Writer’s Panel: Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower), Roman Coppola, (Moonrise Kingdom), John Gatins (Flight), Rian Johnson (Looper) and David Magee (Life of Pi).

Reviewed by Cecilia Gonzalez. Viewed at Lobero Theater, Santa Barbara

To be a writer is to create a story. I found this panel to be very insightful and informative. Each writer carried the audience through their writing process. One writer I was most amazed with was John Gatins who wrote the screenplay for Flight. He said that it took him twelve years to write the screenplay, in which he was writing it on and off, and wrote and directed other short films in between. He also mentioned how he tried to become the director, in which he was not successful in picking up that role, but was instead taken by the wonderful Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away, The Polar Express). However, it’s not to say that Gatins carried his role as writer for Flight very well. This film was one of my favorite films of the year. The entire story was intriguing from start to finish, and the dialogue complimented it very well. The research that John Gatins said he did proved to be a good choice in creating this tragic and dramatic film of an amazing plane crash that concluded in an extraordinary, and rare outcome.
The other featured writer that I was amazed with was Ryan Johnson from Looper. This film was amazing, and I found the story to be very original. I hadn’t seen the other films from the other screenwriters, but I had read the book that was adapted from Stephen Chbosky. I have always been curious to know what it would be like to create a film that has been adapted from another story or book, and Chbosky’s insight was informative and answered my questions as to what its like in comparison to creating an original screenplay. The other adapted screenplay was writer, David Magee who wrote Life of Pi. I’ve heard how beautiful this film was, and seeing the trailer I could image the incredible imagination and knowledge of a man out at see a writer must have needed to write Life of Pi.
I have always enjoyed writing, and creating stories is something I’ve always admired. Listening to the panel of writers I became more fascinated by their creativity. My appreciation for the writers of films grew significantly. However, before the panel I was always fascinated by the writers behind the myriad of stories that have been created. Whether they’ve made me laugh, cry, scare, or suspended from my seat in action, the dialog and story that are married in some of my favorite films, and other great films in the cinematic world are what captivate me throughout the film, all the way to the end.
Without the five men that were sitting before me at that panel, Flight, Looper, Life of Pi, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or Moonrise Kingdom would have never been created into a visual cinematic masterpiece today. The five creative minds were all inspiring and worth thanking for their time and talent that creating timeless, emotional, and powerful stories.