Screenwriting : Paul Haggis' by Jason Gray

Jason Gray

Paul Haggis'

Wondering what other screenwriters here thought of Paul Haggis' 2013 film "Third Person," starring Liam Neeson. Not so much in terms of the acting and story etc., but its depiction of how a writer's mind works. How a writer uses what's going on in his or her life. How different characters are formed from aspects of an author's personality. I enjoyed the movie well enough from an entertainment standpoint, but really dug it from a writer's POV. Not to mention Haggis apparently did around 50 drafts of the script! Only for it to be harshly dismissed by a considerable percentage of critics. Ouch...

Jason Gray

Indeed, I'm sure many skipped Third Person due to the reviews. But I'd encourage any struggling writer to seek it out. Again, not so much for the entertainment value (middling-to-good) but the fascinating look at how a writer's mind and lifestyle tick. Crash pales in comparison to the likes of Short Cuts or Magnolia. TP is a meta-rich depiction of a person attempting to write a Crash-like tale.

Lisa Molusis

I haven't seen Third Person bit will, now. Haggis is brilliant. I loved CRASH and In The Valley of Elah.

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