Interview [Written]: Jim Kehoe & Brian Kehoe

Will Plyler with a good interview at DoneDealPro with screenwriters Jim Kehoe and Brian Kehoe.

How do you complement one another in terms of writing?

Jim: I’d say that I’m the more analytical one — sometimes to a fault. I have a real problem with plot holes or faulty logic. And I can be pretty rigid in terms of things that I really don’t like, such as voice over and flashbacks. Those devices can be great, but all too often, they’re used poorly and take me out of movies.

Brian: I’m the one always pushing for voice over and flashbacks, but only if they help further the story and are funny. I’ve seen them used poorly but I’ve also seen or read them used in great ways. But I rarely win those battles because he hates them more than I like them.

You’re represented by Sara Self & Rich Cook (features) and Zach Druker & Alec Botnick (TV) at WME and are managed by Chris Fenton and Chris Cowles at DMG.

Jim: We’ve been with Fenton and Cowles for a long time. We met them through our friend, (writer) Rob McKittrick. Fenton and Cowles read a couple of our scripts, then took a meeting with us. We agreed that it seemed like a good fit. DMG is one of the main reasons we’ve had some traction. Fenton is a former William Morris agent and just a smart business person despite the fact that he wears a tiny leather jacket and penny loafers (with pennies in them). Cowles is a very savvy development exec, having worked with Judd Apatow and Scott Rudin. He also has a fantastic head of hair. And Brian McCurley is a shrewd young manager/CE over there who always gives us great notes. Back when he was an assistant, he once sent us to a meeting a week early and we haven’t let him forget it. His hair is significantly less majestic than that of Cowles.

Brian: When we have an idea, our first move is usually to go to Cowles and talk it through. That’s particularly helpful when we disagree on which path to take with a story or a character. It also gives us another opportunity to see that wonderful head of hair.

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You both have noted in interviews that you argue a lot while working on a script. Do you find this ultimately makes your work better? Does it slow you down much? And have you found a way to “easily” resolve differences and keep the writing moving forward?

Jim: We argue all the time and yeah, I believe it makes our work better. We only argue over the work: Why is a character acting in a particular way? Is that the best set piece we can come up with? Does this scene advance the story or are we holding onto it just because it’s funny? We sometimes have problems killing our best comedy lines or scenes. That’s an awful decision to have to make, but we do it all the time for the sake of the story.

Brian: We try not to let our arguing slow us down. Usually, if we’re stuck on something, we call Cowles and let him be the deciding vote. We’ll both make our case and he’ll decide. We have agreed in advance that Cowles’ decision will be final. Then one of us is mad at Cowles for the rest of the day and we move on. And we’ve become very good at not taking the arguments personally. It’s all about the work.

For the rest of the interview, go here.

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