Hollywood tales

“In the early 1990s, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion wrote an original for Disney based on the life of 1980s television journalist Jessica Savitch — this is one installment of the notes the studio sent them:

We agree we need to make Talley (Savitch) a more sympathetic character and define a clearer arc for her.

We feel it’s essential to show that Talley has other aspects to her personality besides her ambition. If we are to root for her, we must see she has doubts and insecurities, compassion and love.

We’d like to help balance her character by showing… instances of kindness towards co-workers.

We discussed making Warren (Talley’s mentor-lover) a more accessible character by making him likable… and by understanding what motivates him to act the way he does.

We discussed more clearly defining the overall arc of Warren and Talley’s relationship.

We are all in agreement that Warren should not die.”

— from “What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting,” by Marc Norman