MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺!”

So my final Oscar winning script review and rounding off my awards month is (oddly enough) by the same writer of last week’s script (BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID)! Two classic Oscar winners from one writer within a decade? Damn! William Goldman is the talented writers’ name and this week’s script is the King of political thrillers; ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN.

Plot in a nutshell: The true story about Investigative journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post whose reporting of the Watergate break-in eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States.

Straight in, just like this review, Bob Woodward is dropped into investigating a break-in that no one seems to understand. Before he knows it, he’s in deep and partnered off with equally determined journo Carl Bernstein. Based on the true life events (and the book by the actual journos Bob and Carl), Goldman’s tone still has that familiar approachability from Butch and Sundance, but his purpose has changed. Your easy going script buddy has taken a back seat. This voice is more focussed, more eager, desperate to tell a story as ridiculous as it is corrupt. There are truths here and they need revealing. No time for whorehouses and whisky!

But I have to say, as well as a cracking pace, this script has a fantastic sense of humour. It really adds missing elements to the script that would’ve left it feeling dowdy and practical. Packed full of political information, facts and puzzling accounting issues, there could easily have been little reason to really like and connect with these characters. But Woodward and Bernstein are just brilliant. Proper foils for each other. Neil Simon would’ve been proud. The fantastic sequence where Woodward confronts Bernstein about rewriting his article is a prime example. Both characters lay everything out about themselves in one open, blunt exchange. This brings us up-to-date on these characters, gives us a rough idea of who and where they come from and then whoosh! We’re straight back into the story again. One side of A4 and we’re done. Efficient, brilliant and effective. Oh yeah, and very funny.

Then the oddest thing happened. There I was reading around the p.25-26 mark and all of a sudden…BANG! It’s p.110. It had got dark and I was suddenly aware that I had to turn a light on. I was that absorbed that I don’t recall actually reading. Just being utterly and completely immersed in an experience.

Wow.

Dude.

Totally in awe of how these guys wrote such a good book and Goldman kicked it into such an addictive script. So impressive.

So, what did I learn from ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN?

1. This is a specific recommendation, but one hell of a doozy; if you’re looking to write a journalistic thriller, this is THE perfect example. Read, absorb, honour. The pace of this magnificent script is like a North American river running through the Grand Canyon. Rapids, full flowing torrents, moments of calm, yet a ceaseless flow from boarding point to the voyage end, leaving the readers mind sprawled across the bank of the final landing point. A pace masterclass and a phenomenal thriller.

2. Character interruption. Need to write a scene where two or more characters constantly interrupt each other? There are plenty to choose from here. Agitation. Excitement. Rage fuelled purpose. These characters are so submerged within their need to learn the truth, it is as if they need to fast forward through every conversation to get to the meat of the matter. You can feel the impatience, the insufferable endurance required at times to get the information they need from unwilling sources. Testament to stunning character writing.

3. Another prime example of research. The book had done the hard work of breaking down the whole Watergate scandal into names, events and fact checking over the course of an innumerable period of time. It’s the construction of a cohesive (and air tight) plot, THEN wrapping it in compulsive interactions and an atmosphere of constant dread, can only be described as…magic. But without the research and the facts, this might as well be Ernest Chases Criminals. Not so fun. So wether it’s a book adaptation or you have to do the research yourself, let the facts build the story. The magic will emerge if the story has it.

4. Finally, and this will come as a bit of a surprise (certainly did to me when I read it), on p.115, William Goldman has included a paragraph where he explains that there is content missing from the script, but that he feels it is not necessary to write that particular scene, as it is self-explanatory, and he wants the actors to work their way through the issues that he may include in a later draft. I am pretty sure that the only way you can get away with doing something like that is if you are already an Oscar winning writer. I would not recommend doing this in any draft of any script that you are creating, especially if you are going to present it to funders or producers. I would actually advise that you read that page just to see that it’s real. Because it’s quite the head spin!

Riveting and truly deserving of its award status, this was an intense and compelling script. Definitely of it’s time (the best period piece style writing, as it is reflected in the style here), Goldman’s style is very present, easy to read and a true inspiration to other writers that your style is your own. Just make sure your story is bang on (and your structure, characters, dialogue, blah blah blah) and you can be you on the page to award winning form. Cheers Bill!

Link to the script;

https://thescriptsavant.com/.../All_The_Presidents_Men.pdf