Starting Monday, GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “(500) Days of Summer”

For Week 20 of the monthly GITS script reading and analysis series, the screenplay is (500) Days of Summer, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.

With this script, we not only get to consider what some have called a “post-modern romantic-comedy,” we also have the opportunity to read a non-linear story.

You may download the script from the Fox Searchlight website here [draft dated April 16, 2008].

The schedule:

Monday, May 28: General discussion
Tuesday, May 29: Structure
Wednesday, May 30: Characters
Thursday, May 31: Themes
Friday, June 1: Dialogue

NOTE: We will do a Tweet-Cast Wednesday, May 30 at 11PM Eastern / 8PM Pacific. DVD, Netflix, whatever. Push play at the top of the hour then join F. Scott Frazier, John Gary, and myself to comment live as the movie plays. You can join in with your observations and comments. Hashtag: #500daze.

The story behind the story of this movie is also interesting, how Neustadter and Weber decided to write a script breaking as many so-called screenwriting ‘rules’ as they could. In that regard, it would be great if you find interviews, reviews and background articles on the movie — and specifically the screenwriters and screenplay — to post them in comments so we can make those available during our analysis of the script.

Here’s a taste, three minutes with Neustadter & Weber about (500) Days of Summer:

Line of the interview: “All of our best stuff is if it’s written for an audience of two: us.”

So download. Read. Then prepare to analyze it starting next Monday.

NOTE: THE USE OF THE SCREENPLAY IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

Comment Archive