Call Western Union

The anecdote usually attributed to Samuel Goldwyn about calling Western Union if you want to send a message will more than likely be forgotten tonight as the Academy hands out their Oscars. Even a simple love story (just because it's two cowboys doesn't make it complex, does it?) can wind up feeling like a message movie in today's political climate.

It's in this light that I'm looking at my current crop of specs and I've realized that so far, I'm pretty much a popcorn screenwriter.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

There is one project I've outlined that once written would have some political overtones, but the concept for that project came to me years ago and whatever 'message' it would be delivering as it plays would be turned on its ear in the last five minutes (my inner Shyamalan can't wait to lay that down).

The self-doubt ogre is poking his head up to tell me I need to write a message movie, but the rest of me rears back in defense to claim I am not a placard-bearer, I'm just trying to write movies I'd like to see.

By the way, Western Union sent its last telegram ever on January 27th. So much for timeless anecdotes.

By the way by the way, I've got a lot of catching up to do with the nominees. I haven't seen any of them. I'd like to blame my job, my toddler son's sleep schedule and, most importantly, my low tolerance of my fellow moviegoers antics.

And thank you, Academy!