Page One: “Ordinary People” (1980)

Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, novel by Judith Guest

The movie version of the opening:

“The scene will be reworked.” Indeed, it is in the movie. There are several nature shots before the choir enters as V.O., then into the choir rehearsal. Most significantly, this is the first image:

The lake. Where The Incident happened. First image. A visual clue to the emerging mystery which lies at the heart of the story.

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.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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