical hour-long TV police drama of the era. That's fine -- it was a perfectly entertaining popcorn movie. It baffles me to this day, though, how this movie was nominated for Best Picture.
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