Movies about writers need a comeback in today’s cinema zeitgeist
These kinds of films are needed as examples for publication writers to follow everyday
(Kristen Frier)
During my weekly streaming adventures, I decided to rewatch a modern-day classic: Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch (2021). The film follows the editorial staff of the titular magazine as they prepare their final issue after the passing of their Editor in Chief, Arthur Howitzer Jr. The film made me realize we need more movies about the publishing world to remind any writer to always be proud of being part of local publications.
The challenge with making more of these genre films is that even though there is a substantial amount of writer-based movies already out there, some of them are simply not entertaining enough. The dysfunctional private lives or political histories of writers can only go so far in piquing the interests of audiences.
More writer movies would also be difficult to garner appeal due to the repetitive tropes of these stories. An article from The New York Times argues that Hollywood constantly portrays writers’ drinking, smoking, odd habits, and struggles for easier and more entertaining narratives.
The piece further explains this approach fails to show a writer’s planning and thought processes that can happen during mundane routines before they start writing.
However, a writer movie like The French Dispatch gladly explores the unassuming nature of the publishing lifestyle in enjoyable detail. A scene in the film shows editors and writers at a staff meeting. There, they debate their concerns for each story while their deadline looms over them.
The magazine team mentions the classic hits of a writer’s editorial album from fact-checking to spelling errors. The group even covers word counts when they review a feature article with an absurd length of 14,000 words when 2,500 was the maximum.
What makes this staff meeting so brilliant is it shows what it can really be like for editors and writers to work together efficiently in a publication cycle. While collaborative publishing is needless to say in the world of writers, it remains a crucial skill to emphasize for the craft.
Newspaper or magazine writers can feel personal nostalgia and be proud of what they do in seeing the characters be meticulous about the same publishing mechanics they deal with daily.
Another reason why we need more writer-based movies is for their writing advice that can provide educational content about publication. Movies can be useful ways to learn and acquire new perspectives about a subject.
In Anderson’s film, there’s a flashback where Howitzer Jr. interviews one of his future writers, Roebuck Wright, in prison. After assigning Wright a 300 word book review for a writing sample, Howitzer Jr. tells him, “Try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose.”
Howitzer Jr.’s philosophy is simple, yet makes a valid point about what it takes to tell stories in the best way you can for readers. Whether you’re a beginner writer or an experienced publisher, the film offers some fun food-for-thoughts for one’s storytelling ambitions.
Overall, writer-based movies are needed in our current cinema zeitgeist because, if made well, they can be entertaining and provide genuine accounts of the publishing world. Granted, you can always take a MasterClass for writing and publishing tips, and that’s perfectly all right. Still, an online class is not The French Dispatch, so happy writing and happy watching.
