Can you help me find an official (or at least correct) script/screenplay for Election?
October 30, 2005 5:40 PM   Subscribe

Is there a script or a screenplay for Election that isn't the Third Draft that is floating around? It could be free or for purchase -- anything that is correct. Something official would be best, but even a finalized version would be workable.

This third draft version has much of the right dialogue, but the sequencing is way off. It needs to be pretty much exact. A few words (or a sequence or two) off would be okay, but this version won't do. I've searched high and low, emailed Paramount (no answer), and asked some friends who know everything about this sort of thing, all to no avail. Any help from MeFi? Many thanks in advance.
posted by barnone to Media & Arts (5 answers total)
 
Best answer: barnone;

There's a screenwriters newsgroup called misc.writing.screenplays (and now, apparently, one called misc.writing.screenplays.moderated as well). It's been a while since I hung around there, but when I did, there were actually a fair number of real screenwriters posting. If you don't find what you're looking for here, I'd try there next.
posted by Clay201 at 6:11 PM on October 30, 2005


Best answer: If you're looking for a 'shooting script,' that third draft is probably going to be as close as you can get. I had a friend glance at the William Morris database and the July 22 97 draft is the last dated draft even they have (and I think they even repped him back then). The script hasn't been published, and sometimes this is because the last version written diverges so distinctly from the movie seen that it just isn't what people would be expecting (and going back and trying to recreate what ended up on screen ain't a screenwriter's idea of fun). If memory serves, a lot of this movie came together in the editing, and the ending was reshot.

Depending on what you want the script for and if it's worth it... If you're interested, I'd suggest sitting down and transcribing it yourself. It's actually less work than you think, and if you have any desire to be a screenwriter, it's a good way to get a feel for the flow and format of screenwriting.
posted by incessant at 12:39 AM on October 31, 2005


Response by poster: By following the misc.writing.screenplays suggestion, I found out that Scenario magazine published some version of Election in 2000. My library doesn't have that volume, but I've ordered a copy of it. No idea what version it is -- seems as though they've gone out of business.

And, thanks incessant, for asking your friend. That confirms my suspitions that much of the actualized film was completed in the editing room. I guess I could edit the third draft until it's much closer to the film itself, but that was far more work than I wanted to put into this. But thanks for all of your leads so far.
posted by barnone at 6:20 AM on October 31, 2005


My library doesn't have that volume, but I've ordered a copy of it.

You've ordered it from where? Scenario went out of biz years ago leaving subscribers high and dry.
posted by Manhasset at 9:04 AM on October 31, 2005


Response by poster: Oh, through Interlibrary Loan. Other libraries that have a copy of that issue will make photocopies of the requested article for us/me. I can see that other libraries *do* have that issue, so I just have to wait a few days until it's sent to me.
posted by barnone at 9:24 AM on October 31, 2005


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