Akiva Goldsman Wins It

[Terminatah]

Last night Akiva Goldsman won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (A Beautiful Mind). How does it feel to know the man who wrote Batman & Robin has a Golden Globe up on his shelf right now?

-Terminatah

[Naraht]

Originally posted by Terminatah
Last night Akiva Goldsman won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (A Beautiful Mind). How does it feel to know the man who wrote Batman & Robin has a Golden Globe up on his shelf right now?

-Terminatah

its no Oscar....but was on NBC! =D

[James Harvey]

I don't consider the Globes that big. If he wins an Oscar, then I'll do a double take. I was surprise dhe won. This is the same guy who wrote crap like Lost In Space, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. This is an amazing turnaround - I'll give it that.

[Bird Boy]

yeah..I don't think Golden Globes are all that big....

if he wins an Oscar..then I will be amazed..if he doesn't.... then nothing.... :)

-BB

[Heehaw]

Here's Goldsman writing filmography:

Memoirs of a Geisha (2003)
Sum of All Fears, The (2002)
Beautiful Mind, A (2001) (written by)
Practical Magic (1998) (screenplay)
Lost in Space (1998) (written by)
Batman & Robin (1997) (written by)
Time to Kill, A (1996) (screenplay)
Batman Forever (1995) (screenplay)
Client, The (1994) (screenplay)
Silent Fall (1994) (written by)

I'd say he's almost even when it comes to pros vs. cons. Geisha is Spielberg's next project after Minority Report. I don't know anything about Sum, though I've heard the title associated with movies to look forward to in 2002 lists.

I saw A Beautiful Mind last night and thought it was great. Yep, quite a turnaround.

[Joker85]

I know, when I first heard his name called, I was in shock, I couldn't believe it!!! But, I am confident he won't win a Oscar.

[The Game]

True Batman and Robin was beyond a disaster, and hey, I blame him and Shumacher above all, but that doens't mean he's a bad writer. I liked A Beautiful Mind , and I think he deserved it.

I agree with Heehaw, he's done as many, if not more good movies than bad ones.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Heehaw
Here's Goldsman writing filmography:

Memoirs of a Geisha (2003)
Sum of All Fears, The (2002)
Beautiful Mind, A (2001) (written by)
Practical Magic (1998) (screenplay)
Lost in Space (1998) (written by)
Batman & Robin (1997) (written by)
Time to Kill, A (1996) (screenplay)
Batman Forever (1995) (screenplay)
Client, The (1994) (screenplay)
Silent Fall (1994) (written by)

I'd say he's almost even when it comes to pros vs. cons. Geisha is Spielberg's next project after Minority Report. I don't know anything about Sum, though I've heard the title associated with movies to look forward to in 2002 lists.

I saw A Beautiful Mind last night and thought it was great. Yep, quite a turnaround.

It seems like all his great movies are based on books by other people.

Oh, and FOX News reports that Spielberg has given up on Geisha and plans to focus on Indiana Jones 4 as soon as he's done with Catch Me If You Can.

-Terminatah

[Cosmocat]

Goldsman really isn't a BAD writer, he just does what he's told. He can be very compelling when he wants to be, but in the case of the Batman films and Lost in Space and such, he was just doing what he was told.

[Heehaw]

Yeah, don't forget these scripts have to be approved by the studio so I place most of the blame on WB for letting the crap ones go into production.

Most movies are based on books or someone else's work, so there is no valid complaint there. You take the generally accepted greatest movies ever made, and the majority of them are not original ideas.

The Golden Globes are pretty huge, and are usually a good indicator on what to expect come Oscar time. Of course, half the time the wrong material gets nominated(just to look at the Grammys), so I don't put much stock in any awards show, even Oscar.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Heehaw
Yeah, don't forget these scripts have to be approved by the studio so I place most of the blame on WB for letting the crap ones go into production.

Most movies are based on books or someone else's work, so there is no valid complaint there. You take the generally accepted greatest movies ever made, and the majority of them are not original ideas.

Hey, it's actually a HIGHLY VALID complaint. Got a dictionary lying around?

