Script Analysis: “American Hustle” — Part 5: Takeaways
Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:
Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Major Plot Points
Wednesday: Sequences
Thursday: Psychological Journey
Friday: Takeaways
Today: Takeaways.
This week, we have been reading, analyzing, and discussing the script and movie American Hustle. In some ways, today’s exercise is the whole point of the series: What did you take away from the experience of reading and analyzing the script?
You may download the script for American Hustle — free and legal — here.
Written by Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
IMDb Plot Summary: A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.
Writing Exercise: What did you take away from reading and analyzing the script for American Hustle?
For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown created by Jon Raymond and analysis of it, go here.
For Part 2, to read the Major Plot Points as identified by readers, go here.
For Part 3, to read the Sequences as suggested by readers, go here.
For Part 4, to read the Psychological Journey as discussed by readers, go here.
If you’d like a PDF of the American Hustle script scene-by-scene breakdown, go here.
This series started here and we already have 20 volunteers to do scene-by-scene breakdowns of contemporary movie scripts.
American Hustle: Jon Raymond
Argo: Nora Barry
Barney’s Version: John M
Beginners: Ali Coad
Enough Said: Ali Coad
Flight: 14Shari
Frankenwenie: Will King
Gravity: Matt Duriez
Hanna: John Arends
Lincoln: pgronk
Looper: erikledrew
Moonrise Kingdom: iamdaniel
Mud: Alejandro
Paranorman: OhScotty
Prisoners: mkm28
Short Term 12: Carolina Groppa
The Artist: Traci Nell Peterson
The Social Network: N D
The Way Way Back: Ricky
Wadjda: iamdaniel
If you’d like to participate and do a scene-by-scene breakdown yourself, please indicate which script in comments. We are using scripts available on our site here.
NOTE: We have some 2014 scripts available now including Gone Girl, St. Vincent, and The Fault in Our Stars. If anyone wants to do a breakdown of those scripts, let me know.
For new volunteers and those who have already volunteered, but not sent me a breakdown yet, please do so as soon as possible. Thanks!
Circling back to where we started, reading scripts is hugely important. Analyzing them even more so. If you want to work in Hollywood as a writer, you need to develop your critical analytical skills. This is one way to do that.
So seize this opportunity and join in the conversation!
I hope to see you in comments about this week’s script: American Hustle.
Next week: Frankenweenie. You may download the script — free and legal — here.
The scene-by-scene breakdown for Frankenweenie has been created by Will King.
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