Page One: “Missing” (1982)

Screenplay by Costa-Gavras & Donald E. Stewart, based on the book “Missing” by Thomas Hauser

A trailer for the movie:

To contemporary “eyes,” those big blocks of scene description may appear quite foreign. Yet when we read the actual words, they conjure images and evoke emotion. The challenge by today’s standards of screenwriting is to do the same with much fewer words.

Minimum words. Maximum impact.

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.