March 29, 2024

Shining the Spotlight on British Screenwriters

Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan in Tyrannosaur, 2011

2011 has shaped up to be a brilliant year for British Film. The three highest grossing films at the UK box office – The King’s Speech, The Inbetweeners and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part Two are all British and it seems the year will also close in a blaze of glory with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tyrannosaur and We Need to Talk About Kevin entering the international film circuit.  But who wrote the scripts for these British gems? Who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay 2011? I think we’d be ashamed to admit David Seidler’s name doesn’t come as easily to our minds, as the charming Brit who played his stuttering lead.

It is acknowledged that screenwriters don’t usually receive as much attention as directors or actors and perhaps this is only natural, as publicity seems at odds with the quiet and solitary practice of writing. It would appear that many writers are happier to let their writing speak for themselves, with even heavy weights of the screenwriting world, such as Mike Leigh, stating that life in the public eye “is not for them.” Yet, screenwriters are key to the success of the British Film industry. Speaking at the 2010 London Screenwriter’s Festival producer Tim Bevan, suggested that “script writing is the most important part of the film making process”, as without scripts there would not even be a premise for a film. As the British film industry moves from strength to strength, its success is due to the quality of the stories that are being told and these all start with a powerful script.

So, who are the people behind the acclaimed British scripts of 2011? Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was the highest grossing film at the UK box office for three consecutive weeks, a film adapted by Peter Straughan and Bridget O’ Conner from John Le Carre’s spy novel of the same name. The two screenwriters both have a background in theatre, which is evident in the unexpected and spontaneous quality of their work, a style Jonathan Romney felt was needed to “reshape” the novel’s “daunting complexity” and adds that the resulting script is “a brilliant feat of condensation and restructuring.” Straughan, writer of The Men who stare at Goats (2009), has recently written and directed Gee Gee, a comedy short starring David Morrisey that will be released later this year. Bridget O’Conner, sadly died last year of cancer, aged 49. She leaves behind a large body of work in radio, theatre and screen and has been described by Bevan, of the UK Film Council, as “exciting and exceptional. Great movie writers are rare and she was one of them.”

Tyrannosaur, described by the Telegraph’s Craig McLean as “the most harrowing, pungently powerful British film of 2011” has also been met by critical acclaim, winning a host of awards on the international film circuit, including The Allianz Award for Best Screenplay. This is the first feature film to be entirely written and directed by Paddy Considine, who won the BAFTA Short Film Award for Dog Altogether, the premise for Tyrannosaur.  Tyrannosaur focuses on the friendship that develops between an aging, boozy, widower, Joseph (Peter Mullan) and a lonely charity shop worker, Hannah (Olivia Coleman) who is suffering domestic violence at the hands of her husband. Considine is the master of domestic drama. His work nods to the bleak, realism of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, with a writing style that blends grim reality with the moving elements of individuals’ humanity. Considine admits there are some biographical elements to the script, with Joseph’s dialogue being influenced by Considine’s father and this appears to add another layer of realism to an already candid script. Just after he finished making the film, Considine was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Considine says he didn’t realise he was different to anyone else growing up “I didn’t realise they didn’t react to light and textures like I do… I had no idea that sounds felt different to me.”  It is clear that the writer has a unique take on the world and it could be this that has influenced the powerful, poignant and unflinchingly honest scripts he creates.

We Need to Talk about Kevin is another script that has been praised for its unflinching frankness and brave dialogue. Written by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, it is based on Lionel Shriver’s novel of the same name. The film follows the mother of a teenage boy, in the events that lead up to him engaging in a shooting spree at his school. A director and cinematographer, this is the first screenplay that Ramsay has had written in a number as years, as she spent time trying to bring Alice Sebold’s bestseller, The Lovely Bones, to the screen before leaving the project in 2004. Ramsey’s previous screenplays, Ratcatcher (1999) and Movern Callar (2002) were met with critical acclaim and her writing has been described by the BFI as “emotionally open and haunting” and “relentlessly experimental.” Ramsay appears interested by complex characters, which have dark and brooding inner turmoil. Her previous writing has featured a twelve year old, wracked by the guilt of accidentally killing his friend and a callous young woman who goes on a spending spree with her dead boyfriend’s money. Elements of these characters appear to have accumulated in the character of Kevin, whose hateful and morally disengaged behaviour is written to stunning effect.

It is hoped that in future years the British Film industry will continue to thrive and with the help of organisations, such as the UK Film Council, who identify and champion new talent, original British scripts will be produced. Producer Andrew Eaton, feels this can be achieved as “as long as the funding for it stays.” It seems it is now down to the audience to continue to support original British writing and vote with their feet when choosing films at the cinema. Claire Binns, the director of programming for the Picturehouse chain says “it’s up to the public to be more risk-taking … if they want more diverse films, they’ve got to put their money where their mouth is.” Audiences should search out and celebrate original British writing, as producers are more likely to take a gamble on a script if the writer’s previous work has been well received.

But, I can’t pretend it is only screenwriters who deserve more recognition. A film is of course the final product of hundreds of skilled professionals. So lets hear it for them all.

 

 

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