Oscar Winner Talks Screenwriting in Kirkland House

Screenwriter Geoffrey S. Fletcher ’92, most famous for writing the film “Precious,” reflected on his growth from a Harvard student with a passion for films to an Academy Award winner Thursday afternoon at a small table discussion with students.

Inside the dining hall in Kirkland—his former House—he recalled many late nights watching movies.

Fletcher noted that though there was no screenwriting class while he was at Harvard, he made many films during his four years.

When assigned papers for his courses, he would routinely make films instead.

A psychology concentrator, Fletcher said he appreciated the lessons of his degree before attending film school at New York University.

After graduating from the College, Fletcher’s first break came in 1996 when John Singleton, director of Boyz in the Hood, expressed interest in developing a short film of Fletcher’s called “Magic Markers,” into a feature film.

The deal fell through, which resulted in an 11-year period during which Fletcher did not have a major film project.

During that time, Fletcher held down odd jobs before becoming an adjunct professor of screenwriting at both New York University and Columbia University.

But this time in the “wilderness” between the prospective offer and writing “Precious,” Fletcher said, was key to the power of the award-winning script.

“You think filmmaker takes place between action and cut, no, it’s the weeks, months, lifetimes before,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher recognized the power of the script as he wrote it, becoming increasingly excited and realizing how far into sadness he had slipped before beginning work on this project, he said.

Fletcher described the film’s producers, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, as “angels” who shepherded “Precious” towards its eventual commercial success.

He advised the attendees, several of whom were screenwriters, that plot and humanity are key to a successful movie.

As someone who has written many screenplays which have been taken up and a professor of the subject, Fletcher cautioned students of the importance of a solid plot.

“A draft can be a 60-page road to nowhere if you aren’t careful,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said that his success as a writer has contributed to his decision to try writing and directing films.

Following the talk, Fletcher screened his unreleased film “Violet and Daisy.”