A script doctor is a skilled screenwriter called in to assist a film project by rewriting parts of the screenplay to improve dialogue, pacing and other elements. Script doctors are usually uncredited, so it is usually difficult to tell who has been involved. Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ...

The use of script doctors was first revealed at the Academy Awards in 1973 when Francis Ford Coppola thanked Robert Towne for his work on The Godfather. Since then the use of script doctors has usually been downplayed to avoid overshadowing the work of the early writers in constructing the story. Under the WGA screenwriting credit system used by both the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, west, a screenwriter must contribute 50 percent to the story and/or characterization in order to qualify for credit. Uncredited screenwriters are not eligible to win the Writers Guild of America Awards. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Francis Ford Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award winning American film director, producer, and screenwriter. ... Towne in the 1960 movie Last Woman on Earth Robert Towne (born November 23, 1934) is an American actor, screenwriter and director. ... This article is about the 1972 film. ... Credits for A Christmas Story. ... Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers of television and film and employees of television and radio news. ... Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) is a labor union representing writers of television and film and employees of television and radio news. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Annual awards given out by the Writers Guild of America for outstanding achievements in film, TV, or radio writing. ...

Script doctors are usually brought in after the screenplay has been "locked" (i.e., the scenes numbered and pages fixed); on his website, John August revealed that when asked to doctor a script he is sent a disc of the script by the last writer, so doctoring requires little physical retyping. John August (born August 4, 1970 in Boulder, Colorado) is an American screenwriter and film director. ...

