In some movies, the dialogue is perfunctory and forgettable, which is what makes the works of writers like Lonergan, Gerwig, Tarantino, and Sorkin stand out. IMDb lists some dialogue-driven movies, like 12 Angry Men and Pulp Fiction, among the greatest ever made.
Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs – considered the 22nd greatest movie of all time by IMDb – is one of the only movies to ever sweep the top five Oscar categories (and is currently the only horror film to win Best Picture). Ted Tally took home Best Adapted Screenplay for his adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name. In translating the story to the big screen, Tally focused on the most compelling character dynamic: Jodie Foster’s bright-eyed FBI rookie Clarice Starling and the imprisoned serial killer she profiles, Anthony Hopkins’ hauntingly charming cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
David Fincher’s psychological horror noir Se7en takes the number 20 spot on IMDb’s “Top 250” list. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt anchor the movie as the detectives chasing John Doe, but Andrew Kevin Walker’s script gave them the dialogue to bring the characters’ back-and-forth to life. The dialogue in Walker’s script has plenty of fun with the familiar “buddy cop” dynamic in the unique context of a grisly serial killer thriller.
Martin Scorsese’s wildly entertaining crime epic Goodfellas is ranked as the 17th greatest movie by IMDb. Scorsese rarely writes his own movies, but since he planned to make Goodfellas as a feature-length trailer with rapid pacing that would hit the audience like a speeding bullet, he co-wrote the script with Nicholas Pileggi. Pileggi’s nonfiction book Wiseguy formed the basis for their dramatization of Henry Hill’s criminal career.
When it hit theaters, Goodfellas was praised for its accurate portrayal of mafia life. With an authentic sense of verisimilitude, Goodfellas plays like a mobster’s home movies. Scorsese and Pileggi’s script is noted for its iconic voiceover narration: “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”
The number 12 spot on IMDb’s list of the greatest movies ever made belongs to Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump, a beloved blend of treacly, uplifting melodrama and cynical commentary on 20th-century American history. Eric Roth’s script – adapted from the novel by Winston Groom – earned him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Roth has since worked on such acclaimed movies as The Insider, Munich, and Bradley Cooper’s remake of A Star is Born, as well as co-writing Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune.
IMDb lists David Fincher’s darkly comedic neo-noir epic Fight Club as the 11th greatest movie ever made. Jim Uhls adapted the film’s controversial script from the equally controversial novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Voiceover narration is often criticized as a lazy way to tell a story on-screen, but the unnamed narrator in Fight Club is responsible for the movie’s infectious pitch-black sense of humor.
Uhls also penned captivating conversations between the insomniac office drone and his livelier other self. These scenes gave Edward Norton and Brad Pitt plenty to work with, all while hiding the big reveal, which is now praised as one of the most shocking twists in movie history.
After introducing audiences to his idiosyncratic dialogue style in Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino solidified his status as a master of dialogue with his sophomore directorial effort, Pulp Fiction, listed by IMDb as the eighth greatest movie ever made. From Christopher Walken’s gold watch monologue to Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta’s “Royale with Cheese” banter, Pulp Fiction includes some of the most memorable dialogue ever written.
IMDb ranks Steven Spielberg’s seminal Holocaust drama Schindler’s List as the sixth greatest movie ever made. Steven Zaillian adapted the screenplay from Thomas Keneally’s book Schindler’s Ark, using a flexible three-plus-hour runtime to both celebrate Oskar Schindler’s legacy and humanize him.
Zaillian has written a bunch of acclaimed scripts over the years – including the Martin Scorsese-helmed crime epics Gangs of New York and The Irishman, both deeply engaging character studies riddled with symbolism.
Set mostly in a single room as jurors argue over whether or not the accused is guilty, Reginald Rose’s 12 Angry Men – ranked by IMDb as the fifth greatest movie ever made – is a rare example of a movie that revolves entirely around dialogue. Adapted from Rose’s own play of the same name, Sidney Lumet’s classic courtroom drama offers a cinematic form of theater. Led by Henry Fonda, the ensemble cast delivers each scene perfectly, and Lumet’s camera captures the actors’ performances in more depth than audiences can see on a stage.
Francis Ford Coppola’s script for Patton had made him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after screenwriters when he was hired to direct an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Coppola teamed up with Puzo to write the script and later reunited for the sequel. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are ranked second and third on IMDb’s “Top 250.” These New Hollywood-defining masterpieces reinvented the gangster genre. Typically, mafia movies had revolved around power and greed, but Coppola and Puzo personalized the genre by telling their story through the relatable prism of family.