Friday, November 23, 2018
With One Line, William Goldman Taught Hollywood Everything It Knows
Variety: William Goldman, the Oscar-winning writer of screenplays for “All the President’s Men” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” who died on Friday, coined the best line in the history of Hollywood, and it wasn’t even for one of his movies.
“Nobody knows anything.”
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2 comments:
"Her love for Westley grew more and more each day. Which is why the news of his death hit her the way it did." I cannot tell you how often I have read Goldman's "adapted" novel, or watched the timeless film that has now become a classic. It was a part of my childhood, and as I grew I came to know and appreciate even more examples of his superb writing. I think what hits me the most is what the writer of this article mentioned: his honesty, and his ability to succinctly encompass an entire image full of backstory, feelings, and subtext, in one sentence. Although I have not studied his writing or even listened to any interviews he was a part of, his frankness concerning the industry in which he worked is refreshing and even comforting. It's not an easy industry, and sometimes it's not even a good one. But it's one of the biggest games in town, and the innovative work that it *can* produce is sometimes the most meaningful and breathtaking. This translates to theatre, as well, which is why someone like me, who would like to eventually work in both, is interested in what he has to say. There is no guaranteed success, so what is stopping you from just trying what you've got?
The Princess Bride will always be my favorite film as well, to the point that I have to disagree that it bombed. I have met more people in my life who consider that movie their favorite film than I have met people who do not. Something about the way it makes people feel safe and happy gives it so much power. In our society, emphasis is taken away from happy endings and fairy tales, relegating them to children, but The Princess Bride breaks those rules for everyone. The story brings something out in adults and children alike, a nostalgia for childhood, or the ability to finally realize their princess or pirate dreams. This is what makes William Goldman so amazing. He managed to create a film that people will love for generations, and he did it on accident. I know he made many popular films, and his name doesn’t go as recognized as it should, but his spot as a generation defining writer cannot be denied.
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