Journal of Screenwriting - Current Issue

This study delves into the intricate art of screenwriting by critically examining the reception of the 2023 award-winning film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, among Chinese audiences. Notwithstanding its international laurels, Everything has sparked a divided sentiment in Mainland China. While its audacious blend of genres and the poignant depiction of Chinese–American experiences have been recognized, Everything was absent from Chinese theatres, owing to its explicit content. However, its digital footprint on Chinese streaming platforms has painted a picture of ambivalence. Many Chinese viewers expressed reservations about the screenwriters’ frequent use of pop culture references, perceived narrative clichés and the incorporation of elements that seem discordant with conventional Chinese storytelling. Yet, interspersed among these critiques is admiration for its visual brilliance and inclusivity. Grounded in resonance theory, this study scrutinizes Everything, particularly the screenplay’s reliance on the oft-touted ‘universal’ blueprint of the Hero’s Journey. Aligning with critiques suggesting such frameworks might be culturally myopic, this study connects these screenwriting choices to the lukewarm reception among Chinese audiences. Through this lens, the study offers invaluable insights for screenwriters keen on crafting narratives that resonate deeply with Chinese viewers. Moreover, it adds to the larger conversation about the need for diversifying screenwriting templates on the global stage, challenging the dominance of western-centric paradigms such as the Hero’s Journey. At its core, this study deciphers the intricate tapestry of screenwriting elements that strike a chord within the Chinese sociocultural milieu.

This article responds to a gap in knowledge about how screenwriters represent the figure of the child-free woman as a protagonist in the twenty-first century biographical screen drama. My initial research into the twenty-first century biopics has uncovered problematic representations of women who are child-free, including the dehumanizing portrayal of actor Marilyn Monroe in the 2022 feature Blonde or the love-fixated writer Jane Austen in the 2007 biopic Becoming Jane or the pronatalist depiction of intrepid foreign correspondent Marie Colvin in A Private War (2018). While theorists are aware of the negative representations of child-free women in film and television, there is very little research on depictions of these women in the twenty-first century biopic, presenting an opportunity for a concentrated study that can bring theory to screenwriting practice. Where the extant literature points to problematic representations of child-free women, it does not go further to suggest possible solutions, in this case, in more nuanced film and television representations. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that negative representations of child-free women in film and television might have wider implications for child-free women in society. How, then, might the screenwriter play a role in this?

This article delves into narrative elements of direct address and backstory in television, focusing on House of Cards (2012–19), Shakespeare’s Richard III and Game of Thrones (2011–19). Comparing dramaturgical approaches in stage plays and TV series, the study highlights House of Cards’ unique incorporation of a pragmatic use of the direct address to create ‘world-view’ for character exploration. The analysis extends to Game of Thrones, emphasizing Tyrion Lannister’s self-descriptive addresses revealing a psychological struggle rooted in rejection and backstory. The article proposes a methodological framework linking first lines or direct addresses to character backstories, emphasizing the role of self-descriptive asides in character creation. It introduces the concept of a ‘psychological motivational arc’ within character arcs, exploring how direct addresses contribute to nonlinear character development. Concluding with an in-depth examination of House of Cards’ Frank Underwood, it scrutinizes Willimon’s ‘show, don’t tell’ approach, questioning its potential limitations on character depth and challenging traditional screenwriting advice. The analysis unravels the interplay between direct address, backstory, and character development in television series, offering insights into evolving narrative techniques and their implications for contemporary screenwriting.

A year before production of the narrative feature length film The Translator (2020) was set to begin, Rana Kazkaz, the screenwriter and director, was contacted by Julie Boéri, an interpreter and translation studies scholar, who, intrigued by the film’s title, wanted to know more. They met and what ensued was a year-long interdisciplinary dialogue on the process of screenwriting the feature film The Translator. As a result, significant questions were addressed regarding the nature of translation, plot and character analysis. Therefore, the creation of a two-voice paper became the most effective way to retell the story of how our collaboration brought to bear on both the aesthetics and politics of screenwriting. Adopting a dual focus on screenwriting as a process and a product, our conversation delves into the aesthetic process of fictionalizing activist translation during the writing of the screenplay and examines the multiple political acts of translation activism depicted in the film: interpreting, subtitling, fixing, etc. It reflects on the screening experience for audiences across countries, languages, cultures and disciplines as well as the complexity of translation in high-risk activism and global politics. Ultimately, this collaboration illustrates the ways in which interdisciplinarity mutually enhances creative and academic endeavours.

Review of: Women, Ageing and the Screen Industries: Falling Off a Cliff?, Susan Liddy (ed.) (2023)

Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, 247 pp.,

ISBN 978-3-03118-385-0, e-book, USD 109.00