Interview [Written]: Eric Singer (“American Hustle”)
An interview with Eric Singer, who co-wrote American Hustle with writer-director David O. Russell.
Question (Q): You co-wrote the script for the new crime drama, ‘American Hustle.’ Where did you come up with the inspiration for telling the story? What was your overall writing process like on the film?
Eric Singer (ES): The process started about 15 years ago. I was on a plane ride from New York City to Los Angeles, and I was sitting next to an assistant U.S. Attorney. We started talking and he asked, “What do you do?” I said, “I’m a screenwriter,” and he said, “Oh, yeah? I’ve got a really good story.” He had some peripheral involvement in ABSCAM, which was the inspiration for this fictionalized story.
When he told me that story, I flipped out. I filed it and knew this would someday make a great movie. I eventually got to it and wrote the movie. Part of what drew me to the story was the characters who were involved, and the potential of where you could take it. I was also drawn to the scenes you could explore that show how to one degree or another, we all hustle ourselves to get through life, a job and a challenging marriage or relationship of some type. I was attracted to the idea of pivoting this story against these types of characters, who are all part of a larger predicament, and are hustling their way through their lives to get to the reckoning of the truth.
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Q: Speaking of David, he did some rewrites on the script when he signed onto the film. How closely did you collaborate with David as he was working on the script? What was your collaboration with him once he actually began shooting the movie?
ES: As a writer, there’s a point on every film, especially with singular directors like David, where you have to let go. You have to trust your director, and let him make the story his own. It happens on every movie, to varying degrees. Every director needs to make a movie his own. What makes it easier is when you trust, and are a fan of, that director. You really have that confidence in knowing that the director’s going to take what you’ve done and make it something even more.
I think the collaboration worked in a way that was unexpected, but also amazing. David would take scenes that I had written, and spin them in directions that I never would have thought of or expected. So when I saw the movie for the first time, it was an overly exuberant experience. It was like we were in a band together; I’d do my solo, and then David would riff off that, and do something completely unexpected and different.
We also had an incredible lineup of actors, and a great pool of talent. They all brought an incredible amount to the story and the characters, as well. They were writing, too, in my opinion, with their contribution to what they did with these characters.
David was at the center of that, and was the maestro who orchestrated and choreographed it all, and squeezed this amazing movie out of it. So it was a wonderful process. I love the movie, so it was a great experience.
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Q: Like the story for your first screenplay, for the 2009 action crime drama, ‘The International,’ ‘American Hustle’ is inspired by true events. What attracts you to writing scripts about real events?
ES: I think there are a lot of amazing stories you can find. ‘The International’ was also a fictionalized version. But there’s a lot of inspiration out there.
I’m the guy on plane rides who’s actually interested in the stories people have to tell. I find the stories can be really compelling. So I look around and see what I’m drawn to. Then I investigate it and dig a little deeper to see what happens. But I find that at this phase in my career, for whatever reason, I’m drawn to true-to-life stories. There was another phase in my career where I liked spinning out complete fiction. You go through these stages, and right now I’m in this phase.
For the rest of the interview, go here.
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