The Lighthouse

Posted on November 20, 2012 | by admin

Hello everybody.  Like a lot of you preparing for Thanksgiving, today is a travel day for me.  I’m heading back to Chicago.  Do not fear, however.  One of Scriptshadow’s new consultants, Alexander, will be taking over review duties.  I’d link you to his bio so you could learn more about him but I’m still at a point where WordPress won’t allow me to link anything! Very frustrating.  But anyway, just click “Script Notes” up above and look for “Alexander.”  – I want to apologize about comments disappearing or taking a long time to show up.  Still sorting that out.  Also, when I get to Chicago tonight, I’ll put up a post where you guys can give me your feedback and note any issues you’ve had with the site.  I know “mobile” is a big one.  I’m going to try and get to everything as soon as I can.  In the meantime, enjoy Alexander’s review.  I thought it was great!  

Genre: Period Drama
Premise: Based on the true story of a New York City architect involved in the race to build the world’s tallest building in the year 1930.
About: Writer’s most recent spec, POMPEII, was taken into studios this summer by big time producers but he’s still looking for his first sale as far as I know.
Writer: Eric Kirsten
Details: 115 pages

The Lighthouse

The spec market is tough. Looking to sell a period spec? Strike one. Looking to sell a period spec that’s a small historical drama/biopic? You’re probably staring down at least two strikes unless your subject is iconic or eccentric enough to attract a big piece of talent.

THE LIGHTHOUSE doesn’t quite fall into either of those categories, but Kirsten manages to take a pretty straight-forward story that doesn’t sound all that sexy and crafts an engaging and entertaining script. That’s only done with good writing. And having a good writing sample is often better in the long run than managing to somehow sell a commercial idea that’s a bad piece of writing.

We open on two workers sitting on top of the metal frame of an in-construction skyscraper in the middle of New York City. It’s 1930, and these guys are wrapping up an 11-hour shift….which was preceded by a 12-hour shift. Needless to say, they’re having a hard time concentrating. As a crane sends a huge metal beam their way, Worker #1 starts to clip his buddy onto the support frame – except with all the Sandman’s dust in his eyes he doesn’t do it right and the hook comes loose, causing Worker #2 to lose his balance and plummet hundreds of feet to his death as his bloodshot friend can only watch and wake up real fast.

Good idea to grab our attention with an unexpected death scene instead of opening up on a guy using a protractor or something. If it worked for CLIFFHANGER… And we learned an important lesson: Building a skyscraper was dangerous shit back in those days.

Flashback seven years to Paris, where recent architecture grad Will Van Alen and his socialite best friend Harry Tanning decide to partner up and start a design firm of their own back in the States. With Will’s design talent and Harry’s contacts, they’re confident they’ll make a name for themselves. And when businessman Alan Reynolds approaches Will in an attempt to hire him to be part of a team designing a swanky new hotel in NYC, Will successfully uses his confidence and determination to convince Alan to give Will and Harry’s new firm the gig.

Unfortunately, with success comes responsibility and Harry’s just not pulling his weight bringing in new clients, so Will gives in to pressure from Alan to hire the slick, ego-driven Craig Severence as his new business partner, relegating Harry to mere “employee” status. Needless to say, Harry is pissed and his friendship with Will is deeply fractured.

Flash forward six years later: Will and Harry are still estranged, though Harry is now a model employee. Will meets spunky photographer Meg Bagley and they hit it off. Plus, Alan loves the new, innovative design that Will secretly sent him and greenlights construction! Will is thrilled. Craig, however, is less than pleased, making it known to Will that he is never to present a set of designs without consulting him first. It’s the first time that Will’s seen this darker side of Craig and it’s unsettling.

Meanwhile, Will makes a trip to see his older brother, Terry, who’s rotting away in Sing Sing for an unknown crime but one that Will implies helped him survive their tough childhood. Clearly wanting to make Terry proud, Will excitedly tells Terry about the imminent construction of his building and vows to find a way to get Terry out of prison.

But just as construction is about to start on Will’s awesome hotel design, Will gets called to see Alan. Seems the stock market crashed and Alan’s fortune disappeared along with it, which means Will’s building is dead and so is his company. As Craig and Will say their acrimonious goodbyes, Craig breaks the news that Alan has killed himself. The beginning of The Great Depression, both literally and figuratively for Will.

