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WHEN SCREENWRITERS GET LAZY

I’m not a big movie fan, but I do manage to watch a few now and then. As you’d expect, I probably pay as much attention to the writing as what happens on the screen. I studied playwriting fairly extensively in college, and many of the devices and tactics used by screenwriters were developed by playwrights.

I have a fascination with how screenwriters use the script to advance the plot, but there is one device I absolutely despise. To me, it’s the sign of a lazy screenwriter who is looking for an effortless way to move the plot forward or explain something to the viewer. I cringe every time I see the device, which crops up more often in comedies than in other types of films.

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