Writing a good movie character can be a tough task. More often than not, the characters that go down in history as audience favorites have an emotionally resonant arc, a vivid personality that makes them feel truly alive, and a compelling motivation that audiences can relate to. What’s particularly fun, however, is when a screenwriter writes a character who’s a writer, adding something of a meta angle, even if the film isn’t necessarily meta itself.
Plenty of fun and interesting characters from movies are in the magical profession of coming up with rich worlds that feel lived-in and stories that audiences look forward to. From movies that are directlyaboutwriting, likeThe Wife, to ones that are about something else entirely but have a writer involved, likeStalker, these characters' work is often used as a vehicle for themes about the very nature of storytelling itself.These are the best fictional writers in movies, allowing a unique perspective for audiences and giving their stories a bit of an extra kick.
10Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright)
‘American Fiction’ (2023)
The recent Oscar-winningAmerican Fictionis about a novelist, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who’s tired of the establishment’s habit of profiting from Black entertainment. So, under a pen name, he writes a book that he intends as a mockery of contemporary American society, but which instead propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy he claims to disdain.
At the heart ofAmerican Fictionlie two films. One is a poignant family drama, and the other isone of the best satiresin recent memory.The character of Monk perfectly transitions from one area to the other. As funny as he is compelling, full of interesting layers and with a complex motivation that evolves throughout the story, he has a magnetic presence that viewers can’t get enough of. Wright’s Oscar-nominated performance further elevates this curious character, making him one of the best fictional writers.
American Fiction
9T.S. Garp (Robin Williams)
‘The World According to Garp’ (1982)
The World According to Garpis one ofRobin Williams’s best movies, but it’s most certainly also one of his weirdest. It’s full of absurdist comedy and the most random gags, from a plane crashing into a house in the suburbs out of nowhere to Robin Williams biting a dog’s ear off. It’s the story of Garp, a young writer who lives in the shadow of his mother, whose autobiography accidentally made her the leader of a feminist revolution.
Garp is a complicated character with dreams, ambitions, frustrations, and sadness. The casting of Robin Williams in the role was genius; this was only his third film and his first somewhat dramatic role, and he nailed even the deepest nuances of his complex part. Particularly as the story keeps moving along and the film starts growing more and more tragic, Williams slowly transitions from dramedy to pure pathos without sacrificing his signature charm.
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8William Forrester (Sean Connery)
‘Finding Forrester’ (2000)
Its story isn’t exactly groundbreaking, and its white savior tropes haven’t aged all that well, but even then,Finding Forresteris a pretty good and endearing film. It starsSean Conneryin one of his best roles, playing the part of a famous writer named William Forrester. He decides to help Jamal (Rob Brown), a 16-year-old student, discover his innate writing talent by mentoring and enrolling him in a prestigious school.
Forrester starts the film as a bit of a conflict-avoiding recluse. When he meets Jamal, however, it’s not only him that takes on the role of a teacher. While he shows Jamal how to discover and make the best of his skills, so too does Jamal force him to come out of his shell and have the courage to live life to the fullest. Even when their stories closely stick to the genre’s tropes, there’s always something irresistibly charming about good movies about inspirational teachers.Connery fully embodies the reclusive writer tropes, playing Forrester as wise, somewhat conceited, and slightly eccentric.
Finding Forrester
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7The Writer (Anatoly Solonitsyn)
‘Stalker’ (1979)
Although it hada brutal production process, reportedly being indirectly responsible for the death of many crew members and even directorAndrei Tarkovsky,Stalkerwill always be remembered as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. It’s the story of a man who leads two men, one professor and one writer, through a mysterious area called the Zone to find a Room that grants visitors' innermost desires.
Common Tarkovsky collaboratorAnatoly Solonitsynplays the Writer,a man who embodiesStalker’s themes of faith, how it’s founded on human connections, and what happens when it’s lost. Tarkovsky always had a unique way of writing characters, which helped him make some ofthe best foreign arthouse films of all time. They have a deeply dreamlike way of speaking, and their personalities match his stories' surreal tone. The Writer is no exception,his layered motivations and Solonitsyn’s exceptional performance making him one of Tarkovsky’s most interesting characters.
6Paul Sheldon (James Caan)
‘Misery’ (1990)
One of thebest adaptations ofStephen King’s terrifying workthat the silver screen has ever seen,Miseryditches the author’s usual taste for the supernatural in favor of a much more human and much scarier horror thriller. In it, a famous author experiences a car crash and is rescued by a recluse fan of his. He soon realizes that the care he’s receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
Kathy Batesis transcendental as the horrifying Annie Wilkes, a role for which she deservedly got an Oscar, and the lateJames Caanis an interesting casting choice for the role of the writer Paul Sheldon. It’s always easy to empathize with someone going through horrors like the ones Paul has to endure, but he’s far from just a simple victim. There’s a rugged texture to his personality, and his flaws make his desperate attempts at escape all the more gripping.As a writer attempting to venture out from his usual brand, Paul is also relatable, especially amidst the ongoing debate of commercialism versus art.
