# Is 30 seconds of research too much to ask of screenwriters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168 "2004-03-14T01:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/41 "2004-03-16T19:27:09Z")
Remember **The Abyss**? I don’t know why, but I was thinking about that movie the other day; in particular the scene where Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonion were trapped in the submersible. She decided to drown, then have him carry her back to the base and revive her. Okay, in principle I can accept that since people are revived after drowning now and then. But, why do they wait? Why not just have her hold her breath as long as she can while he drags her through the water, then when she can’t hold out anymore she gulps water? They would have gained a minute or two, maybe even three and there still could have been the drama of the crew trying to revive her. I’m not a diver, so I’m just speculating here. Oh, I also really doubt his wedding ring would have held back the emergency hatch when it was closing. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/42 "2004-03-16T23:17:07Z")
> [@photopat](#): > > But, why do they wait? Why not just have her hold her breath as long as she can while he drags her through the water, then when she can’t hold out anymore she gulps water? They would have gained a minute or two, maybe even three and there still could have been the drama of the crew trying to revive her. Remember she sort of seizes and freaks out when she’s drowning? How would Virgil have kept his grip on her in the open water? If he lost her, it would take forever to go back and get her, considering at that depth she’d probably pop to the surface like a cork. So they have to wait until she’s comatose or dead, and thus safe to drag. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/43 "2004-03-17T00:02:34Z")
> [@photopat](#): > > Remember **The Abyss**? That would be the movie/book set on an underwter oil rig? :rolleyes: In terms of “research” it must be right up there with [Armageddon](http://badastronomy.com/bad/movies/armpitageddon.html) ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/44 "2004-03-17T15:41:13Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Weren’t the Brothers Blue making a mortgage payment and not a tax payment? Just going from memory… Head Penguin: The county took a tax assessment of the orphanage. They want $5,000. Elwood: Doesn’t the church have to pay that? HP: They would, if they were interested in keeping us. But they aren’t. The archbishop wants to sell us outright to the Board of Education. Elwood: What’s gonna happen to you? HP: I’ll be sent to the missions. Jake: Forget it! 5 grand, no problem, we’ll have it for you in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/45 "2004-03-17T16:32:52Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > That would be the movie/book set on an underwter oil rig? :rolleyes: In terms of “research” it must be right up there with [Armageddon](http://badastronomy.com/bad/movies/armpitageddon.html) No question it’s full of flaws, but it’s still better than **The Core**. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/46 "2004-03-17T16:45:29Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > As a history buff, many movies drive me insane. My husband is almost to the point of refusing to watch them with me, because he says that having me sceam out every few moments, “They didn’t have THAT in [time period]” or “Those clothes are all wrong!” is extremely annoying. Are you my Mom? My father rather annoyedly will tease her for shouting “Anachronism” at the TV or video. She also keeps close tabs on what season or time of day it is, to be able to point out inconsistencies across scenes. Another bad one was “Legends of the Fall” where the voice-over reads a diary entry from say, 1880, action shots are shown of how at least four years passed since Brad yum Pitt returned, and then the diary entry is read from 1882 noting his return. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168/47 "2004-03-17T18:05:18Z")
I could forgive almost any factual error regarding computers in movies so long as I didn’t have to listen to actors idiotically read along with themselves as they type. Note to directors: I can read. Just show me the freakin’ monitor. Perhaps the least forgiveable inaccuracies in movies are the ones **about** movies. Of the many reasons to hate _Mrs. Doubtfire_, a big one for me was the opening scene where Robin Williams is post-syncing a voice track to a cartoon, which hasn’t been done since the Fleischer studio did it back in the 30s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-30-seconds-of-research-too-much-to-ask-of-screenwriters/234168.md?page=2)