Plot Summary
When the great movie producer Chester Mayer threatens the famous screenwriter Stewart Harvey to give him a script or else, aspiring intern Chip Leninskovich steps in to help Stewart, whom he has always looked up to. Together, they begrudgingly agree to write a script in 24 hours in order to satisfy the hard-nosed producer. But in the midst of their furious writing, the two men discover they have more in common than they thought.
Production Quality (2.5 points)
It’s clear that the Advent Film Group team put their fullest effort into crafting historically authentic surroundings for this film. Props and the few sets that there are speak to a commitment to being very authentic. Even the black and white video is effective. The soundtrack is also reminiscent of the era that is portrayed. Camera work is professional as well. There are very few errors to point out here, and they only pertain to editing, as some scenes are too long, while others are too short. There are also too many montages that try to fill time. But in the end, this production effort is a job well done—we can’t wait to see it applied to a bigger scale.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
Unfortunately, the simplistic plot structure of The Screenwriters holds it back from being all that it could be. The scope of the story is too limited to one room with a handful of people coming and going from it and talking about the past and what they want to do. Flashbacks would have been helpful to get outside of that room. Besides this, the plot follows a predictable progression—we actually like the plot the characters were writing better than the actual plot. We would have loved to see it replicated alongside the main storyline. Finally, some of the characters in this film are intriguing while some are cheesy. Effort is put into developing their backstories, but we would have liked to see more. In short, this plot needed to be more dynamic so that this movie could be all that it could have been.
Acting Quality (2.5 points)
This casting job is surprisingly respectable, considering who the cast includes. This is perhaps Richard Swingle’s best acting performance to date. Jason Burkey is better than usual, and Jenn Gotzon is just herself. The only issues to raise here is some silly emotional delivery and ‘goofy’ elements. But in the end, this casting is a breath of fresh air.
Conclusion
Advent Film Group is on the verge of something great. They have assembled the necessary tools to craft a high quality production. They know how to cast a film and coach the cast members. All that’s missing now is a dynamic plot. Like many other almost-there film makers, once Advent solves the plot puzzle, they will be a force to be reckoned with. We anticipate their next release.
Final Rating: 6 out of 10 points
Full disclosure: We were provided by the creator with a copy of this film in exchange for a fair and honest review
Box Office Revolution 
While I did enjoy watching this film, I cannot say that I would watch it again, or refer it to someone else. Unfortunately, the slow progression of The Screenwriters would not hold the attention of today’s audience. All this team needs to do is try to better relate to the current audience, and generate a more complex plot, then, they will be great.
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