Best Screenwriter Alive

[QUENTIN]

Title is fairly self-explanatory. This was spurned by my recent viewing of Redbelt and the feeling that Mamet is the most direct, no-frills writer working today.

Of course that doesn't mean best, there are a lot of potential competitors to that title. So who do you feel is the best living screenwriter?

[hasselbrad]

Charlie Kaufman

[BigSugar]

Aaron Sorkin. Hands down, man.

[Le_Big_Mac]

Joel and Ethan Coen

[QUENTIN]

A short list of potential "Others" that spring to mind:

Oliver Stone
Paul Thomas Anderson
Wes Anderson
Aaron Sorkin
Neil LaBute
Michael Tolkin
Richard Linklater
Steve Zaillian
Eric Roth
Joel and Ethan Coen
John Sayles
James L. Brooks
Alexander Payne
Paul Haggis
William Monahan
Stephen Gaghan
John Logan
Brian Helgeland
Jay Cocks
Jonathan and Christopher Nolan
Cameron Crowe
Steve Kloves
Mike Leigh
M. Night Shyamalan
Scott Frank
Andrew Kevin Walker
Ruth Prawlet Jhabvala
David Webb Peoples
Bo Goldman
James Toback
Lawrence Kasdan
Barry Levinson
Steven Soderbergh
Paul Mazursky
Ron Shelton

[JJFlamingo]

For your poll: Tarantino, for honest opinion, ME!! I'm serious, you'all be hearing from me soon...;)

[Sad man]

Out of the ones in the poll: Charlie Kaufman.

[Bourne101]

If I go with my heart, Quentin Tarantino. If I go with my brain, Charlie Kaufman, but still maybe Quentin Tarantino. Both are absolutely fantastic writers.

[bigred760]

Went with Mamet.

[phelonious]

I'd have to go wit' Scott Frank

BTW, Ernest Lehman passed away in 2005

[g1ng3rsnap9ed]

I chose other, specifically with Frank Darabont in mind.

[FilmKing2000]

I'd honestly have to give the slight edge to Charlie Kaufman, as he has without a doubt bodied forth some of the most influential, not to mention brilliant and genius, writing any screenwriter has ever been able to conceive.

Paul Thomas Anderson is also an absolutely AMAZING writer, in my humble opinion. Like Kaufman, he has been able to weave each of his works with a distinct thread of grandiose themes and ideas, specifically around familial dynamics and relationships. Everything he has touched so far has been pure gold and there's no telling how much more is capable of accomplishing.

The Coen brothers also consistently produce impeccable and incredibly distinctive writing. They have their own voice, no doubt about it.

Tarintino is indeed capable of writing incredible dialog, though I've never really been that big of a fan. While a lot of his writing is indeed pure brilliance, I just can't take much of it too seriously as he does have a knack for constantly falling into campy-territory.

[Smarmy Douche]

http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_02_img0838.jpg

For Your Consideration:
Paul Schrader

Bringing Out the Dead
The Last Temptation of Christ
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Raging Bull
Taxi Driver

If you still think Tarantino or whoever is better, then vote for them, but I'd hate for Schrader to be overlooked because people are unfamiliar with his name.

[Sonny Corleone]

Coens, baby.

[Antonio141]

QT

[overwatch]

William Monahan.

[Art Vandelay]

Definitely Woody. He's been around the longest, churning out movies once a year for the last 30-40 years. He's also the most consistently good. I don't wanna hear any of this "slump" crap. Even his worst movies are more interesting than the shit that comes out nowadays. He's arguably the best screenwriter ever.

When he dies, then I'll play with the rest of the field. Till then it's Allen then everybody else.

[LordSimen]

The one and only Quentin Tarantino. Accept no substitutes.

[Buck Turgidson]

Robert Towne.

Joel and Ethan Coen, David Mamet and John Sayles are elite contenders as well and Paul Schrader is greivously underrated.

[Cop No. 633]

I voted Other... for the Coen Bros. They go through many genres, have adapted work from other writers, and are always original.

I dig the choice of Paul Schrader who I highly respect, but I gave the edge to the Coens for their ability to move through different genres. That takes a lot of talent.

[Art Vandelay]

The one and only Quentin Tarantino. Accept no substitutes.

What's it all about with him? I think Pulp Fiction is one of very few perfect movies ever made and written, but beyond that he hasn't really matched it. True Romance rocked, Natural Born Killers is in my top 10 (though he's quoted as saying he wasn't happy with the final outcome). I know tons and tons of people who love him and am wondering the source of the love he gets for his entire career. I don't mean to come off as critical, I'm genuinely curious for an analysis on the dude.

[Smarmy Douche]

What's it all about with him? I think Pulp Fiction is one of very few perfect movies ever made and written, but beyond that he hasn't really matched it. True Romance rocked, Natural Born Killers is in my top 10 (though he's quoted as saying he wasn't happy with the final outcome). I know tons and tons of people who love him and am wondering the source of the love he gets for his entire career. I don't mean to come off as critical, I'm genuinely curious for an analysis on the dude.

His stuff appeals to not only the retro set, but the drooling faction as well. So while there are some people who acknowledge that what he does isn't particularly special, but nonetheless very entertaining and worthwhile, and hearkens back to classics of old, a keen and talented ripoff artist in the vein of Sergio Leone, there are also the great number of people who make up the majority of his fan base, who just simply haven't seen any of those movies, and who think what he does is genuinely original.

Those people are ignorant, but their devotion to his work allows him to continue making his odd and entertaining movies, so whatever.

I do blame him though for an entire generation of filmmakers who think that hitmen are the only acceptable subject for short films ever.

I have to watch, grade, and vote on admissions for the local film festival, and the Local Shorts are always some of the most grievous hours of my year. Two hitmen have to escape a job gone bad, two hitmen discuss stupid bullshit on a street corner, three hitmen (Ohhh boy!), kill somebody and go have coffee. (Real short films, by the way.)

It gets to the point to when anything that has nothing to do with hitmen has an advantage. A toaster in sepia for five minutes excites the hell out of me by the end of the day.

[Natty]

I'm not sure, I'm quite tempted to say Steve Zaillian, but for the list I think I'll choose Paul Schrader.

[John Galt]

Alan Sharp
Curtis Hanson
Michael Mann

[Monotreme]

There are some pretty incredible writers today, both past their prime (Towne, Schrader, Coppola) and still in the midst of it (Coens, PT Anderson, Tarantino). But this one pretty easily goes to Charlie Kaufman for me. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that Kaufman may be the greatest screenwriter of all time, for the sole reason that he's the only (for the most part) screenwriter (and I mean specifically screenwriter and not writer-director) who, despite working with a series of different directors on his films, has managed to retain a single, distinct voice and common themes/ideas that run through ALL of his screenplays. And that's besides the fact that he's a total, manic genius, both in the audacity of his ideas on the one hand, his absolute HILARITY on the other, and his storytelling and character developing genius to top it all off.