Page One: “Gone Girl” (2014)

Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, novel by Gillian Flynn

The movie version of the opening:

A few interesting changes in the movie:

• Nick does NOT “twirl” a lock of Amy’s hair, “a screw tightening.” Instead, he continues to stroke her hair, then she turns her face toward him.
• The look on her face is NOT “anger…or alarm,” rather one of curiosity, staring — presumably — at Nick with a kind of “what’s up?” vibe.
• The line “What will we do?” is omitted from the movie.
• The series of shots of Carthage ends with Nick standing at the edge of the street in front of his house by the trash cans. He stares, seemingly lost in thought. Then he turns and trudges across the front yard to the house. And THEN the title: THE MORNING OF.

Some subtle changes which pull Nick back from a character who would not only think violent thoughts, but be capable of acting on them.

Download the script 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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