The 25 Best American Screenplays of the 21st Century, From ‘Eternal Sunshine’ to ‘Lady Bird’
So what would inspire two female cowriters, director Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner, to adapt the story for film? The pair are much more interested in the mechanics that make Patrick Bateman tick, and building from that the satire that underlines the film’s best moments. From the obsessive one-upsmanship about business cards and restaurant seats, to the jarring ’80s pop songs underlining Bateman’s most brutal murders, the killer is deftly moved from glorification to case study. Wisely using the novel as a jumping-off point instead of a sacred text, Harron and Turner give their script plenty of texture and nuance that elevates this film from cult footnote to a masterclass of screenwriting.
'X-Files' Star Annabeth Gish Joins Manson Drama 'Charlie Says'
Written by Guinevere Turner, Charlie Says will focus on three young women who were sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the Sharon Tate murder case when the death penalty was lifted. Virginia Carlson (Gish) pursues a young graduate student, Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever), to work with the incarcerated Manson girls.
Sosie Bacon Joins Manson Drama 'Charlie Says'
Reuniting Harron with her writing partner on American Psycho, Guinevere Turner, Charlie Says has been written by Turner and is based on source material from Ed Sanders’ 1971 best-selling book The Family, as well as The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten, written by Faith. Until her passing last year, Faith remained an advocate for Leslie Van Houten, who had been up for parole over 20 times.
Guinevere Turner Joins “Capitol Hill”
Lesbian film luminary, Guinevere Turner (The L Word, Go Fish, American Psycho, Chasing Amy, The Watermelon Woman) guest stars in the brand new episode of Capitol Hill. Waxie Moon returns as Roses Smell in need of much therapy. Featuring intros by Alexandra Billings, BenDeLaCreme and Colby Keller.
‘American Psycho’ Team Mary Harron & Guinevere Turner Reunite For Manson Pic ‘The Family’
The team behind the 2000 cult classic American Psycho is reuniting for look at real-life American psycho Charles Manson. Director Mary Harron and screenwriter Guinevere Turner are set for The Family, an examination of the infamous Manson Family murders through the eyes of graduate student Karlene Faith as she works with three young, brainwashed women who were part of the cult.
Fearsome Facts: American Psycho
Guinevere Turner is one of a bevy of smart, alluring sex kittens appearing in the movie, but she takes on double duty in American Psycho. Firstly, she co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Mary Harron. Second, she portrayed Patrick’s friend Elizabeth who is killed in bed by Bateman. Elizabeth is having a ménage à trois with Bateman and Christie when things go horribly wrong. Christie is murdered with a chainsaw in the stairwell while trying to flee the coital carnage.
What inspired you to tell stories and make movies?
When I was in my early twenties, my girlfriend and I at the time were talking about the fact that there were no movies out there that reflected our experiences – movies about people who aren’t really accepted in the community and are isolated. She was in film school. I had graduated already, and I had studied to be a novelist. I was like “We can make a movie, because I’m a writer, and you’re a director!” I was in plays in school, so I could also act in it. That decision right there took me on a path. I had never studied screenwriting, acting, or directing for that matter. So, it’s as if it came out of this desire to see ourselves on screen, and we were like oh, we’ll figure out how to do it. And back then the world wasn’t so saturated with independent films. So, yeah, that’s how it all began for me. Then we got into Sundance Film Festival right after somebody explained to me what a film festival was. After that happened, people wanted me to act in their films and write their films, and it was away we go!