Screenplays & Screenwriting

Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Paul Rudnick. His new play "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" looks at God and Creation from a gay perspective. (It's playing at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village in New York City). Rudnick also wrote the plays as "I Hate Hamlet," "The Naked Eye," and "Jeffrey." And he wrote the screenplays for "Addams Family Values" and "In & Out."

Film director and writer Wes Anderson. The 29 year old director has a short but impressive list of films to his credit: "Bottle Rocket" and this year's "Rushmore." Both are offbeat films, with a love of character and idiosyncrasies. Both films were written by ANDERSON and his writing partner Owen Wilson. "Rushmore" stars Bill Murray.

Actor David Kelly and producer Kirk Jones speak about the new film Waking Ned Devine.

Paula died yesterday in a freak car accident. He was 70 years old, and was working at the time on his next screenplay, "No Ordinary Time" about the Whitehouse during the time of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Pakula's directing credits include: "The Sterile Cuckoo," "Klute," "All the President's Men" and "Presumed Innocent." He also directed and wrote the screenplay for "Sophie's Choice" and produced the 1962 classic "To Kill a Mockingbird." (REBROADCAST from 8/17/90)

Novelist and screenwriter John Ridley. He's written for the sitcoms "Martin," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "The John Larroquette Show." He also wrote the screenplay for "U-Turn," directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn. He's also a former stand-up comic. His latest work is a novel, "Love is a Racket" (Knopf).

Waters' latest film is "Pecker" about a young amateur photographer who becomes the darling of the New York art world. Waters other films include, "Cry Baby," a juvenile delinquent love story set in the 1950's, which brought together such performers as Patty Hearst, Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, David Nelson, and Polly Bergen. Waters is known for his independent, off-beat films, such as "Pink Flamingos," "Female Trouble," and "Polyester." In 1988 Waters entered the mainstream with his popular film, "Hairspray."

Roos talks about his new film "The Opposite of Sex." He wrote and directed the film which features an ensemble of stars including Lisa Kudrow from the sitcom Friends. He also wrote the screenplays for "Love Field," "Single White Female," and "Boys on the Side.

Fresh Air's former film critic returns to discuss writing the screenplay for the controversial film adaptation of Nabokov's "Lolita." The $58 million film inspired such controversy that distribution in the U.S. was delayed. "Lolita," directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, 9 1/2 Weeks) will premiere on the Showtime cable channel August 2nd. It's just been announced that the film will be released in movie houses in September. Schiff's screenplay, "Lolita: The Book of the Film" (Applause books), will be published next month.

Simon Beaufoy wrote the screenplay for the film "The Full Monty" which has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay and Best Picture. It was his first feature film credit. Previous to this, Beaufoy produced several short dramas, a documentary, and written a play. He's currently writing the new feature film "The Darkest Light" for his own company Footprint Films. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Actor Gary Oldman. He's making his writing and directed debut with the new film "Nil by Mouth," based on his South London childhood. The critically acclaimed film prompted this from The New Yorker's Anthony Lane, ". . . this movie is something else.

Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Paul Rudnick. Paul discusses his new movie, "In & Out," starring Kevin Kline -- the story of a high school English teacher "outed" on national t.v. by a former student, much to the surprise of everyone. Rudnick is the author of such plays as "I Hate Hamlet," "The Naked Eye," and "Jeffrey." He also wrote the screenplay for "Addams Family Values." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Mystery writer Donald Westlake has written 70 novels and screenplays (including "The Grifters" and "The Stepfather"). He is known for his novels which combine laughs with thrills, and which show equally incompetent criminals and law enforcement. His recurring characters include a bungling burglar named John Dortmunder, and a gun-for-hire named Parker. Westlake has also written novels that parody the world of publishing and supermarket tabloids. His latest novel is a crime novel about downsizing, "The Ax" (Mysterious Press/Warner Books)

Writer Cari Beauchamp is the author of the new book, "Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood" (Scribner). She was the highest paid writer, male or female, for three decades, and was also the first woman to win an Academy Award twice for screenwriting. Her stories were directed by George Cukor, John ford, and King Vidor. She was married four times (she has said, "I spent my life searching for a man to look up to without lying down.") But her friendships with women in Hollywood were legendary.

Screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary first collaboration is the script for "Face/Off" which they wrote in 1990. The two attended UCLA film school together. Werb wrote the screenplay for "The Mask" and Colleary's first writing jobs were for Roger Corman and Cannon Films. Since they wrote "Face/Off" they've worked for every major studio and their TV credits include "Darkman3 - Die, Darkman Die!" for MCA and "Bump in the Night" for NBC.

Smith's work has won acclaim in the independent film community, including awards at the Cannes and the Sundance film festivals. His new film "Chasing Amy" is the third installment of his New Jersey Trilogy, a series set in central New Jersey, where Smith grew up and still lives. "Chasing Amy," like Smith's other films, deals with the complexities of human relationships during the confusing time before adulthood with an off-beat sense of humor.

The novelist and screenwriter's is new book "The Dogs of Winter" is the story of a photographer who hopes to jumpstart his career by capturing pictures of surfers on California's most dangerous waters.

Screenwriter John Gregory Dunne. He and his wife, writer Joan Didion, have been working in film for 25 years. Their latest project was the screenplay for "Up Close and Personal" the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford, based very losely on the Jessica Savitch story. In Dunne's new book "Monster: Living off the Big Screen" (Random House) he chronicles their eight year odyssey with the project.

Henry was also screenwriter for the popular film "Get Smart" with Mel Brooks, "Catch-22," "What's Up Doc," and other films. He also co-wrote the script for the 1967 film "The Graduate" and played the role of the hotel clerk. It is now 30 years later and an anniversary presentation of the film is being held at the New York Film Forum February 14th to the 27th. (This interview was held before an audience at the Film Forum, Feb 13th).