It’s impressive to think about the effect some important documentary films have had lately. Following Morgan Spurloch’s Super Size Me, McDonald’s and other fast food chains started offering healthy menus. (A decision they will of course tell you was in no way influenced by the movie.) After 8 years as Vice-President, purportedly working behind the scenes to do whatever he might for the environment, it was with An Inconvenient Truth that Al Gore brought global warming to the front burner. It’s insane to think that public opinion might have swayed more by an obscure film than by actual policymaking, but it sure feels like that has been the case. And Gore the Filmmaker has a much higher approval rating than he ever did as a politician. (Just watch him declare his presidential candidacy from the podium as he accepts the Oscar. You heard it predicted here at screenwriterguy.)

I was greatly impressed as I just watched This Film Is Not Yet Rated. This doc will make you think a little deeper about the hows and whys of the little letter that gets tagged at the bottom of a movie poster, and what filmmakers must compromise to get a market-friendly letter. I have always suspected that America was somewhat alone in the world in its tolerance of violence yet restriction of sexuality in media, but here’s a film that puts concrete support behind that idea. It’s interesting to note that the MPAA is instituting a round of changes. Much like McDonald’s, their decision had nothing to do with a film that was critical of them.

Side note: This film managed to avoid using one of my biggest movie pet peeves. Have you ever looked through a pair of binoculars? Inside, you’ll see a single circle. This is because the human brain is used to taking images through each of two sensory organs, our eyes, and combining them. So does the brain take the information from each barrel of the binoculars and combine them. But studio movies love to put a silly mask on binocular POV shots, as if two connected circles of visibility are afforded. Kudos to TFINYR for getting it right. Now that’s truth in filmmaking.

The musical episode of Scrubs proved to be something much better than a really, really horrible idea. How’s that for praise? But seriously, this was the best episode of the season so far. While it was overall a decent episode of a sitcom, it was quite a solid example of a 20-minute musical. There were several good singers in the cast, and worthy selling of their songs by everyone else (hint: Don’t look for J.D., Elliot, or Cox belting to the rafters in the group sing that closes ep 2.13, “My Philosophy.”) I didn’t even mind the ridiculously contrived reason everyone was singing. But the fact that this was the best episode in memory had nothing to do with singing. In the end, I feel there are two reasons contributing to Scrubs’s excellence that sometimes cause it to collapse under its own weight:

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I love Scrubs.But I love it the way you love your old elementary school, or your great aunt who used to bring you the best Christmas presents, but who now corners you at the family party to discuss the virtues of fiber in one’s diet. That is, it was great once, but I don’t find nearly the enjoyment there I once did. Tomorrow night’s episode is going to be a musical. OK, half of you are already done, I know. A whole lot of folks out there have no interest in people spontaneously breaking out into song and choreographed dance, and if there’s anything worse than a musical, it’s a TV musical. But before you run screaming, know this:

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I like the Golden Globes best of all award shows. The ceremony is informal, there’s less cutting off of people’s speeches, and they don’t try to pretend comedy should be in the same category as drama.

My fast take on the winners last night?

• Most obvious award of the evening: Meryl Streep.
  She was the very best part of two otherwise decent but unspectacular movies this year.
• Worst pick of the evening: Ugly Betty.
  Better than Weeds, Entourage, AND The Office? Um… no.
• Best acceptance speech: America Ferrera.
  While Ugly Betty has all the character depth and overall writing complexity of an Archie cartoon, Ferrara is talented and deserving. And she managed to do the crazy-shocked-emotional-sincere thing all while being very eloquent.

Take the quiz and find out the true depths of your screenwriting geekitude. Answers at the bottom.   #1. The famous statement that, in Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything,” is from the book Adventures in the Screen Trade, authored by what screenwriter? #2. If you registered a script with the WGA today, how many digits would there be in the registration number? #3. What was the first feature screenplay from the scribe who later wrote Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

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