The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters—An Interview with Screenwriter Paul Haggis

In The Dialogue, Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, is “interviewed” by Mike De Luca, former president of New Line Cinema, although in actuality both of these movie-industry heavyweights impart valuable advice on developing strong story ideas, crafting screenplays, pitching concepts to studio executives, and surmounting the inevitable obstacles to achieving success in Hollywood. Aside from being unusually frank (Haggis is particularly candid about his personal work habits and how they impact the creative process), this 90-minute session serves up a solid combination of concrete suggestions and entertaining “war stories.” Other titles in The Dialogue series include interviews with screenwriters such as Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show), Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand), and Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (E. Hulse)