Everyone goes their separate ways and soon, Will finds himself standing in a food line, unable to find a job. Luckily, Harry shows up and wants to get their two-man band back together, tipping him off that Alan sold his land to William Chrysler (the car guy), who’s looking to build his new headquarters. So Will applies…and is promptly sent a standard rejection letter.

After a nice bender to try and drink his misery away, Meg and Terry convince Will to try and get his designs directly to Chrylser himself. Will manages to sneak his plans into Chrysler’s office but isn’t hopeful about his prospects until Chrysler makes a surprise appearance at Will’s modest apartment and requests to pay a visit to his company the next day…the company that doesn’t exist anymore. So Will rounds up a bunch of unemployed construction workers and breaks into his old office, succeeding in convincing Chrysler that he runs a reputable firm and getting the greenlight to start construction on what will be the world’s tallest building.

Except that at the groundbreaking, the press informs Will that his old partner/new nemesis Craig is working on an even taller skyscraper for the Bank of Manhattan. Chrysler tells Will that if he beats Craig, he’ll use his connections to get Terry out of prison. Will assures Chrysler that he has a plan…which he doesn’t. The race is on!

Which brings us back to the sleepy head at the start and his dead friend, who, it turns out, dies as a consequence of this race, having worked those multiple double shifts so that Craig’s building could come out on top. Wanting to make sure no one else dies because of their egotistical battle, Will agrees to not add anymore floors to his building plan, assuring that Craig will have the tallest building in the world, which Craig soon unveils to great fanfare.

So how does Will keep his word to Craig while simultaneously keeping his promise to Chrysler? In a dramatic unveiling of Will’s building, which Craig attends, a crane pulls out a HUGE GLEAMING SPIRE from the base of the building, placing it on the very top, making it taller than Craig’s and the tallest in the world. Our guys win!

Sadly, this being the real world, and the business world at that, we get a dose of “not so fast” when Chrysler reneges on his deal to help Terry get out of prison and it’s announced that the Chrysler Building will only remain the tallest for a few more months…until a little thing known as the Empire State Building is completed.

Historical/biopic scripts can often be generic and/or boring, following the same, simplistic dramatic clichés (“I’m gonna be somebody!”) or bogging themselves down by relying on a dense rundown of “the facts” to tell a story without giving much thought to the characters, dialogue and actual storytelling. And I guess that’s why THE LIGHTHOUSE kept me engaged throughout – because Kirsten focuses on, and does a good job with, crafting believable and well-written characters that we care about in a world that felt authentic.

Rather than focus on the big names behind the race to build the world’s tallest building, or the race itself on a superficial level, Kirsten finds a more personal way to tell the story by introducing us to Will Van Alen, a man with very relatable hopes, dreams, relationships, failures and triumphs. We come to know Will so well through the first two-thirds of the script that by the time the “race” enters the equation, we’re invested in Will’s goals and thereby invested in the skyscraper race – not the other way around – which wouldn’t have worked. If Chrysler himself had been made our protagonist, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have cared whether or not a rich guy managed to satisfy his ego and gain a little more notoriety. In fact, I probably would’ve rooted against him. Similarly, a multi-character take on the race would’ve likely come across as impersonal and cold. But in this version, we’re rooting for the likeable Will – not to win anything per se, but to realize his dream of building a towering monument and to get Terry out of prison. Okay, maybe we want him to smack Craig a little in the process, which doesn’t hurt. In the script, Kirsten reveals that Chrysler and the Bank of Manhattan honcho hated each other and desperately wanted to top the other and, sure, Kirsten could’ve told the story through this specific rivalry, but focusing on the rivalry between Will and his former partner Craig offers the same relationship dynamic albeit with characters and situations we could probably all relate to in some way, shape or form.

I will say that I wish Will wasn’t portrayed as such a good guy throughout the whole script (his dis of Harry notwithstanding). I think it would’ve made him a more interesting, complex character if we would’ve seen his darker side at some point. He admits to Meg that all architects are driven by ego, but he willing offers up that insight, and in a cheerful way. I would’ve rather seen Meg drag an angry confession out of him, her concern for Will’s obsession the ultimate reason why he calls the race off. What can I say? I wouldn’t have minded some shades of a version that could’ve been called THERE WILL BE BUILDING.

All in all, one of the more enjoyable historical biopics I’ve read in recent years.

