Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman Read Free Book Online Page A

over and over till the grave.
    I blessed Carlino and Conroy for their talents as writers and director, and I blessed Danner and O'Keefe for theirs as per- formers. But most of all, I blessed that great character actor, Robert Duvall. Because if you are a screenwriter, and you wrote this wonderful scene, there is one simple fact you must never forget-
    - no major star would ever ever ever in this world play it.
    Two reasons: One-the guy's a loser. And two-the guy's an unsympathetic son of a bitch after he's lost.
    Now, I know and you know that the Duvall character is, if anything, heroic. And your heart breaks for him in the film. But we are not stars and stars don't think that way. Oh, they wouldn't necessarily insist the scene be excised
    from the film. But what they would do is gently insist on a few teeny-weeny changes. Let's divide the scene into its two main actions: the game and its aftermath.
    Taking the first. They would absolutely lose to the boy. But you'd have to add this kind of sequence before the game began.
    CUT TO
    DUVALL. He enters the living room of the house, basketball in hand. BLYTHE DANNER sits quietly in a chair.
    DUVALL
    Hey, Blythe, baby, I'm going to play our eldest a little one-on- one, come out and watch. (she says nothing. Instead stares quietly out the window, full of emotions) What's up, hon? Something wrong? DANNER
    (her words come in a tormented burst) Oh, Bobby, I'm so worried about the boy-he's got such potential, he could really be a wonderful athlete, but every time he gets Into a school game, something holds him back.
    ( shaking her head ) The child just can't shake the feeling that he's not good enough.
    DUVAI.L
    That old Inferiority, huh?
    DANNER
    I wonder sometimes If he'll ever lose it.
    DUVALL You think I'm too hard on him?
    DANNER No-no, you' re a wonderful father.
    DUVALL
    Of course you know he's never beaten me.
    DANNER And he never will.
    DUVALL
    (a long pause; then, meaningfully--)
    Oh, I don't know about that, someday it's bound to happen. (be reaches for her hand. She hesitates, takes It, smiles at him, and they go out to the court)
    In other words, the star will lose if - big if - we know he could win if he wanted to. As long as he can wink at the audience and have them know his cock is still the biggest around, he'll lose, and gladly.
    And he'll bounce the ball against the kid's head all you want. If you add a sequence before he does it that goes something like this:
    CUT TO
    DUVALL. He enters the kitchen after the game, pours himself some iced tea. BLYTHE DANNER stands quietly In a corner.
    DUVALL
    Some game the kid played, beating me like that, huh, Blyther He'll be
    a whiz in his school games now for sure.
    (she says nothing, instead stares quietly out the window) Something wrong, hoh?
    DANNER
    Oh, Bobby, I'm so worried about the boy-he keeps everything Inside. He's all bottled up, afraid to ex- press himself. There ' s a great hu- man being locked inside, but I'm so frightened he'll never be able to show an emotlon, anger, anything.
    DUVALL
    That old repression, huh?
    DANNER
    I wonder sometimes If he'll ever lose it.
    DUVALL You think I dominate him too much?
    DANNER No-no, you're a perfect father.
    DUVALL
    Of course, you know he's never lost his temper at me.
    DANNER And he never will.
    DUVALL
    (a long pause; then, meaningfully-)
    Oh, I don't know about that, someday It's bound to happen. (he puts his ice tea down, swats her on the fanny, and goes back out) Now the star will go out and bounce the ball against the kid's head as long as you want. He'll beat the kid for hours if you want that too. He'll follow the kid up to his room, hurling the most vilifying remarks imaginable.
    Because now we know he's still the same neat guy you loved on the johnny Carson show. And when the kid Finally yells at him, hey, terrific-we know he's only been mean for the boy's own good.
    Here is one of the basic lessons a screenwriter must learn and live with: Stars will not play weak and