The creative process can sometimes be highly organized, and others completely ephemeral: for every story that’s been mapped out beat by beat there’s another that arrived completely intact from a writer’s fingers in a feverish outpouring of inspiration. Somewhere in between these extremes is the unglamorous, frequently tedious work of chipping away at an idea, a sequence, or line of dialogue that gets to the heart of what a scribe wants to say — or more precisely, hopes to communicate.
Ahead of the Academy Awards on March 10, Variety spoke with several of the screenwriters nominated in the categories of original and animated screenplay about the scenes they found most difficult to write. Whether it was identifying the kernel of an idea from which the rest of their narrative popped or translating the inspiration of source material (or real life) to something dramatically credible on the page, they explain...
Ahead of the Academy Awards on March 10, Variety spoke with several of the screenwriters nominated in the categories of original and animated screenplay about the scenes they found most difficult to write. Whether it was identifying the kernel of an idea from which the rest of their narrative popped or translating the inspiration of source material (or real life) to something dramatically credible on the page, they explain...
- 2/23/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s ‘May December’ has sparked conversations on how true events are adapted for the screen, and why certain liberties are taken in these adaptations. This series, loosely based on the notorious case involving Mary Kay Letourneau, raises questions about the balance between factual storytelling and creative interpretation. Understanding May December Netflix Adaptation The ‘May December’ narrative unfolds around Gracie Atherton, a character inspired by Letourneau’s scandalous affair with a student. ‘May December’ delves into the complexities of her life post-scandal, as her past resurfaces during a film adaptation of her story. The Art of Creative Liberties Filmmakers often take creative...
- 12/8/2023
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
In any form of adaptation of real-life events, even the direct ones, the formation of a barrier between fact and fiction turns out to be the most crucial indicator by which to measure the qualitative aspects of the said adaptation—more so in the case of crime-oriented cases. So often, it happens that for mass appeal, reality is distorted in adaptations, thereby trivializing the impact of a crime on the lives of the people involved. In that regard, May December, a movie adaptation of one of the most sensitive scandals in the United States—the infamous case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle-aged woman who seduced one of her minor students and went on to have a family with him—was always going to be the most scrutinized entry. Most importantly, the way Mary Kay as a person became a household ‘topic’ during the late 90s due to the media...
- 12/3/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
This article contains major spoilers for "May December."
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
- 12/1/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
May December, the latest from director Todd Haynes, inspired by an infamous scandal, goes to some mighty dark places. Julianne Moore is Gracie Atherton, a suburban woman who ignited a media frenzy when, at 36, she had an affair with seventh-grader Joe Yoo (Riverdale’s Charles Melton). She’s now married to Yoo and living away from the spotlight in Savannah, but her sordid past comes back to haunt her when actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) visits the pair to research her role as Gracie for a movie. “As Elizabeth observes and studies Gracie and her world, and gets to know Joe, her reliability as a narrator begins to falter,” notes Haynes of the film, based in part on the real-life 1997 case involving the late suburban Seattle teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and the sixth-grade student she had an affair with, and eventually married. (Credit: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix) “[Elizabeth’s] investment in...
- 11/30/2023
- TV Insider
Contrary to what you might think based on the plethora of Christmas films and TV series that flooded the streaming landscape recently, we're only now heading into the final month of 2023 and the winter holiday bonanza that comes with them. For Netflix, in particular, December is a time when it pulls out the big guns, tempting its subscribers with an eclectic blend of prestige television, awards season contenders, and crowd-pleasers. This year, that includes the end of the royal drama with "The Crown" season 6, part 2, Bradley Cooper going for the gold (again) with his Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," and whatever the hell Zack Snyder has cooked up for us with the first half of his two-part "Star Wars"-inspired cosmic epic, "Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire."
However, in lieu of focusing on the releases that are positioned to soak up the bulk of everyone's attention, I...
However, in lieu of focusing on the releases that are positioned to soak up the bulk of everyone's attention, I...
- 11/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
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