Page One: “Goodfellas” (1990)

Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese, book by Nicholas Pileggi

The movie version of the opening:

Two completely different openings. The scripted version is an example of what I call a soft opening. Here it introduces key characters in “day-in-the-life” setting: a hotel suite. The movie version is a hard opening. It begins normally enough: Three guys driving late at night. Then… thump-thump-thump. By the end of the scene, a nearly dead guy in the trunk ends up completely dead. That’s some action which kicks off the story with a stabbing AND a bang. THAT is a hard opening.

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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