[ ] What the hell did I just read?
[ ] wasn’t for me
[ ] worth the read
[x] impressive
[ ] genius

What I learned: Often when people write historical scripts, it’s difficult for them to resist the urge to focus on the “big” elements in the tale, rather than find ways to create a more character-driven entrance into a particular story. The former version can end up reading like the kind of generic “highlights” biography I’d find in the Kids section of the book store, or, conversely, like I’m reading an encyclopedia. It’s generally more interesting to read a script that’s a personal story touched by an historical event rather than the other way around.

Posted in Impressive
  • fragglewriter

    I read until page 46 and had to stop, which I hated doing because the first scene really got my attention. What diminished my attention span was the flashback. If the flashback was short and sweet, let’s say no more than 5 pages, then I would’ve of gotten into the script more. I always wonder why writers use such long flashbacks. I also thought flashbacks were to clarify information. If there is a long flashback, it distracts me as a reader/moviegoer, and then I ponder as to why the story couldn’t be told in chronologicall order. And by page 46, I still didn’t know what the point of this story was. About a building. Not intriguing enough for me.
    {x} Wasn’t for me

  • Yellomamba

    That picture is amazing. I want a blow up of it in my living room.

  • Jovan Jevtic

    I stopped around page 50. So … Wasn’t for . is no urgency and I found it boring as there was never a clear goal. Will’s character fell thin and I just couldn’t root for him. The fun and games part is what needs to sell the story and the building and Chrysler haven’t appeared yet. I would like to see a movie about building a skyscraper but I’m not sure that these characters here could offer a unique experience. I always go back to There will be blood. How fast the story starts. And how quickly the conflict is introduced. Here, there wasn’t enough juice.

    • courlo

      you know, jovan, not every story is the same, right? they don’t all have to start out with a bang to make their mark. what amazes me is that after merely fifty pages, you stopped and gave feedback on the entire script.

    • donaldson728

      Sometimes you have to settle into the rhythm of a story, find it’s baseline, pulses. Sometimes that baseline runs lower than what you’re used to. Doesn’t mean it’s bad for the story.

  • bmatho

    I really liked the story’s opening scene, but after reading this wondered whether it could have been used later in the story, thereby eliminating the need to use the horrendously long flashback sequence altogether. Perhaps the writer could have developed some sort of different accident in Paris as a new beginning to foreshadow the potential dangers involved in speed-building skyscrapers that would still serve to set up the race between Will and Craig and the whole third act. Something needs to change because I found the flashback jarring as a reader. That said, I would rate this worth the read for aspiring screenwriters to see a format that’s not quite working. But also because apart from the sequencing of the acts, the writing is solid/enjoyable.

    • craigfeag

      I hear you, bmatho, and I wondered the same thing; but unfortunately, a writer almost has to have an opening scene like that in their script to get most studio or prod. co. ADHD readers to go “wow” and continue flipping the pages.

  • courlo

    in the spirit of thanksgiving, i am very thankful to have just read fraggle’s partial review based on having read 46 pages of a much longer tome. i cogitate how one deems a script anything when they’ve stopped, let’s say, one-third of the way through the material. flashbacks, as with any screenwriting conceit, are not stone-set. The story dictates their form, or so i have been told, read and seen. i have a good chuckle whenever i read feedback that purports to be borne of a deeper handle than that of the writer who, likely, has more experience than the does the amateur eyed reader. i believe that most folks enter a script with predelictions that they just won’t ever overcome, or set aside, unless said script is one which is predicated upon subject matter that they are familiar and favor.
    screenwriting is undergoing a transformation. and that shift is moving towards character-based writing. i have noticed this movement since the national economy went kaput, consequently changing the market for specs, and solicited writing. i, for one, am on board with that reformation. just look around at the movies that have made it into theaters within the last, say, three years. the lion’s share of those films have been very robustly pushed by a character versus a story, or a concept. concept remains important, but, with the contraction of financing, not many folks with the dough are willing to bet big heaps of it on something that doesn’t at least appear to be a potential moneymaker.
    why didn’t those transformer films do so well? or the avengers? while they had many characters, their stories were dated and concept-conveyed. saving the entire planet from impending doom doesn’t score well with audiences who have grown up watching bart, barney, stan and cartman. psychographics, if you didn’t already know, are a huge factor in the decision making process. how do i know? i read it somewhere when i was just starting to write.
    in short, viewers want to root for a hero with whom they can identify. we’re living in the personality era where stars are being born overnight. anybody see psy, the korean pop star on the ama’s sunday night? where’d he come from so soon?
    someone emailed me about the script of mine that carson sent with last friday’s email. it’s the event. it’s a character-driven story wrapped around a scifi story. i wanted to show the lead character as a “normal” person who happens to have supernatural powers as opposed to her being just another supernatural person who experiences awkward isolation because they don’t fit in with “normal” folks.
    awesome script, the lighthouse. outstanding characterization and truly inpired story.