Notable script doctors

This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

• Mort Nathan: Golden Girls, KingPin
• Judd Apatow: The Cable Guy, The Wedding Singer
• John August: Blue Streak, Jurassic Park III, Minority Report, The Rundown
• Roger Avary: True Romance, Natural Born Killers, Crying Freeman
• David Ayer: Taking Lives
• James Cameron: Point Break
• Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais: Never Say Never Again, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II
• Frank Darabont: Minority Report, Saving Private Ryan
• Carrie Fisher: Hook (Julia Roberts' dialogue), Lethal Weapon 3 (Rene Russo's dialogue), Made In America, My Girl 2, The River Wild, Love Affair
• Scott Frank: Saving Private Ryan, Dawn Of The Dead
• William Goldman: A Fish Called Wanda, Twins, Chaplin, Last Action Hero, Malice, Fierce Creatures
• Akiva Goldsman: The Specialist, Charlie's Angels
• Paul Haggis
• Ben Hecht: Monkey Business, Queen Christina, A Star Is Born, The Prisoner Of Zenda, Angels With Dirty Faces, Stagecoach, Gone With The Wind, Foreign Correspondent, Journey Into Fear, The Outlaw, Lifeboat, Gilda, Duel In The Sun, The Paradine Case, Rope, Strangers On A Train, The Thing from Another World, Hans Christian Andersen, Guys and Dolls, The Man With The Golden Arm, North to Alaska, Mutiny On The Bounty, Cleopatra, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Casino Royale
• David Mamet: Ronin
• Tom Mankiewicz: Superman
• Steve Oedekerk: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
• Billy Ray: Stuart Little
• Dean Riesner: High Plains Drifter, Das Boot, The Sting II, Blue Thunder, Starman
• David O. Russell: Stuart Little
• Derek Rydall for Wildforce Rangers, Diamonds, No Turning Back, Beethoven 1 1/2
• Shane Salerno: Breakdown, Alien vs. Predator, Ghost Rider
• John Sayles: The Fugitive, Apollo 13, Mimic
• Kevin Smith: Overnight Delivery, Coyote Ugly
• Aaron Sorkin: Enemy of the State, Bulworth, The Rock, Excess Baggage and Schindler's List
• Tom Stoppard: Sleepy Hollow, K-19: The Widowmaker, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Wesley Strick: Batman Returns, Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II
• Quentin Tarantino: Past Midnight, It's Pat, Crimson Tide (Star Trek, The Enemy Below, and Silver Surfer references), The Rock, Hostel
• James Toback: Disclosure, Crimson Tide
• Michael Tolkin: The Haunting, Dawn Of The Dead
• Robert Towne: The Godfather (the scene in the garden between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino), Tough Guys Don't Dance, Crimson Tide (the dinner scene discussing nuclear war)
• Norman Wexler: Lipstick, The Fan
• Joss Whedon: Speed, Waterworld, Twister, X-Men
• Daniele Luttazzi for Comedy Central and HBO
• Patton Oswalt has mentioned doing some script doctor work in his stand-up act, most notably Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The Golden Girls title card. ... Judd Apatow (born December 6, 1967, in Syosset, New York)[1] is an Emmy-winning American screenwriter, director, and producer. ... For the comedian, see Larry the Cable Guy. ... The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci that stars Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart, a wedding singer, and Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan, the object of his affections. ... John August (born August 4, 1970 in Boulder, Colorado) is an American screenwriter and film director. ... For other uses, see Blue Streak (disambiguation). ... Jurassic Park III is a 2001 film that is the third film as part of the Jurassic Park franchise. ... Minority Report is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, loosely based on the Philip K. Dick 1956 short story The Minority Report. It is set in the year 1895, when criminals are interviewed based on foreknowledge. ... The Rundown (also known as Welcome to the Jungle) is an action film starring The Rock and Seann William Scott about a bounty hunter/enforcer/aspiring chef named Beck who must head for the Amazon Rainforest to capture someone. ... Roger Avary, photographed for Score Magazine at the Hotel Costes K, Paris. ... True Romance is an American motion picture released in 1993, directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. ... For the song, see Natural Born Killaz. ... Crying Freeman ) is a manga and an anime (OVA) about an assassin who sheds tears after he kills his targets. ... David Ayer is an American screenwriter, respected for his insight into the dual worlds of L.A. street life and submarines, both of which he knows very well. ... Taking Lives is a 2004 film starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. ... For other persons named James Cameron, see James Cameron (disambiguation). ... Point Break is a 1991 action film starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. ... Dick Clement (born September 5, 1937) is an English writer. ... Ian La Frenais, born 7 January 1937 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, is, in partnership with Dick Clement, one of the most influential television writers in Britain. ... For the song by the Bee Gees, see Odessa (album). ... The Rock (1996) is an Academy Award nominated action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island, and the San Francisco Bay area. ... Pearl Harbor is an Oscar-winning war film released in the summer of 2001 by Touchstone Pictures. ... Bad Boys II is a 2003 action comedy film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. ... Frank Darabont (born January 28, 1959) is a three-time Academy Award nominated[1]American film director, screenwriter and producer. ... Minority Report is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, loosely based on the Philip K. Dick 1956 short story The Minority Report. It is set in the year 1895, when criminals are interviewed based on foreknowledge. ... Saving Private Ryan is an eleven-time Academy Award nominated 1998 war film. ... Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist. ... Hook is a 1991 family action/adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 film starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. ... Rene Russo Rene Russo (born February 17, 1954 in Burbank, California, USA) is an American film actress and model. ... Made in America is a film released in 1993 by Warner Bros. ... My Girl 2 is a 1994 movie starring Anna Chlumsky, Dan Aykroyd, Christine Ebersole, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Masur, Austin OBrien, and Roland Thomson. ... The River Wild is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, and Joseph Mazzello. ... Love Affair Love Affair is a 1994 romantic drama film made by Mulholland Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. ... Scott Frank (born 1960) is an American screenwriter. ... Saving Private Ryan is an eleven-time Academy Award nominated 1998 war film. ... Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film reimagining of George A. Romeros 1978 film of the same name. ... William Goldman (born August 12, 1931) is an American novelist, playwright and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. ... A Fish Called Wanda is a movie released in 1988 by MGM. It was written by John Cleese and directed by Charles Crichton. ... Twins is a 1988 comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman about unlikely twins (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito) that were separated at birth. ... Chaplin is a 1992 semi-biographical film about the life of Charles Chaplin. ... Last Action Hero is a 1993 action comedy directed by John McTiernan. ... Malice is a 1993 film written by Aaron Sorkin, Jonas McCord and Scott Frank. ... Fierce Creatures is a 1997 comedy movie, John Cleese and companys follow-up to the widely popular A Fish Called Wanda. ... Akiva Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor in the motion picture industry. ... For the modification for the game Half-Life, see The Specialists. ... Charlies Angels (2000) is an action/comedy feature film based on (and something of a sequel to) the 1970s television series Charlies Angels. ... Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953 in London, Ontario) is an Academy Award-winning Canadian screenwriter, producer, film director, and a director/producer of television programs working in Hollywood. ... Ben Hecht (February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, even though he professed disdain for the motion picture industry. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This highly fictionalized feature film, based on the life of Queen Christina of Sweden, starred Greta Garbo and John Gilbert and was released in December 1933. ... DVD cover showing stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. ... The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1937 black-and-white adventure film adaptation of the Anthony Hope novel of the same name starring Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ... Angels with Dirty Faces is a well-known and often referenced 1938 Warner Brothers film noir directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Pat OBrien, and the Dead End Kids. ... Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ... For the novel, see Gone with the Wind. ... Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 film which tells the story of an American reporter who becomes involved in espionage in England during the onset of World War II. It stars Joel McCrea, George Sanders, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, Albert Bassermann and Robert Benchley. ... Journey Into Fear is a 1943 film centered around a United States Navy engineer attempting to escape Nazi forces following his return to the United States. ... A colorized image of Jack Buetel as Billy the Kid. ... For the 1944 movie, see Lifeboat (film). ... Gilda (1946) is a black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. ... Duel in the Sun is a 1946 Western film which tells the story of a half-Hispanic girl who goes to live with her Anglo relatives, becoming involved in prejudice and forbidden love. ... The Paradine Case was a 1947 courtroom drama movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, produced by David O. Selznick. ... Rope (1948) is an Alfred Hitchcock classic film notable for its single location covered in what appeared to be just a few continuous shots. ... Strangers on a Train is a film released in 1951 by Warner Bros. ... The Thing from Another World is a 1951 science fiction film which tells the story of an Air Force crew and scientists at a remote Arctic research outpost who fight a malevolent alien being. ... Hans Christian Andersen is a 1952 Hollywood musical film, with words and music by Frank Loesser. ... Guys and Dolls is a 1955 musical film made by the Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by MGM. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Samuel Goldwyn. ... The Man with the Golden Arm is a 1955 film, based on the novel by Nelson Algren, which tells the story of a heroin addict who got clean while in prison but struggles to stay straight in the outside world. ... North to Alaska is a 1960 comedic western directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Stewart Granger. ... Mutiny on the Bounty, based on the 1932 novel by Charles Nordhoff, is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. ... This article is about the 1963 film. ... In 1935, Charles G. Finney, a newspaperman of Arizona, published his novel, The Circus of Dr. Lao. ... This article is about the 1967 film, for other uses of this name, see Casino Royale. ... David Alan Mamet (born November 30, 1947) is an American author, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and film director. ... Released in 1998, Ronin is an action/thriller that tells the story of a group of former intelligence agents who team up to steal a mysterious metal case. ... Tom Mankiewicz is an American screenwriter and director. ... For the series of films, see Superman (film series). ... Steve Oedekerk (born November 27, 1961) is an American TV and film director, editor, producer, screen writer, actor, and stand-up comedian. ... Ace Ventura, Pet Detective is a 1994 wacky comedy movie, directed by Tom Shadyac. ... William (Billy) Ray began writing television and movies since 1994 with Color of Night and is currently working on the movie Breach. ... Stuart Little is a 1999 live-action film, very loosely based on the novel of the same name (few of the events in the movie actually occurred in the book). ... Dean Riesner (November 3, 1918-August 18, 2002) was a prolific American film and television writer. ... High Plains Drifter is a 1973 Revisionist Western film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood, wherein he plays a character clearly influenced by the Man with No Name from Sergio Leones A Fistful of Dollars and its sequels, and also Django the Bastard - 1969. ... For the song Das Boot, see U96. ... For other uses, see Blue Thunder (disambiguation). ... Starman can refer to a number of things: Starman is the name of a number of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe. ... David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born 20 August 1958 in New York) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... Stuart Little is a 1999 live-action film, very loosely based on the novel of the same name (few of the events in the movie actually occurred in the book). