Creative blocks and artistic purpose: the writer’s experience depicted in movies
A film can share a variety of experiences from all creative perspectives, a prominent one being that of a writer. Whenever the writer’s understanding of writing as a medium becomes a focal point in a movie, it is accompanied by some of the expected associations and processes that writers undergo in their passion or work. Various genres, such as historical dramas or comedies, depict this phenomenon in their own ways. Films about writers can pick up and carry on from any stage of the writing process, from the story’s inspiration to the sense of achievement a writer experiences after completing a triumphant work of fiction.
Specific values and stages a writer will recognise in a movie about writing include the positive parts, such as the passion for creation and the search for an artistic identity. An author is often portrayed as pouring their heart and soul into a work of written fiction, building their creative identity and purpose. This piece of writing then becomes successful and connects with a broad audience. The aforementioned approach focuses on the positive representation of being a writer, showing the payoff for the hard work and how writing as a medium creates a bond between creator and audience.
However, some films about writers and the writing process can exhibit the more negative and challenging parts of being a writer, such as the eternal struggle to find inspiration. These plotlines make for more dramatic presentations, ones that demonstrate the trials and tribulations of being creative and the loss of purpose or sense of belonging that comes with it. These somewhat emotional stories represent a necessary and common part of the writer’s journey.
One film that depicts the good and bad of the writer’s journey is Adaption, directed by Spike Jonze. The film is a meta-comedy drama that screenwriter Charlie Kaufman wrote to represent his struggle to adapt Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid Thief and blends accounts from the book with fictional elements. Nicholas Cage stars as the torn and self-loathing fictional version of Kaufman, and Meryl Streep plays the journalist, Orleans. The film’s plot and performances illustrate the difficulties of creating truthful and compelling art, as Kaufman is struggling to produce a visual artistic representation of a non-fiction piece of writing due to the challenging narrative structure.
Adaption captures the restriction and flourishing of creativity, with the anxiety of writing under the threat of global criticism. This fracturing of a passionate outlet and the criticism that threatens the passion resides as an insightful and relatable part of the writer’s journey. Kaufman also experiences the anxiety of influence, constantly comparing himself with other people and their creative journeys and success, such as finding out another screenwriter has sold a more clichéd film script for seven figures. He eventually finds the motivation and inspiration to complete a script he is satisfied with and feels will tell Orleans’ story well, concluding this film about the writer’s journey with a sense of hope.
Rob Reiner’s Misery is another feature” that portrays the downside to being a writer, this time in a more haunting and disturbing way. Misery is an American psychological thriller based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name and stars James Caan and Kathy Bates. Caan plays a famed novelist looking to transition into a more mature writing style, having earned his keep writing historical romance novels. After he is rescued from a car accident by a fan, played by Bates, things turn sinister as he is forced to complete his book series. This film, adapting its source material, is a dark and horrific exploration of obsession and fan culture. Bates’ character, Annie, wastes no time letting Caan’s Paul know she is his “number one fan”. However, once she takes it upon herself to read Paul’s new manuscript, she takes the material as a personal offence. This aspect of Annie’s character acts as a pivotal moment in the plot, as this shows how the fans hold their favourite writers hostage.
This dark exploration of fan culture and how artists are perceived as public property makes for an intelligent centre for the film’s story. What’s more interesting is that the sinister turn is associated with Paul’s decision to change to writing more serious stories, representing the artist’s inevitable maturity. Reiner’s film accentuates the tension of this scenario through the psychological thriller framework, with Annie as the scorned and upset fan going to extreme lengths to keep her favourite author appearing and creating the content she wants. Despite being an extreme portrayal of this issue, this thematic value of Misery sheds a spotlight on the trial of being a writer and producing art to meet certain standards other than your own.
Films about writers and writing can also take a historical and biographic route, such as Mank, a biographical drama about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his process of writing the iconic film Citizen Kane. Directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman as the famed writer, Mank assures attention in being a Hollywood film about Hollywood, focusing on the creative process against the business aspect of filmmaking. The film proposes that the success of Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane is predicated on the script, celebrating screenwriting as a vital piece of a visual medium and writing as a whole. Mank singles out writers as key contributors to the collective effort that is making cinema, as they are the ones who construct the visuals, characterisation and thematic concepts on the page to be transformed into the screen.
Furthermore, Mank explores the overall writing journey – starting with Mankiewicz being assigned the job, his isolated writing process, addiction, World War II and finally, the aftermath. This indicates a thorough and insightful representation of screenwriters, especially those hired for big studio projects, presenting the compromise between independent writers and industry businesses. In the film, Mankiewicz is reminded by his producer upon finishing the script that he will receive little to no credit for writing the film, establishing a battle for recognition towards the creatives who work in the earliest stages of filmmaking. Mank concludes with Mankiewicz receiving joint credit for writing the film after revising his contract terms, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It represents a colossal event in film history, dignifying film writers and acknowledging their hard work.
In addition, films about writers can employ the non-fiction writing style and instead exhibit how writing can be used for non-artistic reasons. Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight demonstrates this alternative route of writing in the form of journalism. The film follows the Boston Globe’s investigation into the residing child sex abuse under the Roman Catholic church, which the reporters exposed through the journalism medium. Spotlight illustrates journalism and writing as an expression of truth and education, with sequences showcasing the research and constant work that goes into gathering all the information and how the reporters helped other victims find their voices. Spotlight presents the power of writing and its influence by emphasising its ability to reveal and uncover the ugly truths that have been residing unbeknownst to society.
With this educational aspect and the fight for truth, the risks that come with journalism are also presented as audiences see the toll the story takes on the team’s lives. However, their passion for carrying on researching and writing to bring justice is clear for all to see. As a result, Spotlight highlights the importance of writing as an act of social reflection and reports on all societal elements, even those that are difficult to write and read about.
McCarthy, who wrote the film with Josh Singer, also expressed a similar outlook when discussing writing the screenplay. Speaking to Deadline upon the film’s release, the director shared: “As I said, I passed [turned down the film] the first time! That’s probably some indication of how intimidating it was.” He then added that once they faced and overcame this obstacle, they found the act of researching and writing to be a beneficial and somewhat addictive process. “But I think, as always, with any big assignment, once you get over that initial shock and awe of how much material there was to cover, you start digging into the material and become really fascinated by and engaged with it, and we did”, McCarthy shared. “And yeah, it was a lot of work, but it was exciting work. It was really interesting work, parsing through details of not just the investigation, but its findings, and trying to determine what was most helpful in telling our story.”
The writer’s experience depicted in cinema highlights the highest of highs and lowest of lows that all writers will recognise. These films show a crossover to other mediums and artistic outlets, elaborating on issues such as artistic identity and audience reception. The writer’s psyche is explored, reflecting the downsides of being creative. However, these films also celebrate writing as a form of artistic creation and education, portraying the success it can bring to the author and others.
