Going to the Movies: A Personal Journey Through Four Decades of Modern Film

By Syd Field

Book Overview

A life in film. An extraordinary career. An unforgettable story--from the "most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world" (The Hollywood Reporter)

" Field's] illuminating, consistently entertaining memoir displays enough wit, intelligence, and empathy to inspire a host of great films."--Publishers Weekly

What makes a great movie great? An actor legendary? A screenplay extraordinary or just ordinary?

Syd Field has spent a lifetime seeking answers to these questions. His bestselling books on the art and craft of screenwriting have become the film industry's gold standard.

Now, Field tells his own remarkable story, sharing the insight and experience gleaned from an extraordinary career. Using classic movies from the past and present--from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane to Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski's The Matrix--Field provides a guided tour of the basic elements common to all great films. You'll learn:

- What makes La Grande Illusion a groundbreaking timeless classic
- How Casablanca teaches one of the most important elements of creating memorable characters
- Why Pulp Fiction might be one of the most influential films of our time

In Going to the Movies, Field introduces the legendary filmmakers, films, and stars who shaped his understanding of the medium, from French director Jean Renoir to The Wild Bunch's Sam Peckinpah. Rich in anecdote and insight, Going to the Movies is both entertaining and informing, deepening every moviegoer's appreciation of the magic behind the silver screen.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440508495
• ISBN13: 9780440508496
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Essential Reading for Budding Screenwriters

As a biography, it is compelling reading. Field lived in interesting times, surrounded by interesting people. Though a minor player in Hollywood, his story provides a perspective on the movie-making process in the second-half of the last century that I haven't seen before. The real value of this book, though, is as an unintentional primer on screenwriting. His process, developed over more than a decade, of identifying what makes a movie work and what doesn't is, in my view, more enlightening than all the "how to" books ever written, including his own. With this book, Goldman's "Adventures in the Screen Trade", and to a lesser extent his follow-up "Which Lie Did I Tell", I think the budding screenwriter has everything he or she needs to start writing.

Great Teaching Experience

I read Syd Field's Going to the movies. It's a great experience because not only does he teach about what makes a good/great screenplay, he also talks about his time in Hollywood and how difficult it was for him to find a job. It is a very realistic, yet hopeful, book. I am working on the English version of the Different Flags script and it's helped me a lot. Eugenia RenskoffDifferent Flags

Living history

Going to the Movies is a wonderful journey with Syd Field trough decades of living history of movies. Syd Field writes in such a way that you almost hear him talking to you. His precense is wonderful.

Simple, yet oh, so revealing

Let's start by saying this book is not for everyone. Going to the Movies is the story of how and why Syd Field learned to analyse scripts. As such, it's introspective at times and personally revealing at others. I especially loved two things about this book. First, Field's honesty is quite endearing. He discusses his failures as well as his triumphs, and writers need to see failures, too. It's how we all learn.Second, I loved the tips I got from this book. Field discusses the importance of midpoint--how to hang your story around a centerpiece event. Later he explains closed and open stories. In the former, the protagonist knows what's happening (like Chinatown). An open story is when the audience understands what faces the protag., but the protag. doesn't (Hitchcock movies, usually). And Field reminds us that a good story isn't a good story unless it's executed properly.One thing annoyed me a bit. Field has an "Uncle Sol" who helped him get started by finding him jobs in Hollywood. Well, frankly, I sure wish I had an Uncle Sol. BUT--in fairness--Field did his own homework, worked hard, and learned important lessons which he shares with us. Uncle Sol or no Unlce Sol, Field understands what makes a script great. He deserves his success.You don't have to be a screenwriter to learn from this book. I'm a novelist, and what he says about story works regardless of medium. I think beginning writers will probably learn more than advanced writers, but that may or may not be true. I've been writing a long time and still picked up invaluable tips.So, this book may not be for everyone, but you'll love it if you sincerely want to learn basic techniques for better writing.

Want to know what a screenwriter thinks is a good movie?

Going to the Movies is more than a book about screenwriting. It is almost like a visit with Syd Field himself. Mr. Field writes in such an easy and personal way, I almost felt like I was sitting in on one of his lectures and listening to the story of his life and his filmaking. Fun to read with some good advice from his life experiences.