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What Writers Want

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Regarding your story on “What Women Want” and Nancy Meyers’ heartbreak over not receiving a writing credit on the movie (“Getting in Touch With His Inner Cary Grant,” by Sean Mitchell, Dec. 10):

For the record, Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa are not the only officially credited screenwriters on the film. I am a screenwriter who wrote an original spec romantic comedy entitled “Ladies’ Man” (not to be confused with the recent Tim Meadows project) in 1995. At that time, my script was optioned by a division of Disney for Caravan Productions. In 1996, I met with Meyers after my agent submitted my script to her as a writing sample.

In 1997, Goldsmith and Yuspa sold an “original” pitch, titled “Headgames,” to another production company at the same studio. In 1998, Meyers was brought in to rewrite their script, and subsequently set the project up at Paramount Pictures as “What Women Want.”

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And in November of 2000, the Writers Guild of America determined that I deserved a writing credit on “What Women Want”--which, if you simply refer to the advertising in your own publication, you will see I received.

DIANE DRAKE

Del Mar

The credits for “What Women Want” read: “story by Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa and Diane Drake, screenplay by Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa.”

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It’s unfortunate that Nancy Meyers wasn’t awarded one of the writing credits on her film, since it’s clear what a personal piece of work it is. Still, I noticed that it’s being billed on the ads as “A Film by Nancy Meyers,” which really signifies the ultimate authorship.

Thanks to Sean Mitchell for the insight he’s given into a wonderful, positive filmmaker.

HAROLD PALMER

Chatsworth

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