Day 7: The Verdict

I'm going to start reading some screenplays from the WGA's list of 101 best screenplays, along with a friend of mine. He's about 7 or 8 ahead of me on the list, so I have some catching up to do. But here's the one he's reading this week.

The Verdict

David Mamet, 1982

I don't think I "got" this one. Meaning, I don't think I fully understood it.

I don't know too much about David Mamet, but I mentioned before that I read a book by him that talked about the juxtaposition of shots and how they can effectively, and elegantly, tell a visual story. I can tell by reading this screenplay that Mamet is very much a "the viewer is smart and can figure it out" sort of guy. Things were not explained very clearly, and everyone's dialogue was cut off by ellipses and interruptions. I feel like there was rarely a full sentence said by anyone in this script.

I could overall understand what was going on in terms of the plot. Mamet did do an excellent job of efficiently explaining the first act in several well-composed shots. But when it came to the specifics, I had to read a wikipedia summary because I couldn't follow. I felt like keeping up was hard. It would have been so easy to miss a detail and not understand a reference if I was watching this in movie form.

Also, for some reason the main character's name changed halfway through. First it was Frank Galvin, and then it was Joe Galvin? Why did that happen??

Armature: Something having to do with changing your life, or doing what's right. I'm not too sure.

7 steps:
1. Once upon a time, Frank Galvin was a great lawyer until he got screwed by his offices and lost his job and his wife.
2. And every day he drank and moped around and was an "ambulance chaser."
3. Until one day, his friend Mickey gets him a case that he believes he can win if he takes it to trial, thanks to the testimony from a witness.
4. Because of this, the defense lawyers make that witness disappear, with the help of a woman spying on Galvin.
5. Because of this, a desperate Galvin manages to track down a witness who will make his case.
6. Until finally, the jury is persuaded by that witness's testimony and... I think they make him win? I didn't really understand.
7. And ever since that day Galvin has.. had a new lease on life?

As you can see, I had a tough time reading this one. Oh well. Hopefully I'll like tomorrow's screenplay better.