William Goldman has written several memorable lines for movies, but he tells CNN.com he does not know why some lines manage to become part of the “national vernacular”.
He’s won two Oscars, two Edgars, a Hugo and a career achievement award from the National Board of Review. He obviously knows how to write.
And he still has no idea why some of his dialogue manages to become part of the national vernacular.
“Nobody cares about who the screenwriter is,” Goldman says. “That’s one of the things you have to deal with if you write a screenplay. Nobody has the least knowledge of what’s going to work, and everybody wants Tom Cruise.” (What makes a movie quote so quotable? – CNN.com.)
