Man on the Moon: The Shooting Script

If you've seen the film enoughto be fiarly familiar with it's structure and narrative,this script will be a revelation.As stated in the title,this is a "shooting script",the original version submitted to the producers at the onset of the film's production,before the actors and director started fiddling with it.There are many,many scenes and passages here that greatly clarify the direction of the story and provide crucial motivations and psychological subtexts that you may miss in the completed film.However,scriptwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaczewski provide insight into this in the fantastic forward to the script,in the process giving a fascinating glimse into all the labirynthine exigencies involved in getting an original spark of insiration into the multiplex.They explain the step-by-step process of telling Kaufman's story-what to put in,what to leave out,how to handle certain aspects of his life,shaping the messy,complicated,and open-ended events of his career into something resembling a coherent,three-act drama.Ultimately,they decided-wisely-to treat the film as Andy would have,to let his art and performances define the film,just as they defined his life,and to use a constantly shifting base of perspective to keep the audience on thier toes,a brilliantly executed exercise in what-is-real and what-isn't.If you loved the film,this script provides an essential companion that will give you a new appreciation for it,but even if you're not particularly fond of it,or even Andy Kaufman hiomself,this is still a fascinating look at the creative process,and how it holds up throughout the production of a film.Highly recommended.

"Man on the Moon" has to be on my top three best screenplay list for 1999-2000. It's a great screenplay with great words and conversations. I love it and I'm sure you will too.

As an aspiring screenwriter, it's a beautiful thing when two talented writers put out a screenplay for an incredible movie that looks as good as it is. None of that reformatted junk, this is the actual script reproduction. And, as for the content, it couldn't be better. There are parts different from teh movie, which aren't necessarily better, but add more insight to the life of comic genius Andy Kaufman.