10 Distinctive Voices In Film: Screenwriters With A Brand Of Their Own

Richard Linklater

Though he is, perhaps, most treasured for the screenwriting he has produced with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke within his Before trilogy, Richard Linklater is the creator of intimate, naturalistic worlds, which flow at their own pace, while drawing the audience in for something akin to a cosy fireside chat. For him, it seems, character is king, and it follows that if you have interesting characters, viewers will lean in – whatever the scenario that is unfolding.

It all began when Slacker chronicled a day in the life of Austin, Texas, in 1991 – a premise so simplistic and clear that it actually does little justice to what this movie actually achieves. Allowing the story to wander amiably through the city, while simultaneously keeping the whole thing on a specific track creates the space for us to spend time with these characters – to get to know them and become emotionally invested. Linklater confirmed his talent with Dazed And Confused – an almost universally acclaimed classic that once again spends its time chronicling a day, rather than driving a drama.

This is the element that sets Richard Linklater’s screenwriting apart from so many of his peers. He has the ability to make his tales feel observational – like life is simply unfolding around us, and he happened to turn a camera on. He writes long, dialogue-heavy scenes, but dramatic tension still moves the action along, as seen in The Newton Boys, Fast Food Nation, A Scanner Darkly and Bernie.

Given his particular and distinctive writing style, it could be argued that Boyhood is the archetypal Richard Linklater screenplay. A scribe whose output seems to be governed by the simple idea that a scene should just take as long as it takes, could well be defined by a film that took twelve years to shoot. A Linklater script will not be hurried, and that is one of the most refreshing, admirable and rare qualities of this towering talent.