Best Screenwriter

Y

Yeddi

Active member
For interest sake, who do you think is the best screenwriter, and out of their work, which script was the highlight of their career?
 
A difficult question to answer, I do not think I could answer it even if I knew about all the great writers. Could be like asking what is the best movie-- by genre? box office $? best story regardless of box office? Best as judged by the public (box office or rentals), or by fellow screenwriters (Oscars?)? For example, a bit off topic, but perhaps not-- I notice "Marley and Me", a romcom about a lab dog and a guy and a girl took number one over Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Which of the two is a better screenplay? People probably want to go see a feel good romcom over a sad drama, but does that make the romcom script better? I don't know.

Yeddi said:
For interest sake, who do you think is the best screenwriter, and out of their work, which script was the highlight of their career?
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The question was of a personal nature, not intellectual. It wasn't who *is*, it was a who do *you* think is the best screenwriter. Quite frankly box office, other screenwriters opinions etc shouldn't come into it, it's about personal opinion.

Maybe, for semantics sake, I should rephrase it and say - Whose work do you particularly admire?

Mine for instance is Andrew Kevin Walker. Still trying to decide if Seven or Sleepy Hollow is his best work. Seeing as Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving's story and is an adaption, I was most likely have to go with Seven when pushed to chose between the two.
 
Okay, if anything goes... then John Sayles, if only for his writing of the romcom/romdram Baby It's You. I know he has written other material that I have not seen except for The Clan of the Cave Bear. But I really like the relationship arc in Baby It's You. Again, my personal interest. Of course Sayles is also very prolific as a writer, actor, director.

Yeddi said:
The question was of a personal nature, not intellectual. It wasn't who *is*, it was a who do *you* think is the best screenwriter. Quite frankly box office, other screenwriters opinions etc shouldn't come into it, it's about personal opinion. Maybe, for semantics sake, I should rephrase it and say - Whose work do you particularly admire?

...
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Probably Ingmar Bergman.
The second one is even more difficult to answer, but I think "Persona" resumes well a brilliant ascending writing career.
 
Here we go again...

It's okay to just say "the best" and leave it at that.

Or, if you prefer:

Best = polar opposite of worst

:beer:
 
naavt said:
Probably Ingmar Bergman.
The second one is even more difficult to answer, but I think "Persona" resumes well a brilliant ascending writing career.
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This is also William Goldman's favorite screenwriter. Actually A lot of writers say William Goldman is their favorite. Hard to argue with his chops, being a double Oscar winner and all. People like to beat up Woody Allen, but he's really one of the best ever. Certainly no one can write comedy with him. Maybe not the best writer, but probably the guy with the best high concept ideas was Michael Crichton.

I tend to "Admire" the ones who create original material. But the problem, especially now, is that the writers who create a brilliant script start getting assignments. A lot of Goldman's credits are adaptations.
 
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Charlie Kaufmann (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind)
Luc Besson (Fifth Element)

The king in terms of commercial success: Shane Black. But even he wouldn't rate himself as one of the best.
 
Okay I am going to back-peddle from my previous vote and agree with you, I think Billy Wilder is the best screenwriter. I did not know before just how prolific he was, and how hard he worked and how he came to Hollywood. Last night on PBS TV there was a lot of interview footage with Billy Wilder (from 1970), a documentary on he and many others from Europe/Germany/etc came to Hollywood to escape the Nazi's, had to learning English, battle unions, etc.

How the heck did Wilder and other prolific writers in the pre-computer era crank out so much material, and with only paper, pen, pencil, typewriters? I wonder if their writing demanded much more thought before penning the words, not having word processors to easily change sentences? Maybe we could all learn a lesson if that is the case.
~Randall


CallaghanFilms said:
The Best Screenwriter: Billy Wilder
Career Highlight: Sunset Blvd.
:thumbsup:
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Randall_Oelerich said:
Okay I am going to back-peddle from my previous vote and agree with you, I think Billy Wilder is the best screenwriter. I did not know before just how prolific he was, and how hard he worked and how he came to Hollywood. Last night on PBS TV there was a lot of interview footage with Billy Wilder (from 1970), a documentary on he and many others from Europe/Germany/etc came to Hollywood to escape the Nazi's, had to learning English, battle unions, etc...
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That doc is "Billy Wilder Speaks"...a must see for any and all screenscribes.
 
The footage must have been from that documentary (Billy Wilder Speaks). The PBS show I watched last night, with the Billy Wilder footage, was Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood, it was fascinating, and I was impressed how much time was given to the writers, not just actors.

CallaghanFilms said:
That doc is "Billy Wilder Speaks"...a must see for any and all screenscribes.
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Woody Allen has to be included in my top screenwriters list, for Husbands and Wives, Radio Days, Hannah and Her Sisters, Match Point, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Bullets Over Broadway. All great stories and scripts.

I also love Richard LaGravanese. He's written a couple of my favorite films, including The Fisher King and Living Out Loud (which he also directed).
 
best:
quentin tarantino [pulp fiction, reservoir dogs, kill bill 1&2, soon to be inglorious bastards]

favorite:
kevin smith [clerks]
charlie kaufman [adaptation, eternal sunshine of a spotless mind, being john malkovich]
 
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