The biggest challenge screenwriters face isn’t coming up with interesting ideas. No, rather, it’s discovering how to tell that story in a compelling way, all while keeping the interest of your audience in the process. With her first screenplay, Gillian Flynn had the difficult task of adapting her best-selling novel, “Gone Girl,” and turning it into a modern noir thriller for director David Fincher. But as we now know, it paid off handsomely. Not only was she able to re-create her story through more traditional storytelling methods, but Flynn did so all while still incorporating her own unique voice and style. And through their latest video essay, Lessons From The Screenplay break down the award-nominated screenplay (side note: how did it not get an Oscar nomination?) and dissect why she did such a fantastic job.
You can watch the video to see the reasons for yourself, but it mostly comes down to a few simple traits. For example, Flynn writes great action lines, and even in a simple, direct scene, she’s able to communicate the action in two blunt, effective sentences.
In a simple scene shared between Neil Patrick Harris and Ben Affleck, Flynn feeds both actors and Fincher the following: “Desi doesn’t invite him in. Strange charge in air: Desi thinks Nick is guilty; Nick thinks Desi is innocent.” That charges the energy and mood of the scene, but it doesn’t completely inform it, nor does it get cluttered in a sea of words. It’s simple, to the point. And later, when she writes, “Desi gives him nothing,” it might be a clipped note, but it’s efficient enough to give the actor and filmmaker breathing room for suspense, intrigue and mystery.
READ MORE: 10-Minute Video Essay Details The Greek Tragedy Of David Fincher’s ‘Gone Girl’
With that said, it’s important to note, as it is here, that the screenplay and in the final film are not always one-in-the-same. Some lines of dialogue, for instance, are noticeably different, either because the director changed it or the actors decided to shake it up. In any case, this is why it’s important for the screenwriter to set the tone more than anything else. Another example: Instead of having a simple pause written in the script, Flynn instead chooses to write “Ugly pause.” It’s great not only because it’s different, but because it’s vivid and it implies tone and pacing — all in a matter of two simple words. In screenwriting, it’s always good to give a little personality in the writing, but especially so if it can stress on the plot, assure it remains tight and let everything that come in the narrative have a direct point and purpose.
The channel then goes on to show how effectively Flynn can build up a scene — with assistance from Fincher, of course — and how she effectively used supporting characters to introduce new elements and details to the audience. And through constantly quoting and referencing to Jon Truby’s “The Anatomy of Story,” they provide a number of great examples for why Flynn made such a compelling, investigating and maddeningly entertaining screenplay — one that not only respects her audience but keeps the audience invested throughout. It’s an impeccable piece of work, both the screenplay and film, as well as the video detailing the two. All three are well worth your time.