Page One: “Midnight in Paris” (2011)

Written by Woody Allen

The movie version of the opening:

Most of the dialogue from the first page ended up on the cutting room floor. I think that’s often the case with screenplays: Filmmakers tend to overwrite, then when the film reaches post, they discover visuals and/or what the actors bring to scenes makes some of the dialogue superfluous.

You may read 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.

For more Page One posts, go here.