Too many smiles :) in a script.

[gdover]

A weird thought went through my synapse leading to the central core of the brain.

In reading countless screenplays...I always flinch when I see someone describing a character by saying...he smiles, she smiles, they smile...(I'm guilty too).

I need a list of human facial emotions other than...smiles.

examples...
parts the teeth revealing those smoke stained pearlies.
does a half lip curl like Elvis.
lip drops down like Hitchcock with a wisp of slobber.
his lips quiver with a Bogart like tick.
...get the idea...need some more examples...

gdover

[Mr Godfree]

I would never use any of those, i'm not an actor.

[gdover]

A screenwriter?

Are you sure you're not an actor? That one sentence response makes me think that may be a career pathway for you to follow.

[steeves]

He wants a way to say "smiles" without repeating the word smile.

[Strange Mind]

well i think the best way to not seem like you're over-using it, is to not make a big deal of it. or to not try to make a show of trying to do something else that is simply a smile.

so toy around a bit: he smiles. she tries to hide a smile. he looks pleased. she grins.

or if they're pleased and say something, show the pleasure in their dialogue.

MAN
God, you're beautiful.

WOMAN
Sweet talk will get you everywhere.

presumably, she'd be smiling when she said that (bad example, but quick), so you would not need to add that smile.

good luck.

[steeves]

Remove as much direction... from what I gather the average actor would be a little irritated if she were *told* to smile in the example above.

[Mr Godfree]

Exactly. I dont think actors would take too kindly to such descriptive facial expressions. In most of the scripts i've read "He smiles", "He holds back a smile" He grins" are really the only ones commonly used and are enough to get the point across. If the "he/she/they smiles" are becoming repetitive, maybe your just writing too many of them.