A Master Class in Screenwriting
We've been discussing good writing lately -- specifically, the dearth of it in modern fiction. But that's also true (though less so) about contemporary screenwriting. I was reminded of how precious skillful screenwriting is when I saw the final episode of the The Last Movie Stars, Ethan Hawke's HBO documentary series about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The documentary features Newman's brilliant summation to the jury in the 1982 movie The Verdict. In the Hollywood way, director Sidney Lumet (and star Newman ) get nearly all of the credit for the great film, about a broken-down, alcoholic lawyer named Frank Galvin (Newman) who takes on the regal power of the Boston Catholic Church and its elite corporate counsel.
I think it's the best acting that Newman ever did -- and Lumet talks about why in the HBO series. But he fails to mention that the screenplay was written by the stellar David Mamet.
Now I get why people don't want to highlight Mamet these days. Because he's, well, gone fucking crazy. But God in heaven could that man write.
Yes, Newman hit new heights as an actor in The Verdict, thanks partly to his own latent resources and to Lumet. But David Mamet wrote the words. And words matter.
Here is Newman's summation to the jury in the film. It should be read and viewed by everyone who cares about cinema:
Frank Galvin : You know, so much of the time we're just lost. We say, "Please, God, tell us what is right; tell us what is true." And there is no justice: the rich win, the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie. And after a time, we become dead... a little dead. We think of ourselves as victims... and we become victims. We become... we become weak. We doubt ourselves, we doubt our beliefs. We doubt our institutions. And we doubt the law.
But today you are the law. You ARE the law. Not some book... not the lawyers... not the, a marble statue... or the trappings of the court. See those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are... they are, in fact, a prayer: a fervent and a frightened prayer.
In my religion, they say, "Act as if ye had faith... and faith will be given to you." IF... if we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. And ACT with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts.
(You can watch the iconic scene here: )