    • garrett_h

      Wait… Transformers and Avengers didn’t do well?

      What planet are you on? Cybertron???

      • courlo

        transformers 3 was beaten by hangover 2 on opening night…the others ones were panned. avengers, while it did well, was propped up by high ticket prices from imax houses. hangover 2 is a character-driven film.

        • garrett_h

          You said: “why didn’t those transformer films do so well? or the avengers?”

          Transformers Series = $2.6 billion in box office

          Avengers = $1.5 billion in box office

          And just for kicks…

          Marvel Cinematic Universe = $3.8 billion in box office

          I’d say they did pretty well…

          • courlo

            check inside those numbers, and you’ll see imax all over them. total ticket sales were not very amazing. you should also consider the price of admission when looking at those huge numbers. and the worldwide box office is much larger in total than is the us mkt for films. but, just look around at the films that do the best today, the vast majority of them are character-driven.

          • garrett_h

            This is getting very nitpicky on your part, but I’ll play your game…

            Let’s do it by total ticket sales, shall we?

            Check this link: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm?adjust_yr=1&p=.htm

            The Avengers is #27 based on tickets sold, All-Time. The Transformers films are #81, #109 and #125. The Hangover is #182. The Hangover 2, which you mention above, isn’t in the Top 200.

            That throws out the inflated IMAX prices, 3D prices, inflation, whatever.

            All three were in the top 125 of movies all time? I’d say that’s pretty amazing…

          • RayFinkleLacesOut

            Dude, I don’t want to go straight for the name calling but…you are crazy. Who cares if they’re propped up by IMAX tickets. Money is money. And those are big numbers no matter what propped them up. Also you’re replying on every post that doesn’t think this script is an A+ script saying they’re wrong. Calm down, let people have their opinions.

    • fragglewriter

      Scripts are subjectives, such as rants.

  • Poe_Serling

    A tip of my bowler to Alexander for a great review and his excellent choice of the accompanying photo above.

    The iconic pic from ’32 of workers taking a lunch break during the construction of the RCA building conjures up such wonderful images of the nature and essence of this script.

    Like I’ve mentioned before, don’t underestimate the power of nostalgic elements in your projects.

    A good deal of what makes this script work is its take on classic Americana. The core of the story is an ode to hard work, taking risks, and making your dreams come true… which are very relatable notions for most people and, especially, for aspiring writers.

    • courlo

      tell us something that isn’t already obvious, rod…i meant, edgar, err, allen, um, poe serling.

  • crazdwriter

    I love historical biopics, especially when it offers background on a subject/character I don’t know much about. I meant to read this, but based on this positive review, I HAVE to read this! Great job, Alexander!

  • NajlaAnn

    Have a nice Thanksgiving!

  • Somersby

    This script reminds me of the movie Tucker, the American car designer. I saw that film years ago, but remember very little about it. I know it won numerous awards, it was nice to look at, and it had some pretty solid performances. But the story was basically forgettable.

    That seems to be the problem with this script. It’s an easy enough read, and the characters are interesting in that British-period-drama sort of way… it’s just that there’s a kind of sleepiness, a blandness of tone that hangs over everything like a gray cloud. Despite the visually exciting beginning (which could be less talky by half) it seems to take forever to get where it’s going.

    Ultimately, one doesn’t doubt that Will Van Alen will succeed in winning the tallest building race with Craig Severance. The story would be more engaging if Will was more driven. I like having his brother’s release from jail being a goal – but at the moment it’s introduced almost as an afterthought. Six years pass in New York before we even hear of Terry. I think getting him released from jail should be Will’s driving goal from the first time we meet him.

    I agree with Alexander. This is a solid writing sample – it just doesn’t have enough umph to make it memorable.

  • J•E•B

    I’m a sucker for stories like this. The rich quality of storytelling here is inspiring.

    • donaldson728

      Agreed. I love stories like this. Especially in good hands. My favorite moment was when Will had Ned touch the tip of the needle in the fire core and tell him he’s just touched what’s about to be the top of the world.

