How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

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  • How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

    http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/06/23...html?th&emc=th

    "(both of them, gamely enunciating lines from a drab script by the first-timer Patrick O’Neill)"

    OK, how did a "first-time" screenwriter end up writing a big budget Tom Cruise movie?

    Guy's got a few actor credits and a TV writing credit from 2001 on a series called "Dead Last."

    Was this a spec? And since every critic so far seems to agree that the script sucks as filmed, was it always like this or was it mangled in development?

    As this is one of the rare big-budget non-franchise films of the season, it would be interesting to know how that script got sold.

    Couldn't find anything in a quick google - someone want to do the research?
    Last edited by LauriD; 06-29-2010, 11:39 PM. Reason: typo
    "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

    Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

  • #2
    Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

    Wow, talk about scathing. The reviewer admits they don't like the action/comedy genre, though. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 56%, which is obviously not good, but still high enough that I think I'll go see it.

    Anyway, this is obviously not the writer's first feature script. The 2001 credit suggests he's been writing for a while and this is simply the first script that was produced. According to Variety, the projected originated as WICHITA, which was a spec. Since then, several drafts have been done by different writers, but I guess most of the original was retained because O'neill still managed to pull off a "written by" credit.

    A Variety search pulls up 6 articles which suggest that he's had several projects in the works over the years, and this is the first one to make it all the way to theaters.
    QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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    • #3
      Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

      "written by Mr. Mangold and Patrick O'Neill, based on a story by Mr. O'Neill"

      And there is at least part of the answer. Original story means an original screenplay... that was rewritten by who knows how many people who are off screen, but by Mangold who did enough rewriting to get a shared screenplay credit. Plus however many people did no-credit rewrites.

      So, this guy sold a spec script that got mangled into this, and (as usual) the critic blames the writer and ignores the director's screenwriting credit and mentions all of the director's much better films to show that it wasn't his fault.

      - Bill
      Free Script Tips:
      http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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      • #4
        Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

        Originally posted by wcmartell View Post
        So, this guy sold a spec script that got mangled into this, and (as usual) the critic blames the writer and ignores the director's screenwriting credit and mentions all of the director's much better films to show that it wasn't his fault.
        And how does this affect O'Neill's career? Assuming he actually is a good writer (I haven't read anything by him), do those that have control of the purse strings continue to give him opportunities? I mean, do they know that it's possible the movie may not be good because of things other than the writer?

        HH

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        • #5
          Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

          Originally posted by wcmartell View Post
          So, this guy sold a spec script that got mangled into this, and (as usual) the critic blames the writer and ignores the director's screenwriting credit and mentions all of the director's much better films to show that it wasn't his fault.

          - Bill
          Plus, any good lines of dialogue were probably just ad-libbed by the actors.


          BTW Bill, please don't feel that the fact that HH and I only quoted your final paragraph is in any way a reflection on the quality of the first two paragraphs.

          I'm sure other people will come along and quote those ones as well, since they are very solid.

          Seriously.

          No need to give it any thought...
          "Only nothing is impossible."
          - Grant Morrison

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          • #6
            Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

            This NY Times article explains how this "film" happened. And it's a great eye opener on the process in general:

            http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/movies/15knight.html

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            • #7
              Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

              Wasn't Collateral an original spec by a "first time" screenwriter too? Interesting to compare the two.
              Nobody's perfect.

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              • #8
                Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                Originally posted by haroldhecuba View Post
                And how does this affect O'Neill's career? Assuming he actually is a good writer (I haven't read anything by him), do those that have control of the purse strings continue to give him opportunities? I mean, do they know that it's possible the movie may not be good because of things other than the writer?
                The rule of thumb is that a hit helps everyone, but bombs don't really hurt the writer.

                Most people in Hollywood know that writers don't have much control, therefore the poor quality of the movie may well not be his fault.

                As a writer, if you get a director and a cast attached to the project, you've done your job.

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                • #9
                  Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                  Originally posted by wcmartell View Post
                  that was rewritten by who knows how many people who are off screen, but by Mangold who did enough rewriting to get a shared screenplay credit. Plus however many people did no-credit rewrites.
                  Ten writers, including Mangold. And Mangold did not get credit.

                  To the OP's question of how this got sold to begin with, it probably didn't hurt that O'Neill is longtime friends with John Cusack and Steve Pink.
                  ==========

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                  • #10
                    How?

                    "Asked why, Steve Pink, a producer of the film who helped work out the original idea with Mr. O’Neill, a high school friend from Evanston, Ill., pointed to its core concept, a shifty protagonist."
                    Having a high school buddy, who is a producer, might explain the "how"!
                    JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

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                    • #11
                      Re: How?

                      Originally posted by Fortean View Post
                      Having a high school buddy, who is a producer, might explain the "how"!
                      I guess it's confirmed... My HS and the people I knew there all sucked.
                      Never let the competition know what you're thinking... and never tell the unseen masses your story idea.

                      -- Rule 85, Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (updated by cmmora)

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                      • #12
                        Re: How?

                        Originally posted by Fortean View Post
                        Having a high school buddy, who is a producer, might explain the "how"!
                        Bleah.

                        Really? This is how you think?

                        No. Look - you want to talk about how this guy is a first-timer, but I haven't seen anybody look up his studiosystem page.

                        Just because a guy hasn't had a script produced does NOT mean that this is his first gig. In fact, since we know this guy was writing eight years ago, it seems safer to assume that he's had a fair number of professional gigs and it just took a long time to get a film produced.

                        That's how Hollywood works.

                        Steve Pink went to high school with a lot of people. Clearly, knowing him is not sufficient for getting a script made. Clearly, being good friends with him is not sufficient for getting a script made.

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                        • #13
                          Re: How?

                          Originally posted by Ronaldinho View Post
                          Just because a guy hasn't had a script produced does NOT mean that this is his first gig. In fact, since we know this guy was writing eight years ago, it seems safer to assume that he's had a fair number of professional gigs and it just took a long time to get a film produced.

                          That's how Hollywood works.
                          Absolutely.

                          But:

                          Originally posted by Ronaldinho View Post
                          Steve Pink went to high school with a lot of people. Clearly, knowing him is not sufficient for getting a script made. Clearly, being good friends with him is not sufficient for getting a script made.
                          I think (and I don't know any of these people, just speculating) the relationship with pink, cusack et al goes beyond high school friends. O'Neill acted in some of Cusack's movies, and it wouldn't surprise me if he'd put together other projects as well.

                          These Evanston dudes are a tight crew. New Criminals, and all. They go way back and support each other.

                          Friendships out here are personal and professional.
                          ==========

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                          • #14
                            Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                            Can't speak to how the film ended up, but I read the Wichita spec and thought it was excellent.

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                            • #15
                              Very Critical Review

                              "The cockamamie plot centres on a powerful energy source known as the zephyr. Everyone in Knight and Day seems to want to get their hands on this battery-sized device, though it's basically just an excuse to stage a series of action set pieces in exotic locales ranging from a tropical island to the Alps to Seville, Spain. In theory, this is everything you'd want from an espionage flick, but director James Mangold (Walk the Line) botches the pacing, piling car pursuits, fistfights and explosions one on top of the other to repetitive, mind-numbing effect....

                              "Knight and Day is too busy to waste time on character development, a lesson that gifted supporting players like Viola Davis, Paul Dano and Peter Sarsgaard learn the hard way. The movie clearly aspires to be nothing more than big, dumb summer popcorn fare, a goal it almost achieves due to the sheer charisma of its leads. The script has obviously been tailored to suit their individual strengths (and limited ranges)...."
                              The film critic at the CBC News didn't like it.
                              JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

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