593 - The Ref with Richard LaGravenese

Apr 4, 2023

Writer and director Richard LaGravenese joins Craig for an in-depth analysis of his 1994 comedy classic screenplay, THE REF. Together, Craig and Richard dig into the rules of farce, making hyper-verbal characters work, and the difference between a main character and a protagonist.

We also discuss how to write compelling monologues, engineering a character’s catharsis, and why coffee really is better with cake.

In our bonus segment for premium members, Craig and Richard discuss why it’s often so hard for men to make – and keep – close friends.

Links:

• The Ref on YouTube, Amazon and IMDb
• Richard LaGravenese on IMDb
• The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
• The Ref’s Opening Scene
• Puzzled Pint’s Code Sheet
• Levain Bakery
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• Craig Mazin on Instagram
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• John on Mastodon
• Outro by Matt Davis (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

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You can download the episode here.