  • grupo tres

    I have a question for Carson about this Black List scandal DHD is talking about. What do you think? See:

    http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/black-list-makes-first-website-discovery-mccarthyism-screenwriter-signs-with-caa/

    • garrett_h

      I’d hardly call it a scandal, though it does sound fishy…

      I had reservations about this Blacklist thing when it first started. A lot of people did. Looks like a lot of them are feeling justified, now.

    • carsonreeves1

      I think I believe Franklin. It’s not in his interest to do something underhanded. My guess is that he honestly didn’t know the guy was a past intern.

  • Pugsley

    Good review, Alexander!

  • Murphy

    Firstly let me say that I loved this story. It is a subject that I find very interesting, and while the construction of the story is very generic, it does work well with the subject matter. I read it on a Sunday morning while everyone else was still in bed and I enjoyed the read immensly.

    But impressive it can’t be, for one simple reason: It ain’t a movie.

    Sure I would watch this film, but I am a boring old fart who will enjoy the documentary just as much. Who else is going to watch this movie? There is hardly a market for it, it is slow, boring, it has static, boring characters and ultimately isn’t really about anything, after all, as this script even makes clear, the tallest building in the world is being built all the time – this is just not important enough. This combined with, what you rightly pointed out, a weak lead character with no arc and no other dimension makes for a tame read.

    In fact the very fact that you realise this flaw with the characters and yet still give an impressive is strange to say the least. Carson did the same recently one and it annoyed me. You cannot point out a huge problem with a script and yet still give it an impressive, can you?

    It was worth the read, I enjoyed it, but I do try to judge these scripts on whether or not the writer has accomplished their goal of writing a good spec script. not just whether they have written a story I enjoyed reading myself.

    His time and talent would be put to much better use on a script that has a chance of being turned into a movie me thinks.

    Worth the read [x]

    • carsonreeves1

      Which script did I point out a big flaw in and give an impressive? I must defend myself!

      • Murphy

        Mr Reeves, My sincere apologies, I did you a great disservice. It was actually a guest review for “borrowing girls” and the reviewer gave a worth the read despite pointing out some real logic flaws in the script.

        My memory is getting very poor as I turn into an old fart.

        Sorry to slur your good name sir, it shall not happen again.

        • carsonreeves1

          Phew!

    • Murphy

      hahaha, I just voted myself up by mistake, in return I have voted myself down, just for the record….

  • K_Sharp

    Ok, Carson, you convinced me. I had pretty much zero interest in reading this (thinking it sounded more like a made-for-History-Channel movie), but to give out the “impressive” rating? I’m in.

    • carsonreeves1

      I actually did not review this. One of the guest reviewers did. :)

  • Ethan718

    Wow, can’t underestimate the importance of that opening. I’ve noticed that when it comes to a drama, it can sometimes be hard to get the viewer feeling tense. I mean, I was intrigued by the logline, but I’m a weird dude. I get interested by weird things. But with the guy falling off the building, that’s a universal thing. That will get normal people into the story. I saw a similar thing in Flight today- with the crash. That added stakes and intensity, like this script’s start.

    • carsonreeves1

      It’s so important with a drama to get the reader right away, lest they start thinking this will be a long boring slow read (as is what most readers assume when they open up dramas).

  • dkFrizzell

    Like Will Van Alen, I persevered and completed the task at hand.

    The writing was top notch, an easy read with likable characters and dialog that is as sharp and crisp as a drill sergeant’s bed sheets. But…

    To me, a story should be more than just “technically perfect”. It needs to have soul. It needs to stand out and scream: “Look at me! I’m something special!” Sadly, I never felt that way with The Lighthouse. I never felt a sense of urgency. The story seemed content to just meander along.

    Same with the characters; they were likable, but nothing more. I never LOVED any of them and didn’t really care if they succeeded or not. In the end, the only thing I was rooting for was: FADE OUT.

  • Citizen M

    It was well written, but I think the writer failed to establish a main dramatic storyline. There were bits of everything, most of it without much drama. We see a worker dying in the opening scene, but it’s not about workers pushed beyond their limits. We meet Meg the photographer and there are some cute scenes with her, but it’s not a romance. We meet brother Terry in prison, but it’s not about him getting free. We meet Clive his partner he has a falling out with, but it’s not about their subsequent rivalry.

