This is a fantastic scene from Get Shorty where Laurence Fishburne explains to John Travolta how easy it is to write a movie script. I have a funny feeling that anyone who hasn’t tried to write one, probably has similar thoughts.
After all as as BO CATLETT says: “You have an idea, you write down what you wanna say.” EASY AS THAT!
BO CATLETT: You know what I’m thinkin’? (leans forward) You wanna make the girl older. I don’t like the ending. We could do that, you and me, sit down and write the script over where it needs it.
Chili flips through the script a moment . . .
CHILI: You know how to write one of these?
BO CATLETT: There’s nothin’ to know. You have an idea, you write down what you wanna say. Then you get somebody to add in the commas and shit where they belong, if you aren’t positive yourself. Maybe fix up the spelling where you have some tricky words . . . although I’ve seen scripts where I know words weren’t spelled right and there was hardly any commas in it at all. So I don’t think it’s too important. Anyway, you come to the last page you write in ‘Fade out’ and that’s the end, you’re done.
CHILI: That’s all there is to it, huh?
BO CATLETT: That’s all.
Chili sits forward, stabs out his cigarette, exhales into Bo Catlett’s face . . .
CHILI: Then what do I need you for?