I can see by your related-yet-irrelevant reply that you missed my point. A writer who can write a great movie by himself, in my opinion, has more skill than someone who can only produce a good movie by adapting material directly from someone else's work. Not that it's easy to adapt, but I see original creation as a more admirable feat for the writer. This is why Oscar categorizes screenplay adaptations and original screenplays separately.

-Terminatah

[Cosmocat]

Originally posted by Terminatah


Hey, it's actually a HIGHLY VALID complaint. Got a dictionary lying around?

I can see by your related-yet-irrelevant reply that you missed my point. A writer who can write a great movie by himself, in my opinion, has more skill than someone who can only produce a good movie by adapting material directly from someone else's work. Not that it's easy to adapt, but I see original creation as a more admirable feat for the writer. This is why Oscar categorizes screenplay adaptations and original screenplays separately.

-Terminatah

Adapting is a LOT harder than you think, man. It's actually harder than writing an original screenplay. Why? Because you're working from source material. You can't just let your mind fun free -- you have to discipline it and figure out how to make it fly as a movie instead of a book or comic or whatever.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Cosmocat


Adapting is a LOT harder than you think, man. It's actually harder than writing an original screenplay. Why? Because you're working from source material. You can't just let your mind fun free -- you have to discipline it and figure out how to make it fly as a movie instead of a book or comic or whatever.

Figuring out how to tell a story successfully in the motion picture format, finding the right tone, determining how to introduce key elements; ALL things you do when writing a screenplay, except the already well-written source material isn't there when it's an original work.

-Terminatah

[Heehaw]

Let's face it, writing any type of screenplay is a challenge, and an adapted screenplay doesn't necessarily have to have the same tone as the source material. Of course, some people cry boohoo when that happens. Personally, I'd think that adapting would be more difficult, esp. the "unfilmable source" type projects. One has to know what to include/exclude while trying to keep the story as close to the author's original intent, though alot of times that goes out the window and something new is born. Hopefully, it's for the better. I don't subscribe to the notion that the book is always better than the movie. It just depends on the film.

[The Dark Knight]

I think original screenplays are much harder than adapted screenplays. It’s true you can let you imagination run free with original projects, but it’s difficult to actually write something that’s good while you’re letting it run. When you have a point of reference, usually a successful novel, it’s easier to include what’s already been written and was done well. It’s still hard work, but not in the same league as original writing.

[Cosmocat]

I dunno. I'm a professional writer, so that's how it is for me. It's much easier to just sit down and write from my own head then writing from source material. I've NEVER been able to fully adapt something. It may be different for some people...

[D-Mono]

So no Memoirs of a Geisha movie? Hurrah! I absolutely adore that book and would hate to see it b*stardized by Hollywood. :)
D-Mono.

[Cosmocat]

Originally posted by D-Mono
So no Memoirs of a Geisha movie? Hurrah! I absolutely adore that book and would hate to see it b*stardized by Hollywood. :)
D-Mono.

If Spielberg had made it, I don't think it would have been bastardized. I know he had Goldsman rewriting Ron Bass' work; and that's what got me thinking. I mean, damn, if SPIELBERG was using Goldsman...the guy can't be THAT bad. And he's not. Really.

[Heehaw]

I forgot that Goldsman rewrote Batman Forever. A husband/wife? team were responsible for the script. If memory serves, Two-Face was the main villain(I hate that word) and is a Rupert Thorne type character. For whatever reason, he brings in Riddler to hunt down Batman. That's about all I ever read about that version.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Heehaw
I forgot that Goldsman rewrote Batman Forever. A husband/wife? team were responsible for the script. If memory serves, Two-Face was the main villain(I hate that word) and is a Rupert Thorne type character. For whatever reason, he brings in Riddler to hunt down Batman. That's about all I ever read about that version. What are you talking about?

-Terminatah

[Cosmocat]

Originally posted by Terminatah
What are you talking about?

-Terminatah

This is true. Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler were the original writers of the Batman Forever script. When Joel Schumacher was brought on board, he brought Akiva Goldsman along with him (who Schumacher had worked with on The Client). Goldsman then proceeded to re-write the script to Schumacher's and the studio's specifications.

[Heehaw]

Yeah, what he said. :) I think the Batchlers get co-writing credit in the opening credits, though I'm not entirely certain of that, it's been years since I viewed that part of the movie.