I’m an aspiring filmmaker. Like every filmmaker out there, I have a lengthy list of films that have inspired me along the way. This series will examine twelve of the films that changed the way I looked at movies forever. Films that have greatly influenced the filmmaker I hope to become someday…
A Few Good Men
It’s no secret that I’m extremely passionate about screenwriting. I can’t get enough.
Yet, it can be difficult sometimes to find time to write while balancing my career in television and other normal life responsibilities.
I still try to get into screenwriting mode as much as possible.
The goal?
To someday write something as good as A Few Good Men.
Forget the amazing film and the legendary performances of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson for a moment.
In my opinion, the screenplay for A Few Good Men is one of best ever written. It’s a phenomenal script.
Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant work has been a source of inspiration for me since the moment I heard Tom Cruise yell:
“Thank you for playing! Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically… stupid!”
Thought I was going to mention this famous exchange didn’t you?
That’s WHY the movie is so fantastic. There are so many iconic and legendary moments. I love everything about this movie but every time I think about how the story is structured and how well the characters are developed I just want to launch Final Draft and lose track of time.
A Few Good Men changed everything because of story, dialogue, action and drama.
Screenwriting.
Every aspiring screenwriter has a set of films they hold dear to their hearts.
A Few Good Men is at the top of my list for millions of reason but there is one reason that sticks out for me.
Inspiration.
Something every creative person craves.
Like a drug you can’t stop feeding your pressing need to write.
Thankfully, all I have to do is pop the DVD in and let my imagination come alive.
I’m an aspiring filmmaker. Like every filmmaker out there, I have a lengthy list of films that have inspired me along the way. This series will examine twelve of the films that changed the way I looked at movies forever. Films that have greatly influenced the filmmaker I hope to become someday…
The Lord Of The Rings
I look at this brilliant trilogy of films as a single inspiring masterpiece. A motion picture event like LOTR doesn’t come along often and I was blessed that it came around when I first became seriously interested in filmmaking.
I knew nothing about the books when The Fellowship Of The Ring opened. I don’t even really remember the trailers of TV spots. Truthfully, the only memory I have of the promotional campaign was a cardboard cutout of the Hobbits outside of my local Chapters.
I remember wondering why they had hairy feet.
It’s safe to say, I wasn’t a die hard fan of Middle Earth in book form. Little did I know the films and ultimately their extended DVD releases would change the way I looked at movies forever.
The Lord Of The Rings definitely raised the bar for film adaptations. It’s impossible to ignore the sheer size of the task Peter Jackson and Co. took on. The world J.R.R Tolkien created is so rich and detailed that anyone else charged with adapting it could have found the task impossible. Yet the stars aligned for the New Zealand crew and we were treated to some of the best movies in history.
There are two reasons why these films have inspired me over the years:
The attention to detail in unrivaled and the result is a world that truly exists on the screen.
The documentaries included on the Extended Edition DVDs tell the equally compelling tale of how the filmmakers pulled it off.
Creating A World Many Already Knew
I can’t imagine the pressure Peter Jackson must have felt when he was conceptualizing the films. How can you satisfy the imaginations of millions of fans throughout the world? Everyone had an idea of what Gollum might look like in their minds. I believe it was because of that pressure that he rose to the occasion and left no detail unchecked.
The effort of their entire cast and crew to create the world of Middle Earth is a monumental achievement.
It taught me to be dedicated to my films in the same way. You have to think of everything in order to create a convincing story.
“You’ve got to know what you’re talking about.”
J.R.R Tolkien worked tirelessly to create Middle Earth, it’s inhabitants and it’s history. The detail is unprecedented. (I have gone back and read the first book. The other two remain on my list of things to do.)
Peter Jackson and his talented team HAD to mirror his high standards and passion for the story.
They succeeded. The movie is full of creatures and locations never before seen on the screen. As you watch the films you are immersed in an incredibly imaginative and wonderful place.
Middle Earth comes to life and I’m inspired every single time I see it.
The Best Special Features You Will Ever See
Forgive the expression but the Extended Edition DVDs of The Lord Of The Rings are precious to me.
You simply can’t find any documentaries like this anywhere else.
Over 6 hours of incredible stories and personal tales of how the films came to be.
Everything from writing the screenplays to the final premiere are covered. (The editing docs in particular are incredibly interesting.)
By the end you truly understand how hard it was to complete this trilogy of epic films. I honestly watch the special features more than the movies themselves.
It’s fascinating to see the commitment and dedication of the cast and crew. For an aspiring filmmaker, they are an instant reminder of why I wanted to get into filmmaking in the first place.
I love the collaboration, I love to be creative and I want to pour my heart and soul into the movies I believe in.
Some of the greatest movies of all time exist only because the people who made them believed in what they were doing.
It encapsulates the very meaning of the word: Passion.
Peter Jackson’s epic films have earned a special place in my heart. Amazing movies.
I’m an aspiring filmmaker. Like every filmmaker out there, I have a lengthy list of films that have inspired me along the way. This series will examine twelve of the films that changed the way I looked at movies forever. Films that have greatly influenced the filmmaker I hope to become someday…
The Shawshank Redemption
“I hope…”
Over the years, I’ve become a huge fan of character driven dramas. Movies that span decades, introduce us to remarkable people and show us worlds we’ve never seen before.
Thankfully, I’ve never been to prison so I’m proud to say I’m not familiar with what goes on within the walls of a penitentiary. Having said that, I’m more than happy to watch Andy Dufresne and Red’s journey within the walls of Shawshank.
This was a film that I watched when TV movies were an event you couldn’t miss.When world and network premieres would cause people to curse if they ever forgot to set the timers on their VCRs. Of course there were also people who cleared their schedules because they simply had to watch. After all, the VCR record could still fail right? Better safe than sorry.
Back then, I didn’t follow movies as closely as I do now so I knew very little about the film’s story. (Other than the conclusions I drew from the film’s slightly obvious title.) It was the perfect storm.
Different movies inspire different people in different ways. I’m addicted to that feeling. Every time I see a movie that inspires me, I’m thankful that I took the time to see it. The beauty of film is that you never know when a movie will hit all the right notes and inspire.
That’s probably why I watch so many movies. I’m always looking for the next GREAT film in my life.
A truly inspirational film can impact you in very personal ways. In my case, it ignited my commitment to write better stories.
The Shawshank Redemption introduced me to a writing style that I adore. The movie takes it’s time and sets up the setting and the relationships in a fascinating way. It’s a slight of hand that’s rare in films. The movie grips you with interesting characters literally fighting for their lives and sanity within the walls of a brutal prison. The magic sets in when you realize that while you were being entertained, the filmmakers were setting up a remarkable twist you never saw coming.
Before you know it, the slow moving story kicks it up a fifty notches and doesn’t quit until the credits roll. I wish I could have seen my face when the film ended. It’s brilliance has stuck with me to this day.
That’s good story telling.
Scratch that. It’s fantastic story telling. Creating original characters that exist within a fully realized world is an art and requires great care, planning and dedication to the story you’re telling. No single moment is wasted. Everyone has something interesting to do and in doing so, they plant the seeds for the following scenes in natural ways.
But that’s what incredible films are meant to do. They resonate. They stay with you. Long after your first viewing you dissect every detail in your mind until you simply HAVE to watch it again.
It’s all in the details
Before you know it, you HAVE to watch it once ever year. (At least) That’s when you realize that a movie has changed you.
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