# The 101 Best Screenplays As Per The Writers Guild: Guess Who Won **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2006, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944 "2006-04-09T10:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/41 "2006-04-11T17:26:16Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > I have to say that is rather surprising. I knew **Casablanca** would be #1, it is revered among screenwriters in large part due to the almost “magical” way it came together with the various screenwriters, re-writes, last minute changes and stuff. I’m like Ford Prefect – somehow I’ve never managed to catch all of Casablanca. However most of the films in the top 30 are on my Netflix queue 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/42 "2006-04-11T17:57:10Z")
Star Wars is the only sci-fi flick on the entire list? hi Blade Runner. wow some of that list sucks arse. and theres a hell of a lot on it I have never even heard of. which seems kinda weird considering my group of movie buff friends. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/43 "2006-04-11T18:06:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Star Wars is the only sci-fi flick on the entire list? hi Blade Runner. No – **E.T.** is there, too. Actually, I think both are science fantasy. As I noted above, **The Day the Earth Stood Still** had better script. I know I’ll get arguments about it, but I think \*\*Forbidden Planet[/B[ has a good script, too. It’s not stupid, and it tells as much through implication as it says directly. for what it does, **2001** has an excellent script. Unfortunately, what it’s supposed to do is to be functional and to subordinate people to the technology. It’s pretty sparse and technical, and that will keep people from calling it a good script. But I think it’s overall the best functioning script for a science fiction movie, and by far the most realistic and believable. If you like lots of human interaction in your SF scripts, have a look at **Creator** , by Jeremy Levin from his novel. Pretty good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/44 "2006-04-11T18:52:22Z")
Chinatown Citizen Kane Sunset Boulevard Vertigo Last Tango in Paris ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/45 "2006-04-11T18:59:44Z")
Godfather Citizen Cane Casablanca African Queen Godfather II ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/46 "2006-04-11T19:06:56Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > The Writers Guild Of America just came out with their list of the top 101 movie screenplays of all time. > > Before you click on the following > > [link](http://www.wga.org/subpage_newsevents.aspx?id=1807), > > play fair and try to > > **guess the top five** of their list. > Don’t read any other posts in this thread first. > > Just hit reply and post your guesses for the > > **top five best movie screenplays of all time** , > > Then click on the link above to see how you did. > and then come back and click on the link to see how well you did. Here we go (with about 4 minutes’ thought): Pulp Fiction Something by Charlie Kaufman Network Citizen Kane (obligatory) Casablanca (semi-obligatory) ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/47 "2006-04-11T19:08:24Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > Chinatown > Citizen Kane > Sunset Boulevard > Vertigo > Last Tango in Paris 3, 4, 7, Strike, Strike Hmm. I’m not sure I can respect a list that includes L.A. Confidential, but not Miller’s Crossing. Personal preference, I’m sure. And The Wizard of Oz? Star Wars? Great Screenplays? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/48 "2006-04-11T19:18:29Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Star Wars is the only sci-fi flick on the entire list? hi Blade Runner. If you’ve been reading this thread you’ll have seen that there are several, including E.T. and Back to the Future. There are also fantasies including The Wizard of Oz, The Princess Bride, and It’s A Wonderful Life, and arguably Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not to mention horror films like Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, and Jaws. And anyone who doesn’t consider Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Groundhog Day, and Dr. Strangelove to be exemplary science fiction has an entirely narrow-minded conception of the field. Admittedly, “sci-fi” is the proper term for Star Wars, but you can’t use it as a synonym for science fiction. “Real” science fiction is about ideas, not merely spaceships. And in the same sense of idea fantasies what about Adaptation, Being There, and Field of Dreams. If you go over the list carefully, in fact, a great many more could also be said to play with reality in several ways, and whenever you play with reality you’re in the realm of f&sf. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/49 "2006-04-11T19:19:53Z")
> [@mack](#): > > Here we go (with about 4 minutes’ thought): > Pulp Fiction > Something by Charlie Kaufman > Network > Citizen Kane (obligatory) > Casablanca (semi-obligatory) Eh, 2 out of 5, an 8, a 16, and a (weak) 24. A fair showing, I guess. I totally forgot about The Godfather. I just watched it the other night, too. One of the first that came to mind was Memento (100) because it was so…knotty. Not classic enough, though. No David Lynch movies. Hmph. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/50 "2006-04-11T20:02:13Z")
Well, I got number one. I would have got number two, but I was snookered by the usual consensus into naming “Godfather II” instead of “The Godfather”. I’ve never been able to sit through the former, BTW. My other choices came out at 18, 23, and 25. Of my guesses, I personally think only Casablanca deserves to be in the top 5. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/51 "2006-04-11T20:21:46Z")
Casablanca The Godfather Gone with the Wind The Shawshank Redemption The Graduate ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944/52 "2006-04-11T20:36:41Z")
> [@MentalGuy](#): > > Casablanca > The Godfather > Gone with the Wind > The Shawshank Redemption > The Graduate I got #'s 1 and 2. I just somehow forgot about Citizen Kane. My other choices were at 13, 22, and 23. The Shawshank Redemption was just a guess though, since I have never seen it. The Graduate was just one I picked out of several I was thinking of, including Dr. Strangelove and Pulp Fiction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-101-best-screenplays-as-per-the-writers-guild-guess-who-won/351944.md?page=2)