He’s a good man, Tom is. He’s got a gift, come from heaven above, I swear. But he’s still a man. And a woman can lead a man into the middle of a mountain lake—and still make him think he’s on dry land. —from The Horse Whisperer
The Horse Whisperer was on last night. Beautiful movie. I never think much about scripts, but I looked around, and found that particular screenplay on the internet. When you read it just after watching the movie—or during—you realize that while the words are strong, sometimes they’re only as strong as the person saying them. And while that shouldn’t be a revelation, it felt like one. You must have the right characters—or in this case, actors. You have to have the right fit to make it all work and come together. And it’s not easy. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw. But mostly it’s hard work.
Anyway, you want a lesson in good dialogue and characters, check out some scripts. Ones I pulled out of the bag: An Affair to Remember, Blade Runner, City of Joy, Dances With Wolves, Giant, Hotel Rwanda, It Happened One Night, Lethal Weapon 4, THX-1138, and The Princess Bride.