Today, we present two screenplays based on true stories that challenge us to examine our views on class and race. One is a gritty, modern-day, verité standout from Sundance 2013. The other is a more polished civil rights period piece from a director who was a Sundance standout himself just a few years ago. Thanks to The Weinstein Company, you can now download the screenplays for Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station and Lee Daniels' The Butler, written by Danny Strong.
In case you missed it in U.S. theatres this summer and fall, here's the trailer for Fruitvale Station, a more complete portrait than the headlines and YouTube videos of Oscar Grant III, tragically known to most for his untimely death at a BART station on January 1, 2009:
And here's the trailer for Lee Daniels' The Butler, inspired by the true life story of White House butler Eugene Allen:
Here are the links to the screenplays, thanks to The Weinstein Company:
- Fruitvale Station, written by Ryan Coogler
- Lee Daniels' The Butler, written by Danny Strong
As always, please use these screenplays for your educational purposes only, and don’t wait to download them as we never know when they will go offline.
Also, if you missed our previous posts about award contender screenplays available for free, legal download, you can find them at the links below:
- Despicable Me 2 and The Croods
- The Spectacular Now, Spring Breakers, and The Bling Ring
- Before Midnight and Kill Your Darlings
Are you currently writing a screenplay based on a true story? Do screenplays like these help you focus on the key moments necessary to tell your story for the screen? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
