MovieChat Forums > Henry Fool (1998) Discussion > Movies about writers and the writing pro...

Movies about writers and the writing process

posted 16 years ago by zimt
12 replies | jump to latest

I love movies about writers (not necessarily real ones, fictional too) and the way they work. "Henry Fool" among them. Also:

"Capote"/"Infamous",
Alan Rudolph's "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" (about Dorothy Parker),
Fred Zinnemann's "Julia" (about Lillian Hellman),
Jane Campion's "An Angel at My Table" (Janet Frame),
Julian Schnabel's "Before Night Falls" (Reinaldo Arenas),
Francoise Ozon's "Swimming Pool" (this time a fictional writer),
Werner Schroeter's "Malina" with Isabelle Huppert.

Could you, please, recommend me some others? Thanks!

Any movies about young writers, by the way, those just starting to write?

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] zimt 16 years ago

Oh, that's great! Thanks.

[–] zimt 16 years ago

Speaking about Barfly - I forgot to mention Factotum which I really liked.

And these ones I've mentioned on the same topic on another board:
"Iris" with Judi Dench/Kate Winslet as Iris Murdoch,
Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding",
"Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp as J.M.Barrie.

Plus:
Henry & June (Henry Miller/Anais Nin)
Beat (Burroughs/Ginsberg/Kerouac)
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Hours
Pillow Book (to some extend)

[–] starline 16 years ago

Cross Creek is the true story about the author of "The Yearling"
Miss Potter...about Beatrix Potter
Dreamchild...based on Lewis Carroll
Rowing in the Wind...about Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley
An Angel at My Table...about Janet Frame
The Kite Runner... about an author
Funny Farm lol starring chevy chase...moves to the country to write
Mother...another comedy...with albert brook...moves "home" to writer
The Muse...another Albert Brook film... he's a screenwriter
Best Friends... starring Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn...again hollywood writers.
Almost Famous...teen writes for Rolling Stone...co-starring Kate Hudson
Alex and Emma...with Luke Wilson...and Kate Hudson...he's writing novel...she's typimg it.
Paris when it Sizzles....starring William Holden and Audrey Hepburn...same as above.
Breakfast At Tiffany's...also starring audrey hepburn and george peppard...he's a writer.
Sunset Boulevard ...starring William Holden...another writer
Stranger Than Fiction ...with Will Ferrell...his "life" is being written.
Her Alibi... comedy about an author who writes detective novels
Leaving Las Vegas...drama with Nicholas Cage...alcoholic screenwriter.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ...starring johnny depp...an oddball journalist.
The last time I committed Suicide...with Thomas Jane and Keanu Reeves
secret window...johnny depp ...a writer...in a stephen king thriller
The dark Half...stephen king story about another writer
The Shining...another stephen king story about a writer
Misery...more stephen King...with yet another writer
The Paper...starring Michael Keaton as a newspaper journalist
One Fine Day...romantic comedy with George Clooney as a newspaper columnist
My Favorite Year ...comedy about a writer for a 50's variety show
Delirious... with John Candy as a Soap opera writer
Soapdish...comedy about a soap opera...and writing it
Bullets Over Broadway...a woody allen directed-film about a couple playwrights
Hannah and her sisters...another Woody Allen film
Author! Author!... 80s film starring Al Pacino as a playwright
The Player...robert altman's dark-comedy involving a screen writer
Music and Lyrics...writing lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore
Wonder Boys...starring Michael Douglas
The Daytrippers... quirky drama comedy... a dramedy
Sideways...road trip starring "writer" Paul Giamatti...based on Rex Pickett
Under the Tusan Sun ... based on book about Frances Mayes' experience in beautiful Italy
My House in Umbria...Maggie Smith...a writer of romance novels...also in Italy
The Shadow Dancers... with Harvey Keitel...again in Italy
Throw Momma From the Train... dark comedy based on Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train"...with writers Billy Crystal and Danny Devito
Motorcycle Diaries
Little Women (1994)
King King (2005)...
The Brothers Grimm
How to make an american quilt
Love Actually
Harriet the Spy

[–] manicm 16 years ago

Also, the very enjoyable French movies "L'Auberge Espagnole" and its sequel "Poupées Russes". Especially the first one focuses a lot on the main character trying to work/working on his novel.
The Spanish movie "Lúcio y El Sexo" focuses a big deal on writing as well. The story one of the main characters is writing even intertwines with the real events depicted.

- The Better You Look, The More You See -

[–] johndeckbose 11 years ago

Good list, but where's Gus van Sant's "Finding Forrester"?

[–] queerever 13 years ago

Good. I feel that the best 2 were not even listed. (I prefer contemporary, let's even say chic, hip, snazzy films).
'Barton Fink'
'Adaptation'
and there's a couple more that won't come to mind just right now.

[–] GeF_fEn 9 years ago

Naked Lunch
Beat

[–] juviejay 9 years ago

"Wonder Boys" is one of my favorite movies, and it is about writers. It stars Tobey Maguire, Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. and Frances McDormand.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sky-Sea-Poetry-Prose/dp/1481766449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380162609&sr=8-

[–] juviejay 9 years ago

Okay, so the original post was about 7 years ago, but if anyone is still listening, I'd also recommend "Kicking and Screaming" starring Josh Hamilton and Olivia D'Abo.

It's not so much about writers as about a group of friends breaking up after college and trying to decide what to do with their lives. And the two main characters are aspiring writers. It's poignant, funny and wonderfully crafted. Also stars Parker Posey in a supporting role.

There was also a movie about F. Scott Fitzgerald which starred Neve Campbell and Jeremy Irons. Can't think of the name of it, but I thought it was pretty good. Irons played Fitzgerald at the end of his career.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sky-Sea-Poetry-Prose/dp/1481766449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380162609&sr=8-

[–] clivy 9 years ago

A Fine Madness with Sean Connery

[–] Dan_Garten 8 years ago

Cool.