Movies for Writers

I’ve seen a few movies lately with writers in them so I thought it would be fun to make up a list. I did an Internet search to see if there were already lists out there—SURPRISE, I’m not the first writer to come up with a list of movies for writers.

But my list is different. I lean towards the family-friendly(ish) movies as my eyes and ears are sensitive.

I’m going to number them, just because I like numbered lists, not because I’m ranking anything. That would be too much thinking on a hot summer day.

1.      Nim’s Island.  Nim lives with her father on a remote island in the South Asiatic Sea. Her favorite stories are written by adventurer Alex Rover.  Alexander Rover contacts Nim’s father to ask research questions about volcanos. But Nim’s father is out on an expedition and gets caught in a storm. Nim thinks she is emailing her hero, Alex asking for his help. Alexander (Jodie Foster), the writer, is an agoraphobic who hasn’t left home in 16 weeks but must overcome her fears to help Nim. (Funny scenes with Alexander-writer talking to Alex-protagonist.)

2.      Finding Neverland. The story of the man who wrote Peter Pan. Johnny Depp plays J.M.Barrie. We are along for the ride as he observes and participates in the imaginative play of children and creates his new play.

3.      Finding Forrester. A 16-year old basketball star who loves to write meets  reclusive novel writer (Sean Connery), who becomes the boy’s mentor. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this movie but this is where my husband picked up the phrase “unexpected gifts at unexpected times.”

4.      Stranger than Fiction. Author Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) is suffering from writer’s block and her main character, Harold Crick, starts to hear her voice as she wrestles with what she is going to do with his life.

5.      Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I knew nothing about this movie except that it was a classic. So I was surprised to find out the male lead (George Peppard) was a novelist. This fact helped me endure the never-ending party scene to find out what would happen next. Here is an exchange I especially enjoyed:

Holly: Tell me, do you write every day?

Paul:   Sure.

Holly: Today?

Paul:   Sure.

Holly: It’s a beautiful typewriter.

Paul:   Of course. It writes nothing but sensitive, intensely-felt, promising prose.

Holly: But there’s no ribbon in it.

Paul:   There isn’t?

Holly: No.

Paul:   Oh.

6.      Anne of Green Gables. My favorite book. My favorite movie. The story of an energetic and over-the-top romantic orphan girl finding a home. I so enjoy watching Anne (Megan Follows) find her writer’s voice. From Gilbert telling her to stop writing “high-falutin’” stories to her best friend Diana taking one of her beloved stories and entering it in the Rollings Reliable Baking Powder contest.

7.      Little Women. This movie follows the lives of the March sisters, of which, Jo is the aspiring writer. The 1933 version has Katharine Hepburn playing Jo March; the 1994 version showcases Winona Ryder as Jo.

8.      Miss Potter. I haven’t seen this one yet, but it is on my to-watch list. The story of Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger), the author/illustrator of Peter Rabbit

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9.      Freedom Writers. Another movie I haven’t seen yet, but plan to. (Not so family-friendly). The story of Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank), a teacher with a tough classroom filled with racial tension. She challenges them to keep journals telling about their lives. And I think there is something about using the Diary of Anne Frank as well.

10. Becoming Jane. Yet another I haven’t seen but is on my to-watch list. A movie about Jane Austin (Anne Hathaway.)

Any others I missed? (I know there’s a bunch.) I thought about including Dead Poet’s Society, but then I’d have 11 and have to think up four more to make it to 15.

So how does a list of movies for writers tie in with routines for writers? As a reward for keeping a routine, or reaching a goal. How about as a motivation tool to remind yourself why you do what you do?