Writer Is Easy Target When a Film Fails

Both letters published Feb. 17 in response to Randy Feldman’s Counterpunch (“Don’t Blame the Writer,” Feb. 3) missed the point of Feldman’s letter. Michael X. Ferraro is only partly correct when he says that “what was being critiqued was the final, credited product up on the screen--the movie, nothing more or less.”

If Kevin Thomas disliked the story or script, that’s his right as a critic. But to heap all the blame on the writer ignores the reality of how a star-driven movie is put together in Hollywood. Eddie Murphy and his advisors not only choose the scripts, but they have an extraordinary amount of control over those scripts before and during filming. As does the studio. As does the director. Many times, the writer’s sole creative choice is limited to whether to quit the project or not.

Feldman’s point was that writers are easy targets when a film fails and rarely credited when it succeeds.

Additionally, Ferraro makes a non sequitur when he suggests that perhaps tag credits for additional writers would “allay Feldman’s desire for critics to mention the many unseen forces that can alter the original script.” The Writers Guild of America is not “lobbying” for this; there are factions both for and against it within the guild.

JOHN TURMAN

Los Angeles