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the gemstone. ... No Turning Back is a group within the British Conservative Party advocating Thatcherite policies. ... Shane Salerno Shane Salerno (b. ... Breakdown is a 1997 film, written and directed by Jonathan Mostow. ... Alien vs. ... Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider. ... Photo of John Sayles by Robert Birnbaum John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an independent American film director and writer who frequently takes a small part in his own and other indie films. ... The Fugitive is a 1993 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning feature film, based on the television series The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, and Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy United States Marshal Samuel Gerard. ... Apollo 13 is a 1995 film portrayal of the ill-fated Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970. ... Mimic is a 1997 science fiction horror film, directed by Guillermo del Toro. ... This article is about the American screenwriter, film director, actor and comic book writer. ... Overnight Delivery is a 1998 American movie directed by Jason Bloom. ... Coyote Ugly is a romantic comedy/drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City, and released in August 2000 (See 2000 in film). ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... Enemy of the State is a 1998 film written by David Marconi, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Tony Scott, and starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet and Regina King. ... Bullworth redirects here. ... The Rock (1996) is an Academy Award nominated action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island, and the San Francisco Bay area. ... A bag is a container that is usually used for storing or holding something. ... This article is about the movie. ... Sir Tom Stoppard, OM, CBE (born as Tomáš Straussler on July 3, 1937)[1] is an Academy Award winning British playwright of more than 24 plays. ... For the soundtrack featuring Danny Elfmans film score, see Sleepy Hollow (soundtrack). ... K-19: The Widowmaker is a movie released July 19, 2002, about the first of many disasters that befell the Soviet submarine K-19. ... Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the third episode of the Star Wars film series (but the sixth film to be produced), to be released on Thursday, May 19, 2005. ... Wesley Strick is an American screenwriter. ... For the video game based on the film, see Batman Returns (video game). ... Face/Off is a 1997 action film directed by John Woo and starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. ... Mission: Impossible II, or M:I-2 as it is also known, is the 2000 John Woo-directed sequel to Brian De Palmas 1996 Mission: Impossible motion picture, based on the TV series of the same name. ... Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an Academy Award- and Palme dOr-winning American film director, screenwriter and actor. ... Pat was a fictional character created and performed by actress and comedienne Julia Sweeney for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. ... Crimson Tide is a 1995 Hollywood submarine film starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman and directed by Tony Scott. ... This article is about the entire Star Trek franchise. ... The Enemy Below is a 1957 film which tells the story of battle between the captain of an American destroyer escort and the commander of a German submarine during World War II. It stars Robert Mitchum, Curd Jürgens, David Hedison and Theodore Bikel. ... This article is about the comic book character. ... The Rock (1996) is an Academy Award nominated action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island, and the San Francisco Bay area. ... Hostel (2005) is Eli Roths second feature film as a writer and director. ... James Toback (b. ... Disclosure is a 1994 thriller based on Michael Crichtons novel of the same name. ... Crimson Tide is a 1995 Hollywood submarine film starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman and directed by Tony Scott. ... Michael Tolkin (born 1950) is an American filmmaker and novelist. ... The Haunting is a 1999 horror film remake of the 1963 film The Haunting. ... Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film reimagining of George A. Romeros 1978 film of the same name. ... Towne in the 1960 movie Last Woman on Earth Robert Towne (born November 23, 1934) is an American actor, screenwriter and director. ... This article is about the 1972 film. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy, Golden Globe, Tony, BAFTA, Emmy, and SAG award winning American actor who is best known for playing the roles of Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface and Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy . ... Tough Guys Dont Dance is the third album from the Welsh drum and bass producer High Contrast, to be released October 1st 2007 on the Hospital Records label. ... The term crimson tide has several meanings. ... Norman Wexler (6 August 1926 – 23 August 1999) was a screenwriter whose work included such films as Saturday Night Fever. ... Lipstick is a movie from 1976 starring Margaux Hemingway and Mariel Hemingway. ... The Fan is a 1981 thriller about an obsessed fan starring Lauren Bacall, Michael Biehn and James Garner. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... Speed is a 1994 American action film directed by Jan de Bont set in Los Angeles. ... This article is about the 1995 sci-fi film. ... Twister is a 1996 disaster film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers researching tornadoes. ... X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based upon the fictional characters the X-Men. ... Daniele Luttazzi Daniele Luttazzi (born in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Rimini, January 26, 1961), real name Daniele Fabbri, is an Italian comedian, writer, satirist, illustrator and singer/songwriter. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... Patton Oswalt (born January 27, 1969 in Portsmouth, Virginia) is an American actor, writer, voiceover artist, and professional comedian. ...

See also

• Ghostwriter