Robert Mckee on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

They did everything in the third act that the Andy Kaufman character explicitly said within the first 5 minutes that he would not write into the movie. It's tongue in cheek.

It's a great film. The generic/actiony thriller turn was made intentionally. Can't you see that? But most importantly Kaufman (both real and in the movie) redeem themselves by the end.

I'm currently reading his book, about half way through the book, and it's been extremely helpful and enlightening. I totally recommend to anyone who is interested in writing a story...be it short or long, screenplay or novel. Go to your library or bookstore. it's totally awesome.

i take your advise,the problem is how to get that material to thouse who are in charge and that s make things discoraging.i wil read it anyway.regards

How do you know the film had 3 acts? Mckee just stated he fiddled with the third act, what makes you think the film opted for a 3-act structure.

"they knew they had act 3 problems."

and

"they reworked act 3 accordingly"

3-act structure; third act is the final act.

The previous poster states the last half of the film was tweaked by Mckee, assuming it's a 3-act structure thus assuming the third act is the last act.

Perhaps it was a 5-act structure, and Mckee didn't fiddle with the scene he was refering to.

Cant that interviewer just relax,

yeah, he messed up the end.

not exactly, the screenplay is being written as we're watching it. Charlie starts out confused and on tangents and introduces characters that he doesn't know what to do with (the first half), but he eventually asks his brother to help him, who introduces drugs, intrigue, crocodiles ;) Donald represents all the "structure" writers Charlie despises, but he created him to help guide him through this unfilmable adaptation. Donald's death is also symbolic as Charlie has grown and no longer needs him