Seasons Greetings! It’s Hilary, Javier and Lauren, the librarians/archivists at the Writers Guild Foundation. We miss you! We especially miss recommending scripts to you when you come to visit the library. With the release of the WGAW and WGAE’s 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century… So Far, we’ve been talking a lot about feature screenplays and felt like sharing our Staff Picks.
Yes, we’re still closed to in-person visitors for the time being, but hopefully that will change in the future. In the meantime, check out each of our personal recommendations below and know that we are still available to help even though our doors are closed. E-mail us at library@wgfoundation.org with questions or check out one of our bi-weekly Library Live sessions. If you’re looking to read scripts on our lists or the WGA’s new 101 list, we advise checking out some of our favorite sites like scriptslug.com and simplyscripts.com.
If you’re ever trying to find a script online, a good search tactic is this:
“Title of film” + “screenplay” or “script” + “pdf”
So that looks like:
Sound of Metal screenplay pdf
Of course, not every title is out there, but you can often find a lot using this simple trick. As soon as we know when we’ll re-open, you’ll find an announcement and lots of pertinent information in our newsletter and likely on Twitter.
**Also, just know we went back to the 20th Century for some of our picks…. We’re librarians/archivists and like to include a wide swath of time periods.
HILARY’S PICKS
1.) THE APARTMENT (1960)
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
Fran and Bud feel so real in their witty and sad and cautiously optimistic ways.
2.) BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
It’s a great twist on time travel, making it less about science and more human, fun and relatable.
3.) BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
Written by William Goldman
I don’t often care about criminals, but I care about these criminals whose friendship and trust for one another matters more than anything.
4.) CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)
Screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, Based on the novel “The Children Of Men” by P. D. James
The world is bleak and sadly prescient but wins us over with hope.
5.) DESK SET (1957)
Screenplay by Phoebe Ephron & Henry Ephron, Based on the play by William Marchant
I love it because it’s about librarians! And the ideas of both fearing and revering technology still ring true.
6.) GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)
Written by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin
We all wish we could go back and say something different. The writers gave us this chance in a hilarious and heartwarming way.
7.) HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971)
Written by Colin Higgins
I appreciate the bittersweet character arc of Harold and that it’s an unconventional romance that doesn’t end happily ever after.
8.) MEAN GIRLS (2004)
Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman
As a former teenage girl, I loved the unexpected sympathy I developed for Regina and the Plastics.
9.) MOONLIGHT (2016)
Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
The script feels like poetry.
10.) TITANIC (1997)
Written by James Cameron
I love historical fiction and details are important to me and Cameron delivered.
JAVIER’S PICKS
1.) Drive (2011)
Written by Hossein Amini, Based on a book by James Sallis
Rich with character, amazing prose and dialogue, and a great character arc. At 121 pages, the script is a little long and the prose a bit wordy, but you’ll still turn the pages until the very end.
2.) Halloween (1978)
Written by John Carpenter and Deborah Hill
My friend and film enthusiast calls this film a “horror machine”. At 98 pages and minimalistic prose, the script feels contemporary, not to mention the tension literally drips off the page.
3.) The Island (2005)
Screenplay by Caspian Tredwell-Owen and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci
Amazing world-building. At 138 pages, it’s definitely too long, but the page count seems fitting for such an epic story.
4.) Kristy (2014)
Written by Anthony Jaswinki
Not just another slasher film script. Kristy really ramps up the terror after the below page.
5.) Nightcrawler (2014)
Written by Tony Gilroy
Unique protagonist, and no scene headings at all.
6.) Ordinary People (1980)
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, From the novel by Judith Guest
The below page may not read like a traditional climax, where the hero defeats the villain, but in fact, it’s the perfect “dramatic” example of that kind of climax.
7.) Passengers (2016)
Written by John Spaihts
Like Nightcrawler, it also doesn’t have scene headings, except at the very start and the very end. Amazing love story.
8.) Salt (2010)
Written by Kurt Wimmer
It feels like a staircase going up, up, up, with the stakes literally rising every 10 pages.
9.) Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Screenplay by Evan Daugherty and John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini
Epic story that is written so tightly, it all fits in 110 pages. Great study for how to really get in and out of scenes quickly.
10.) The Terminator (1984)
Written by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
Cameron doesn’t write words, he paints pictures.
LAUREN’S PICKS
1.) Adam’s Rib (1949)
Written by Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin
Chemistry between characters can be written. This script proves it.
2.) Bend It Like Beckham (2003)
Written by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra
This script is worth the read for how every single character has warmth and nuance, which I think is really a hallmark of great writing. And it's just so much fun.
3.) Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Written by John Singleton
This script is a blueprint for a movie, but it also feels like a great work of literature, which I think should be aspirational for any writer.
4.) Cabaret (1972)
Screenplay by Jay Presson Allen
Based on the plays “Cabaret” by Joe Masteroff and “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten and on the short story “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood
Movies based on stage musicals are tough. It's just a hard medium to adapt, but Cabaret feels like the gold standard—and I think Jay Presson Allen deserves some credit in shaping how the musical numbers in the Kit Kat Klub serve as commentary on the story.
5.) Enough Said (2013)
Written by Nicole Holofcener
I love Nicole Holofcener's writing—and I LOVE that Albert (played in the movie by James Gandolfini) is a TV archivist.
6.) La Bamba (1987)
Written by Luis Valdez
One of my favorite film genres is the musical biopic. If you're trying to write one, La Bamba is a must-read.
7.) Milk (2005)
Written by Dustin Lance Black
I think Dustin Lance Black does such a beautiful job really unlocking Harvey Milk’s compassion. I’m really galvanized and inspired by this script.
8.) Norma Rae (1979)
Screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr.
This is my favorite script and I wish it were mentioned more in conversations about great scripts. You should read it.
9.) Private Benjamin (1980)
Written by Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer & Harvey Miller
I re-watched this movie during quarantine and then re-read it and I think it's basically perfect. Also, I wanted to include at least one script with an expository scene where the characters sit around a fire and just talk....
10.) Short Term 12 (2013)
Written by Destin Daniel Cretton
It's hard to think of a script that more completely envelopes you in its setting, characters and real emotions than Short Term 12... and it does so subtly and quietly. I love writing that makes me cry.