10 Films About Writers

Discover 10 films about writers and the unique way they view the world.

Writers have a unique way of seeing the world, and films about their lives often capture the magic, struggle, and creativity that drive them. Whether you're a writer yourself or simply curious about the minds behind some of your favorite stories, these films offer you a glimpse into the joys and challenges of the writing life. From tales of inspiration and perseverance to the delicate dance between reality and imagination. Below we give you 10 films that showcase the world through their eyes.

Films:

1. Contempt
A philistine in the art film business, Jeremy Prokosh is a producer that is unhappy with the work of his director. After hiring Fritz Lang to direct an adaptation of “The Odyssey” he realizes the legendary filmmaker is making a picture destined to fail in the box office, so he brings in a new screenwriter to revamp the script. But the professional overlaps with the personal when a rift develops between the writer and his wife.

2. Leave Her To Heaven
While on a train, writer Richard Harlan strikes up a relationship with the gorgeous Ellen Berent. She quickly becomes obsessed with Richard and leaves her fiance, Russell Quinton to be with him. The two rush into marriage but little did he know that this would spur a violent, obsessive, and dangerous jealousy in her.

3. The Lives Of Others
In 1983, East Berlin dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler, doubting that a famous playwright is loyal to the Communist party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. When Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple he faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria and orders Wiesler to get the playwright out of the way.

4. Through A Glass Darkly
Karin hopes to recover from her recent stay at a mental hospital by spending the summer at a cottage on a tiny island with her novelist father, frustrated husband and vulnerable younger brother. Despite their wishes to move past her troubles, Karin is beset by visions and descends further into madness.

5. Providence
Clive, a frequently drunk author in bad health, is busy working on a new book at his Rhode Island home. The characters in this new story are based on his actual family. Clive embellishes their personalities, adding heavy symbolism to create a dark, surreal tale. When they all show up for a family meal, we learn about their true natures.

6. An Angel At My Table
Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stages of her life. She grows up impoverished, and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth. Yet still finds acclaim for her writing while in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with life.

7. Wonder Boys
A professor suffering from writer's block tries to deal with the complex pressure of his love life and his troubled students assorted problems. Despite the encouragement of one of his admiring female pupils, the professor is obsessed with his current work. He finds release in his friendship with a gifter but lonely student, but his life is further complicated when news of his lover’s pregnancy comes to life.

8. Swimming Pool
When an uptight British writer has difficulty with her new detective novel, her publisher sends her to his French country home to unwind. Once Sarah finds comfort in her new surroundings, it is interrupted by the arrival of her publisher's daughter; the young, beautiful, uninhibited Julie. Though the two clash, they eventually form an unlikely bond- one that becomes strained when things take a dramatic turn.

9. Pick Up Your Ears
The life and tragic death of British playwright Joe Orton is chronicled in this biographical film. When the young, attractive Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success in his writing, Halliwll becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, eventually tapping into a dangerous rage.

10. Stuck In Love
An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.

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5 Books to Get Into Classic Literature, an article by @sukopyramid