Best screenwriter alive?

September 14th, 2007

Asked who I admire in the field of screenwriting, I suppose I’d give many of the standard answers. There’s a reason David Koepp makes the money he does. Charlie Kaufman is a mad genius. William Goldman has a career of mostly masterpieces, and Lawrence Kasdan‘s credits include some biggies. Then of course you’ve some of my faves, like Alan Ball, Cameron Crowe, and of course Joss.

But I just watched the first episode of the BBC miniseries Jekyll, and I’m thinking that Steven Moffat‘s name belongs on the short list.

I had always very much liked the BBC series Coupling. Then, hearing it was an impressive remake and hoping for something on par with the new Battlestar Galactica, I checked out the updated Dr. Who. It was mediocre sci-fi, with some sparkling moments. (I think Variety’s Brian Lowry described the Dr. Who universe best on September 7th, stating that the spin-off Torchwood dwells “in that existential rift between really good and just OK.”) But then, somewhere in Dr. Who‘s season one, I saw an episode about a little boy in a gas mask during the blitzkrieg on London, and it was as good as TV gets. I couldn’t figure out why this particular episode was head and shoulders above the rest of the series, until I realized that Moffat wrote it.

Moffat has a uniquely sophisticated skill in story shape. Coupling (for which he wrote every episode) was Friends, but grown-up. It is clearly a sitcom, but told with intricate structure one might see in a Christopher Nolan movie. His Dr. Who episodes feature a Sorkin-like ability to tease us with half-glimpses of details until finally unveiling the big picture at the best moment possible. And he seems equally adept in comedy or suspense. The man has chops.

So far, Jekyll is very impressive in its tone. I wish I could label what Moffat has done to make the story so compelling. Other than the title, an awareness of the original novella, and a wink in the form of naming the main character’s children “Eddie” and “Harry,” the mini-series seems pretty far abstracted. Setting this piece in modern day, Moffat seems to have mostly abandoned the allegory of struggle between good and evil in man’s soul, and instead explores what a present-day citizen would do if cursed with a morally depraved alter-ego. Moffat has deftly created tension from very little, again revealing tiny pieces at his discretion as the story unfolds. But his script is not without the occasional subtle English smirk, in lines like, “I have to go home and change.”

Does anyone else out there know and love this writer? Am I wrong in putting him among the best? Who else am I missing on my list of great living screenwriters? (Please don’t say Woody Allen…)

Meanwhile, I’m going to go watch episode two of Jekyll!

4 Responses to “Best screenwriter alive?”

ZOZ Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 5:19 pm

nice list – off the top of my head, I would add Joel and Ethan Coen. I would have included David Milch, if he hadn’t done “John From Cincinatti” (even though I am being a bit unfair, since I never got past episode 2) – but damn, “Deadwood” was as good as it gets for me. Although Woody is definitely a shell of what he once was – he did write a classic with “Manhattan” (although most would say “Annie Hall” – never my fave). And, although he is no longer writing (as far as I know), John Cleese did write 12 of the funniest episodes of television I have ever seen with “Fawlty Towers”.

ZOZ
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screenwriterguy Says:
September 18th, 2007 at 11:00 pm

Hurray! A kindred soul who shares my opinion that Manhattan is actually Allen’s masterwork, not Annie Hall. Obviously his screenwriting prowess cannot be denied, and if this were 1986 I would include him among my big names. But the career batting average has continued to decline, if you ask me.

I hear ya on Milch (though Deadwood started drifting in season two, to me…) and Sorkin similarly ruined his membership by persisting as he did on Studio 60.

Good call on the Coen Bros.

screenwriterguy
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grapeshot Says:
September 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm

The very best episode of the all the new Doctor Who shows was “Blink” (from season three, and it just aired a couple of weeks ago on SciFi), and guess who wrote that one? The very same Steven Moffat. While I find the new Doctor Who show surprisingly well done, especially given its the BBC making them, I can’t say that I find the episodes especially gripping. However, this episode really had me on the edge of my seat. He’s someone I’ll be keeping my eye on, that’s for sure.

grapeshot
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screenwriterguy Says:
October 1st, 2007 at 11:37 pm

Nice! I am still Netflixing season two of the Doctor. (And am only just getting over the recasting of the part…) I’m glad to hear there’s another Moffat script coming for me to enjoy. And I’m glad to know I’m not the only one geeky enough to read who wrote what episodes, paying attention for the strong writers!

screenwriterguy
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