"Show up for the muse. You must be present to win. If you want to write you can't put it off. You've got to just get yourself there" - Callie Khouri
Callie Khouri's seminal, Oscar-winning screenplay for Thelma & Louise, released in 1991, gave voice to a profound cultural moment and became one of the most provocative cinematic landmarks of the ’90s. It was the Kentucky native’s first attempt at a screenplay. In this enlightening interview, Khouri describes how spending years doing music video production in the ’80s inspired her not only to write, but to write with a purpose. A passionate activist with a resume that includes Something to Talk About and her adaptation of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which she also directed, Khouri discusses in detail the pressure of living up to such early acclaim, what it’s like to be a woman in the industry, and how the state of the world around you fuels and shapes your creative mindset. Also a frequent script doctor and former Writers Guild of America board member, Khouri delves into the ongoing issues facing the WGA, its membership, and its much-maligned arbitration process.
DVD Chapters
1. Intro
2. The Acceptance of Eccentricity
3. Write a Story About My Mother
4. Anything With a Woman in It
5. She Can Really Drive a Sentence
6. An Emotionally Justified Murder
7. Concise and Precise
8. The Learn-While-You-Earn Program
9. A Sponge in Every Crevice of My Brain
10. A Piece of Metal With a Name On It
11. One Writer Against Another
12. A Severe Beating
13. Show Up For the Muse
THE DIALOGUE: In these in-depth discussions some of today's most successful screenwriters share their work habits, methods and inspirations, secrets of the trade, and eye-opening stories from life in the trenches of the film business. It's powerful knowledge-straight from the source.
DVD-Video - 86 min - Digital Dolby 2.0