Script Doctor Eric
I know we’re halfway through 2010, but sometimes it takes a little while to catch up on all the flicks.
The Best Written Movies of 2009
(in no particular order)
In the Loop Now that’s comedic dialogue.
Up While there are a couple holes (does no one miss the kid?), and it’s no WALL-E or Toy Sory 3, Pixar still delivers.
(500) Days of Summer Not quite as good as everyone says it is, but still a sweet, sweet quarter-life crisis romance.
Inglourious Basterds Quentin brings the fun, the tension, and kicks Nazi arse.
The Hangover Comedies get no critical love, but this one got the box office. Shows you don’t need stars, just a great premise and a ton of good jokes.
Fantastic Mr. Fox Clever, funny, and surprisingly touching. Makes the Dahl story better.
Julie & Julia Laugh if you will, but balancing dual protagonists, both based on real-life people? Now that’s a challenge.
Where the Wild Things Are Another tough film to write. Epitomizes “show don’t tell.”
Adventureland Not too sweet, not too salty – how a good coming-of-age story should be.
Up in the Air Some solid stuff here, yet could have been even better…
Watchmen Even (or especially) if it’s straight from the comic book, it’s a dark, philosophical tale. Watch the long version.
Coraline Balances a creepy mystery with child-like imagination so well…BOO!
An Education What do you expect? It’s Nick Hornby.
Sugar The type of American indie that feels like a great foreign film – explores the cross-cultural world that is the United States without being preachy.
Avatar Easy to make fun of, but try and write a movie that appeals to EVERY demographic worldwide and see if your dialogue doesn’t sound a bit cheesy. It could have been much worse.
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Conspicuously not on the list: The Hurt Locker. Writer Mark Boal calls it more of a series of vignettes than a movie. I tend to agree.
Onward!
-Eric
Related posts:
- The Best Written Movies of 2008