5Joan Castleman (Glenn Close)
‘The Wife’ (2017)
Led by a jaw-dropping turn by the legendaryGlenn Close,The Wifeis one ofthe actress’s best movies. It’s an understated character drama about a wife (Close) questioning her life choices as she travels to Stockholm to see her husband (a magnificentJonathan Pryce) receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. The truth? For decades, she has been ghostwriting all of her husband’s work.
The Wifeis a tremendously powerful study of the nature of toxic marriages and the destructive power of narcissism meeting selflessness. DirectorBjörn Runge’s subtle approach lends the story a much more potent emotional punch, allowing Close and Pryce to shine. The character of Joan Castleman is brilliantly written, and mixed with Close’s ability to make great characters even more nuanced and complex,she becomes one of the most interesting protagonists of any film of the 2010s.The Wifecould’ve gone deeper in its exploration of the true nature of artistry, but Close’s depiction of a frustrated writer will ring true to many out there.
4Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)
‘The Shining’ (1980)
It’s not rare to seeStanley Kubrickpraised as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and his adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel of the same title,The Shining, as one of the best horror movies ever made. It’s the tale of a family heading to an isolated hotel for the winter, where the husband has agreed to become the temporary caretaker, seeking peace and quiet to write his novel. However, a sinister presence in the hotel starts influencing him into violence.
One ofthe most stylized horror movies of the ’80s,The Shiningintelligently and terrifyingly explores one of Kubrick’s favorite themes: the nature of violence and the duality of man. This theme is embodied in the character of Jack Torrance, played byJack Nicholsonat the top of his game. The reason why Jack is such a good villain is because, deep down, audiences know that he’s a good family man who has been unfortunate enough to be possessed by the spirits of the Overlook Hotel.Jack embodies the inherent frustrations of being a writer, struggling with one’s inner conflicts while trying to produce work that matters. His issues manifest as supernatural threats, but his struggle to find inspiration before succumbing to darkness remains relatable.
The Shining
3Jesse Wallace (Ethan Hawke)
The ‘Before’ Trilogy (1995-2013)
Richard Linklater’sBeforeTrilogy is probably the best romance film franchise of all time, exploring the concept of relationships and romantic love unlike anything else the genre has ever seen.Before Sunrise—one ofthe best romantic films of the 90s—depicts the poetic and idealized nature of young love.Before Sunsetpoignantly explores the feeling of regret and looking back that many people experience in their thirties. Finally,Before Midnightcaps things off with one of the most raw and realistic depictions of love cinema has ever seen.
The series charts the romance between Jesse Wallace (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy), two people brought together by fate. Each installment’s script is phenomenal, giving Jesse a unique and charming way of talking, along with an enchanting yet complicated personality. Having grown up in a dysfunctional family, his outlook on life and relationships is dosed with just a hint of cynicism, a perspective which evolves greatly throughout his relationship with Céline. Jesse is the ultimate bohemian writer,a romanticized take that might be slightly unattainable but is no less compelling.
Before Sunrise
2Jo March (Saoirse Ronan)
‘Little Women’ (2019)
Louisa May Alcott’s seminal novelLittle Womenhas seen a number of adaptations in both movies and TV over the years. The best one, though, is arguablyGreta Gerwig’s 2019 revision of the story, about a young woman named Jo March reflecting on her life. She tells the story of the March sisters, four women determined to live life on their terms.
One of Gerwig’s best films,Little Womenis particularly strong because it’s unafraid to explore the story’s feminist overtones a lot more openly and deeply, something that the novel wasn’t quite able to do due to the time when it was published. Allowing Jo to be fully dedicated to her literary work made her even stronger and more interesting without negating her need for love, thusdenying the trope that true artistry requires full sacrifice. Jo is a timeless heroine, and Gerwig found the perfect actress to play her in the incredibleSaoirse Ronan.
Little Women
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1Charlie and Donald Kaufman (Nicolas Cage)
‘Adaptation.’ (2002)
Simply put,Charlie Kaufmanis one of the most creative and brilliant screenwriters in the Hollywood system. His personal experiences in the industry are perhaps best exemplified inAdaptation., one of his best scripts and one of directorSpike Jonze’s best movies. Kaufman was hired to adaptSusan Orlean’sThe Orchid Thieffor the big screen, finding the task nothing short of impossible. In his struggle, he instead wrote an exceptionally meta film about him trying to write the adaptation when his fictional twin brother Donald (the only Oscar nominee who doesn’t actually exist) crashes at his house.
Adaptation.is nothing short of genius,a delightfully earnest and hilariously neurotic meditation on writer’s block, inspiration, and how stories reflect reality in all its chaos. Kaufman’s self-insertion, flawlessly embodied by a career-bestNicolas Cage, is an incredibly fun character to follow around. His dynamic with Donald, who’s just as interesting a character (largely because he’s a figment of Charlie’s subconscious), is the beating heart of the film. There’s no writer like Charlie Kaufman, and there are no two characters like him and his brother.
