Page One: “Midnight Run” (1988)

Written by George Gallo

The movie version of the opening:

Your classic action open. Introduce the Protagonist doing their thing. Character through action.

Note that the movie begins after all the business of Jack Walsh in his car. Wasted writing? Nope. The audience may not have seen that content… but Robert De Niro did. The description:

If scripts are “actor bait,” as described by screenwriter Brad Riddell, a character’s introduction is one way to hook them. Imagine De Niro reading that copy. I’m guessing it set a good first impression for him about the script.

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.

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