Page One: “Get Shorty” (1995)

Screenplay by Scott Frank, novel by Elmore Leonard

The movie version of the opening:

Three things set into motion in this opening which takes about three-and-a-half minutes:

• Establish Chili’s interest in movies, i.e., his comment about the Granview Theater and him saying “I could run it for him.”
• Something bad happened recently with Chili which we learn when Ray saunters over and says that he’s doing “Obviously much better than you.” Mystery teased.
• Chili’s coat. Which leads to this:

Talk about efficient writing!

Download the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

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