How to Read a Screenplay

            Like a good book, screenwriter Gerald DiPego argues that, “the same should be true of a good screenplay. You bring it home, sit in your chair, and you should have an experience with it.” To be honest, this idea had never occurred to me. Throughout this entire search for the “ultimate movie”, I have thus far been reading the script while simultaneously watching the movie. As I’m sure most of you can imagine, this was a tedious, long process, and disrupted the flow a good movie depends on. Plus, my mom wasn’t happy about me hijacking her laptop every day (to watch the movie on my laptop and read it on hers).

            While this set up made me feel like a real professional, I finally took DiPegro’s advice and read a script on its own. He has written 37 movies after all, including the popular 90’s film, Message in a Bottle, so he should know what he’s talking about. Without the sounds and special effects to distract me, I leaned back in my chair and pretended to be one of those big-shot Hollywood Executives who review thousands of screenplays and spit them out again like cherry pits. The writing, that’s what DiPego forced me to focus on. Could I imagine how each scene would pan out without having the final product right in front of me?

            Much to your dismay, the truth is that I have never seen The Breakfast Club all the way through. While I still stand by my statement that I am a Molly Ringwald fan, I must admit that I have only seen broken pieces of this iconic movie when flipping through the television channels. When Blake Snyder talks about the exceptions to his list of movie “don’t”s, he always mentions The Breakfast Club. If I were four years older, I would invent a drinking game where a shot is taken every time Snyder alludes to this 80’s classic.

            Believe it or not, Molly Ringwald is not the sole reason as to why Snyder reveres The Breakfast Club. This movie is repeatedly brought to Snyder’s attention due to the way it defies screenwriting gravity. Most movies with more than two leads do not reach the success that The Breakfast Club has reached. For a production company to option a screenplay with five main characters, the script really had to speak for itself. As DiPego predicted, I found reading the screenplay alone to be a complete experience. This showed me that The Breakfast Club, like any good script, did not rely on the set and special effects to make it great. The fluid, easy dialogue moved me from beginning to end without a hiccup; I was engaged the entire time.

            What grabbed my attention about this story was that it addressed a really relatable idea: appearance versus reality. Whether the audience is still in high school or not, everyone can relate to someone who is perceived in one way, but feels another. Also, a benefit of having multiple main characters is that this gives every individual someone to root for when watching the movie. So why was Snyder so wary of the idea?

            Snyder believes that with too many leading roles, the movie can lose direction. While I don’t argue that Snyder’s opinion is valid and based in his experience as a screenwriter in Hollywood, I think all rules can be broken when it comes to good writing. John Hughes, the man lucky enough to call The Breakfast Club his idea, saw a challenge and overcome it. When five stereotypical teenagers are stuck in detention together, all masks come off as this particular Saturday breaks down into chaos. Locked in a library, Hughes is forced to create internal tension in order to keep the movie exciting. I would like to bet that his ability to take a boring room and make it into an adventure is the reason the man behind the desk paused when he reached this particular script.

            While I don’t think I’m ready to gamble any time soon, I predict that the movie will stay pretty close to the script. Unlike so many movies I’ve watched in these past few weeks, I doubt much of the dialogue will be cut from any of the scenes. The costumes will stay true to the high school stereotypes, and the musical score will help move the movie along, but also define certain moments. These predictions may not seem too specific, but to be honest, I don’t really see much that needs changing in John Hughes’ work.

            MOVIES WATCHED: 9

            SCREENPLAY PAGES WRITTEN: 35

            NOVEL PAGES WRITTEN: 65