David S. Cohen (1) (1959–)

Several books and articles have been written detailing the behind-the-scenes maneuvering behind popular movies. Particular details behind unorthodox film hits, such as the mechanical difficulties behind “Jaws” or the careful negotiations in developing “The Godfather,” have been told many times. Usually these stories focus on the roles of producers, directors, or actors with oversize personalities and egos. Now, with David Cohen’s “Screen Plays,” we get a fresh perspective - that of the screenwriter.

Offering the stories behind 25 movies of various genres and statures, each featuring interviews with the main screenwriter, Cohen demonstrates how the collaborative nature of movies almost always dramatically changes scripts – sometimes to the point where they are unrecognizable. Cohen opens the book with his own story of how he backed into television screenwriting and explains how his first writing credit likely contains nothing that he and his partner actually wrote.

In this study, the story behind every screenplay is different. It is obvious that certain screenwriters have a sufficient reputation in Hollywood to be allowed more leeway than those without similar cachet. Even here, though, Cohen tells stories of movies where less experienced screenwriters have almost idyllic experiences and films where “A List” writers have nothing but headaches and see little of their own work in the finished project.

As in some 'behind the curtain' Hollywood books, it frequently appears that the completion of any movie is rather miraculous, given all of the hands that are stirring the pot. Working with certain directors may insulate a screenwriter from some of this, such as John Logan’s account of writing “The Aviator” for director Michael Mann and then Martin Scorsese, but not always, as is evident by the head-spinning development of “Gladiator” for Ridley Scott. A good idea for a script may survive, or it may be completely revamped so that it is no longer recognizable, such as Leslie Dixon’s ordeal on “Pay It Forward.”

Perhaps the nicest component of the book is the informal tutorial on screenwriting that Cohen offers. For each movie, there is a sidebar that offers the various screenwriters’ perspectives on their craft. However, the great mystery that remains unexplored is what amount of work goes into developing a script over a lengthy period of time, given that so many of these scripts – even first drafts – take years to write. To the outsider, that seems rather unbelievable, given that most writers in other genres could write a lengthy draft in a period of months, instead of years.

This unexplored issue aside, Cohen offers a compelling look at modern screenwriting. Drawing on his personal experience and his years as a writer for Variety and Script magazines, he offers a clear and compelling narrative for each movie, seamlessly incorporating multiple interviews in each. The result is enlightening and enjoyable, particularly for cinema lovers and those who imagine that they could write a better story than the one they see on the screen.… (mehr)