    I think the writer should have thought of a compelling logline, pinned it to his wall, and written around it. “Based on the true story of a New York City architect” is just not exciting enough.

    [x] worth the read

    • Citizen M

      Two other points. I think the title needs explanation. “The Lighthouse” suggests some moody, coastal drama, not a bustling New York biopic.

      Second, this is history, not a story. The difference is, in a story, I’m anxious to know what happens next. With history I’m being told what happens next whether I’m interested or not.

      • courlo

        citizen, what sense did that make?

  • carsonreeves1

    Ooh, Gold. I forgot about that script. Really good. I’m hoping someone puts it together. And I think you’re right. It’s just hard to write these period pieces and get anybody’s attention unless the main character is beyond fascinating.

    • LA_Scribe
      • carsonreeves1

        I thought I heard that. Cool news. :)

      • Xarkoprime

        Awesome :)
        Lets see if my prediction of Jeff Bridges to lead comes true,,

    • klmn

      I think period films are out of favor right now. During and after the Vietnam war there were a number of “end of the West” Westerns, possibly because the country turned introspective.

      I think we may be approaching a similar time of introspection as our economy struggles and our foreign policy reaches uncharted waters. (I’m speaking as an American, of course. YMMV)

      • crazdwriter

        I disagree, thanks to the success of The Help, The King’s Speech and True Grit in recent years, I think period films are hot-ish right now. Just this year, at least 6 will be released and 3 are true-life stories: Argo, Lincoln, Hyde Park on Hudson, Les Miserables, Anna K and Snow White and the Huntsman. Next year, three more are highly anticipated: Saving Mr. Banks, The Butler and 12 Years a Slave. It would seem if you have a good period piece, now is the time to put it out there. But then again, maybe I’m just biased and looking at this through rose-colored glasses because I have a Civil War biopic that’s getting some reads, and I have to stay optimistic. lol

        • klmn

          A perfect test case is the McCarthy script which is kicking ass on the Blacklist. If it sells then we will know period films are back. I haven’t read the script, so I’m basing my speculations on the buzz.

  • TGivens

    Great script. Worth the read [x] for me.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/2IY5PS4D4PPODS6MP265XS5VHU Melanie W

    Irrespective of what one thinks of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, pro or con, The Fountainhead is a splendid example of how one can make a genuinely thrilling yet character-based and richly thematic film about erecting a building. Worth comparing with this script, for those who have seen (or read) both.

  • Thomas A. Schwenn

    While I found myself engrossed in the script, I wasn’t all that impressed. It lacks a clear antagonist and goals. Yes, Craig is a prick. But the conflict is never do or die, or even that nasty: they’re playing with house money.

    The best feature was the writing. Everything was very clear and concise. Everything moved forward.

  • klmn

    A few are getting made but I expect the box office to be dominated by superheroes and vampires for some time.

  • jridge32

    My only quibble in what really is a very good script, happened early: Will Van Alen is telling his employer, Larry, he no longer wants to follow the story of the Bank of Manhattan Building construction because of the recent bricklayer’s death. We then flashback to Will in his twenties, in his Paris college dorm with his roommate Harry, who suggests a partnership with Will for them to “design structures the gods are not worthy of”.

    At first, I thought this was Larry, not Harry. Perhaps Will is remembering the beginning of their partnership during the moment it begins falling apart, or something. Architecture didn’t quite pan out for either of them, but at least Will is able to write about it. But, no. It was just a hair confusing. In other words: either a name for Will’s employer not so close to Will’s former roommate, or vice versa.

    Happy Thanksgiving, Carson!

  • kubrickfan01

    Good solid storytelling. My only issues with the script are the beginning and ending.

    In the beginning, we have Ned falling to his death, only to meet him three quarters of the way through the story and not revisit that moment. Is there something I missed?
    The ending was also an issue for me. I liked how all of Will’s hard work and dedication is fodder for Chrysler. Shows that the little, big guy just can’t win in some situations. I thought that Will would have left the jail walking back towards the city and his next big challenge.
    I’m not familiar with the story of the building of the Chrysler building, but I am now.

    • thompsonedl

      Loved this script – hope it gets made. The guy (Ned) who returns in the script later isn’t the one that fell – it was his partner (who sorta caused it). Very happy Kirsten made the black list…

Archives
  • ►2013 (116)
  • ►2012 (277)
  • ►2011 (291)
  • ►2010 (324)
  • ►2009 (351)