Screenwriting Lessons: “The Wizard of Oz”

A five-part series exploring lessons from the classic and beloved 1939 movie.

Joel Coen of the Coen brothers has said: “Every movie ever made is an attempt to remake The Wizard of Oz.” True or not, all I know is I constantly reference the film in my teaching. Why? Because it contains so many classic narrative elements.

Here are just five screenwriting lessons we can draw from The Wizard of Oz.

Part 1: Disunity to Unity

Part 2: Transformation

Part 3: Trickster

Part 4: Ordinary Character, Extraordinary World

Part 5: Final Struggle