Network (1976, Paddy Chayefsky)

"Network" seems to be one of those scripts that is held in hugely high esteem by screenwriters. It's like "All the President's Men" or "Alien" or its just one of the screenplays you point out to people who want to learn everything there is to know about writing for the screen.

Network is interesting mostly because the writer - Paddy Chayefsky - is less interesting in how the screenplay is written. Which is to say, it does not stand out the way Alien or President's Men. There are certain interesting stylistic choices, like how he specifically states what the camera is doing or he'll point out a really specific time that an action occurs. But what stands out in the script is the characterization and the story.

As a brief sidenote, I'd be interested to know the history of screenwriting format. What was acceptable in the 70's that isn't now? How, actually, did screenwriting even begin? I've never really considered it - who wrote the first screenplays, who chose the formatting?

Anyways, back to Network - what makes it amazing is how it chooses a tone and sticks to it. The movie itself is outright, blatant satire, but what Chayefsky does is cleverly mix it with absolute reality and some sense of sanity. This way, when insanity comes stomping into the room, it is apparent and abundantly clear that what we are seeing is the very definition of insane, i.e. the big boss at UBS talking to Howard.

Each character in the story really stands out. I feel like this is easily one of the hallmarks of a great writer - not too many characters, just the right amount, and the writer arrived at these characters by bringing life and depth to each one and he essentially executed the empty, poorly drawn characters.

There's Howard himself, the vessel for Chayefsky's voice and opinions concerning the takeover of television into America's life. Then his boss Max Schumaker that is trying to fight for Howard and save his life. Then there is the big man at UBS, Frank Hackett, who has such a great name being the hatchet man at the company. And of course the stand out character is Diana Christenson, an essentially evil, maniacal personality.

I love when a character is set up so clearly and then played out according to that setup. With Diana, for instance, it's set up that for some pathological reason, all she cares about is making a good show and getting the best ratings. And every action she takes is towards completing that objective. It's clear and concise. Chayefsky knows what he wants her to do and doesn't waste time having her go back and forth, questioning any of this. He sets a clear path and it's watching her go down that path that provides the story and the entertainment.