The Trademark Cleverly Written Predictable Schmaltz of Aaron Sorkin

Quentin Tarantino, the writer-director who has won two Best Original Screenplay Oscars (and no Best Director Oscars) has sung the praises of Aaron Sorkin as "the best screenwriter in Hollywood." Methinks that QT is being humble - he means SECOND BEST(he's first) but its kinda true.

Sorkin made his name with a Broadway stage play that became a movie way back in 1992 -- "A Few Good Men" that allowed young superstar Tom Cruise to verbally spar with old superstar Jack Nicholson. "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" became the classic line yelled by Jack(and he got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for it) but the two leads got plenty of opportunities to hit the ball across the net.

And actors LOVE that stuff. Sorkin specializes in characters who argue, insult each other, and either smite their enemies or make peace with new friends.

The movies made Sorkin's main bread, but his "West Wing: TV show set the pace for the arguing and yelling and passion -- and, to a certain extent -- to the predictable schmaltz of happy endings seen well in advance of their arrival. He's an old fashioned Hollywood writer.

Scripts that Aaron Sorkin wrote(or co-wrote) that are among my favorite movies include:

Charlie Wilson's War(kind of The West Wing with bigger stars -- no, wait that was The American President.) I like Charlie Wilson's War better -- any and all scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman are comedy gold AND thoughtful.

Moneyball (Brad Pitt arguing with a roomful of baseball scouts -- and a manager played by Philiip Seymour Hoffman with a buzz cut to suggest "sports." Plus Jonah Hill as Butch to Brad's Sundance...its a bromance.)

and..Molly's Game. The first Sorkin script directed by Sorkin...and its a smooth job given the smooth script.

In this one, beautiful Jessica Chastain(client) and handsome Idris Elba (her lawyer) argue all the live long day at full vocal power (one critic said "Sorkin's dialogue again comes flying out of the characters like a gout of water from a firehose") but make peace as friends.

And the "typical Sorkin scene" -- in its predictability -- comes early on , when lawyer Elba says that he will accompany Chastain to her initial NYC federal arraignment ONLY to help her plead Not Guilty and that he will NOT represent her as a lawyer.

The courtroom scene commences with plenty of whispered Sorkin dialogue and a "gag" -- Elba keeps making the big bodyguard between Chastain and him "switch" so he can sit next to her. He gave her bodyguards because she has Russian mob connections she didn't want as a big time poker game master. Anyway, Elba and the bodyguard switch a few times and the pressure is on: Will Elba go ahead and ANNOUNCE that he is only there to help on the arraignment...or ANNOUNCE that he WILL represent her as her lawyer.

Sorkin pushes the pressure to the breaking point. The kindly judge is patient but his patience is runing out and Elba keeps stalling and it turns into "Are you her lawyer or not?"

Yes, he announces, he's her lawyer. And he will represent her from here on. And its old-time melodrama at it most predictable (OF COURSE he will become her lawyer, we KNOW that) but ..Sorkin knows Hollywood tradition when you are NOT playing on the cynical, bad-guys-win side of the street.

I wonder if Sorkin expected applause in the theater when Elba announced his choice.