"A Boy's Life" was the first screenplay I had ever read and it was surprisingly enjoyable. I was captivated from the beginning with such vivid details about the environment and the spaceship setting the mood perfectly. Based on the detailed descriptions, it was very easy for me throughout the screenplay to create a movie in my head and re-live the thrilling "E.T." for the first time in many years.
A strange aspect of the story was the KEYS character. In the beginning he's seems to be the villain as he and his men chase after E.T. through the forest. It seemed like Melissa Mathison was trying to emphasize the sound of his keys a little too much and it was really distracting to read through as she was sure to mention them repeatedly during the scene. And then in the end he turns out to be a decent guy who was really just trying to help keep E.T. alive, maybe not for the best intentions, but certainly working toward a completely understandable goal to better understand the universe and save us millions of dollars in astronomy research.
I believe screenplays should be read by any non-professional who wants to read them. They offer new ideas and plot aspects that may not otherwise be realized by simply watching the film. It can also be a great experience for individuals interested in how the movie was made and what sort of influence the script writer had on the final cut of the film and how much of the writer's ideas were omitted.
Discussion Questions:
1. As I said earlier, this was my first screenplay. I liked it, but I think watching the movie was still a more enjoyable experience. Does anyone else feel the same way? Why or why not?
2. What is different about this old screenplay compared to recent ones? Is technology the reason for the change, or is it something else?
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