I have come to a big decision. I have decided I am going to write a screenplay.
After careful deliberation I feel this would be my best move to try and advance my career. What better scenario than to write your own script and refuse to sell it unless you are a part of the cast? It is the logical next step. So today we shall take a look at the people who blazed a trail for all to follow by doing the same thing.
The first and easily the best example of someone writing their own project would be Matt Damon and Ben Affleck with Good will Hunting. What started as a thriller concept (F.B.I. wants young man of superior intelligence to be an agent and will do anything to get their man) was later shaped into the great film we saw at the suggestion of Rob Reiner to focus on the relationship between Will and his therapist as well as William Goldman’s suggestion to have Will follow his girlfriend Skylar to California at the end.
The script was originally purchased by Castle Rock but the studio had no interest in casting Affleck and Damon in the lead roles vying for Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Enter savior Kevin Smith who brought the script to Miramax and low and behold their dream was becoming a reality as Miramax purchased the rights off of Castle Rock and had no problem with Ben and Matt leading the marquee. Throw in director Gus Van Sant (which the boys convinced Miramax to hire since they had an affinity for Drugstore Cowboy) and the rest is history.
Affleck and Damon won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay (great acceptance speech). Robin Williams won Best Supporting Actor and the film also garnered nominations for Minnie Driver, Gus Van Sant and after writing his own work, a Best Actor nod for Matt Damon.
We all wish we could write something this good straight out of the gates to launch our careers. Surprised they are not a noun like “Hey why don’t you try and do a Damon and Affleck?â€.
Another film which launched a few careers is Bottle Rocket. The film was written by director Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Both unknown at the time, the film originated as a short with the same cast and eventually led to the feature film which was Wes Anderson’s directorial debut. It also introduced the world to the Wilson brothers Owen and Luke.
The film never really gained any commercial success but the film caught the eye of director Martin Scorsese who would go on to call Bottle Rocket one of his favorite films of the 90’s.
Of course these are extreme situations where these people managed to catch lightning in a bottle so to say. But they made the most of their opportunity. No one had heard of Billy Bob Thornton who played bit parts until he wrote, directed and starred in Sling Blade. A great film. It can be done on a smaller scale which is all I hope to do. But you never know. Dare to dream.
So now I will take out my proverbial pen, a bottle of scotch and hole up in a motel like Paul Sheldon in Misery. Thank God I do not have a number one fan like Annie Wilkes.
