In light of the ongoing screenwriters' strike in Hollywood, this is a good time to look at some of the big-screen treasures writers have given us through the years.
While actors are what usually come to mind when we think about a film (and their SAG-AFTRA union has recently joined the WGA, the Writers' Guild of America, on strike), the words they say are what matter most.
Often, one line stands out to audiences and resonates within them or stays with them for a long time, if not forever.
In one memorable line, this time from the 2012 Disney/Pixar animated film Brave, Princess Merida, a strong-minded young woman who takes control of her life, says,
"Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it."
This is what the screenwriters left us with at the end of the film. Merida then set her life on the trajectory she wanted to go.
The contributing writers (story by Brenda Chapman; screenplay by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi) knew they had to make strong statements throughout the film.
With the character of Merida, they had the perfect vehicle for explaining about our own fates.
Screenwriters Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch gave us many memorable lines from the 1942 classic Casablanca.
Perhaps the most notable is the final scene, when frenemies Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) joined forces against the Nazis.
Of course, there are plenty of other great one-liners from this film, however this one strikes a chord in viewers and puts a smile on their faces.
Many of Shakespeare's lines are quoted every day, even by people who don't know they're from Shakespeare (who'd totally be a screenwriter if he were alive today).
While people usually know they're quoting a movie, some lines just become part of everyday speech.
For a minute, let's play Name That Movie:
A: Titanic (1997); writer, James Cameron.
B: Top Gun (1986); writers, Jim Cash, Jack Epps. Jr.
C: Jaws (1975); writer, Peter Benchley (who also wrote the novel it was based on), Carl Gottlieb.
D: The Terminator (1984); writers, James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher.
John Keating, played by Robin Williams in the 1989 highly acclaimed film Dead Poets Society, was a teacher that not only taught his students, but also inspired and challenged them.
Tom Schulman wrote a masterful film which included this memorable character. Keating also said, courtesy of writer Schulman:
Talk about an inspirational challenge
For this film, Schulman took home the Academy Award for best screenplay written directly for the screen.
This little tidbit comes from the obscure 1983 film Somewhere, Tomorrow, starring a very young Sarah Jessica Parker, written by Robert Wiemer (who also directed):
It’s an interesting thought to contemplate. Below is the trailer, but you can see the whole film here on YouTube.
In the 1958 film Auntie Mame, writers Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Patrick Dennis brought us an eccentric woman who lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every bit of it.
Her signature line:
She seized the day, went out on a limb, and loved the journey.
Once in a while, a line that is supposed to be memorable turns into a joke. For instance, Love Story, the 1970 classic film of love and loss by writer Erich Segal (who also penned the novel it was based on), gave us:
What? Apparently, writers Buck Henry, David Newman and Robert Benton also thought the line was a bit off.
Two years later, in the film What’s Up Doc?, Barbra Streisand says that line to her co-star, Love Story star Ryan O’Neal, who abruptly fires back with, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Finally, let’s leave with some words of wisdom, first from Yoda in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back:
Thank you, writers Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas.
And we must heed the words of little Dory from the 2003 film Finding Nemo, written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, who stated:
How true. Just keep swimming. Let’s thank the writers for such great advice, inspiration, and challenges.
Image: Canva
Francine Brokaw is a longtime journalist, covering entertainment, product reviews and travel, and is the host of Beyond the Red Carpet on Village Television and YouTube.
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