The Write Stuff

My friend, the inveterate Chris Dunn was at the WGA Awards a couple weeks ago, where he won for Daytime Drama.  I’m going to say that this is his sixth WGA Award, but he’s won so many he’s lost count (and don't even ask about how many nominations) -- though in fairness to the other nominees this year, his show Days of Our Lives was actually the only one nominated.  Really.  Honest.  Needless to say, that makes waiting to hear who the winner is SO less stressful.  I like to say that Chris being in the category scared off all the other shows, who figured he's won so often why bother competing.  That's not true, of course, but I like to say it.

After returning from the event, he sent me this video of Charlie Kaufman getting the lifetime Laurel Award for screenwriting.  Kaufman, if you don’t know his name, wrote such unique and eclectic movies as Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, the animated Anomalisa and many others.  He gave a wonderful, blunt, scathing five-minute speech about dealing with studio executives, that will make most screenwriters -- and perhaps audience members, too -- deeply appreciative, and so I'm posting it below
 
And as a nice bonus to the video, he’s introduced by the terrific Jessie Buckley, who starred in his most recent film, I’m Thinking of Ending Things.  I’ve adored here since before she started to get known here, and have recommended her for projects I’ve written before she started to break through.  So, it's enjoyable to see her fun, enthusiastic introduction.