Don’t Blame the Writer

At a Writers Guild function several weeks ago, I asked an entertainment journalist about the phenomenon of film reviewers blaming the shortcomings of a movie on the screenwriter. I contended that, given the collaborative nature of movie-making, such attacks come either out of maliciousness or naivete. The journalist, who said he had written about film for a couple of years before visiting a movie set, agreed that critics rarely mention the many unseen forces that can alter the original script.

A lack of sophistication regarding the filmmaking process must be the main reason that Kevin Thomas singled me out in his extremely negative review of “Metro” (“The Streets Look Familiar, but That’s Not Karl Malden,” Jan. 17). I would therefore like to explain a few of the realities of movie-making:

* Most Hollywood productions have more than one writer contribute to the script. In the case of “Metro” there were three other writers.

* Everyone from the stunt coordinator to the actors contribute to what you see on the screen. That includes both action and dialogue.

* Movies are a director’s medium. That may sound a bit cliched, but it’s true. The director is primarily responsible for the final product. Additionally, the director has the power to fire the screenwriter. In the case of “Metro,” the director wrote portions of the screenplay.

I would like to make a recommendation to all movie critics: Before you criticize a writer, read the original script. This might require a couple of hours of your time, but I’m sure most people would agree that it’s a small price to pay for your accuracy. I have suggested that the Writers Guild implement a system where critics can obtain a copy of produced motion picture scripts. That way, critics would not have to speculate on what might have been in the screenplay.

Lastly, I’d like to mention that it is insulting to Eddie Murphy to imply that, out of the hundreds of submissions made to him, he would contribute his time and talent to the most cliche-ridden script he could find.