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Eric Roth: How to Write Screenplays That Move the World

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114,691 views vs a median of 167,623 across the channel's last 8 long-form uploads · as of Oct 29

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Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth joins David Perell on the How I Write podcast to discuss his screenwriting craft, from writing every day starting on page one to drafting cinematic masterworks like Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Killers of the Flower Moon. He details his approach to theme, character psychology, subtext, and why emotional authenticity matters far more than plot mechanics.

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10chapters 3on-screen captures 9people 12claims and stats 14references in all

Source: How He Wrote Forrest Gump (And Many Other Movies) · David Perell

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The explainer

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In this in-depth conversation on the How I Write podcast, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth sits down with host David Perell to unpack the creative philosophy and habits behind cinema classics like Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Roth reveals that his daily process begins with a grounding ritual: he writes from page one every day^0:34 in order to live inside the world of the script and continually shore up uneven scenes before moving forward. Despite producing scripts celebrated for their rich literary texture, Roth famously drafts his work on an archaic, disconnected 40-page DOS word processor^1:29:00, relying on superstitious discipline and physical printouts to maintain focus.

Roth explains how foundational thematic clarity and character psychology shape every dramatic decision. Rather than relying on plot beats alone, he argues that writers must unearth the underlying soul of a project, noting that Killers of the Flower Moon was fundamentally an inquiry into justice^42:50 and Benjamin Button explored how we process grief and time^22:21. When dialogue risks sounding hollow or overly expository, Roth advocates writing subtextually or using unexpected environmental shifts; for instance, when facing creative inertia, his go-to tactic is to change the weather to rain^45:55 or high winds to immediately force characters into evocative physical actions.

Throughout the interview, Roth illustrates the power of specificity and human detail in dialogue and character design. From drafting Bubba's famous shrimp cataloging monologue^12:10 around the dinner table on a Canadian family vacation to capturing authentic Southern voices, he shows how grounded sensory reality elevates high-concept premises. He also reflects on writing iconic aphorisms, including the moving father-daughter letter in Benjamin Button that readers often misattribute to F. Scott Fitzgerald^29:38, and describes the collaborative humility required when working alongside cinematic masters, including learning to celebrate when an actor like Al Pacino replaces a page-and-a-half monologue with one look^1:03:10.

Highlights

0:34Writing every day from page one
12:10Origin of Bubba's shrimp monologue
22:21Channeling personal grief into Benjamin Button
29:38Writing lines misattributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald
45:55Unblocking a scene by changing the weather
1:03:10Al Pacino replacing a monologue with a look

Chapters across the 1:35:01 runtime

How it's told

A two-person interview examining scripts and stories

Format: Interview. David Perell interviews screenwriter Eric Roth about his daily writing habits, scene craft, and character development. Roth reflects on his creative process, pivotal scenes from his filmography, and working relationships with iconic directors.

Story arc

0:00IntroductionDavid Perell introduces veteran screenwriter Eric Roth and outlines his storied Hollywood career.
0:25Daily Writing RoutineEric Roth explains why he begins each writing session from page one to stay immersed in the narrative.
5:29Crafting BackstoriesRoth shares how developing nuanced character histories shapes dialogue and authentic narrative motivations.
14:19Memorable CharactersRoth discusses grounding larger-than-life characters in universal human emotion and personal grief.
29:15Iconic One-LinersRoth reflects on writing memorable movie lines, including Benjamin Button's famous closing monologue.
33:11Fanciful vs. CartoonishRoth contrasts imaginative, poetic storytelling with exaggerated caricatures to maintain emotional realism.
41:43Starting at the EndRoth details the advantages of opening stories from their conclusion and breaking blocks by changing scene weather.
48:07Likable Dramatic CharactersRoth explores how moral complexity, vulnerability, and underlying justice make flawed protagonists compelling.
57:45Great Movie IntrosRoth and Perell break down the opening feather sequence and visual tone setting of Forrest Gump.
1:02:49Writing DialogueRoth discusses subtext in dialogue and how actors like Al Pacino communicate depth without words.
1:17:28Director CollaborationsRoth describes working alongside visionary directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and David Fincher.
1:24:58Enduring ArtRoth reflects on writing on an obsolete DOS machine, future projects, and creating timeless cinematic stories.

Setups and payoffs

0:18Setup Perell teases Roth's experiences collaborating with legendary directors Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, and Martin Scorsese.
↳
1:18:00Payoff Roth details the distinct working methods, intuition, and communication styles of Spielberg, Fincher, and Scorsese.
0:02Setup Perell highlights the profound emotional depth of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
↳
22:21Payoff Roth explains that both of his parents died while he was writing Benjamin Button, channeling his real grief directly into the screenplay.
4:46Setup Roth recalls Brad Pitt teasing him during a table read about his poetic stage directions.
↳
29:38Payoff Roth recounts how Pitt delivered the poetic closing monologue he wrote for Benjamin Button, which is now often misattributed to Fitzgerald.

Devices

Script AnalysisReading and examining excerpts from Roth's actual screenplays displayed on screen.37:45 41:48 57:45 1:34:23
Behind-the-Scenes AnecdoteSharing personal stories about Hollywood productions, directors, and actors.4:46 12:10 22:21 1:03:10 1:18:00
Practical Writing AdviceOffering actionable craft advice, from daily page-one rereading to changing the weather in a stuck scene.0:34 14:30 45:55

From the video's own structure, matched to the transcript and on-screen text.

Teardown

David Perell pairs the brand recognition of Hollywood classics with intimate craft secrets, but the relaxed ninety-minute conversation lacks a tight narrative arc to stop casual viewers from dropping off.

About typical for the channel: 0.7× its typical views (114,691 vs a median of 167,623 across the channel's last 8 long-form uploads, as of Oct 29) · Long-form interview · 525 days old

The promise

A viewer expects to learn the counter-intuitive writing principles used by the screenwriter of Forrest Gump to craft legendary films.

Packaging

How it looks in the feed

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1:35:01

How He Wrote Forrest Gump (And Many Other Movies)

David Perell114K views · 1y agoDune. Forrest Gump. Benjamin Button. Eric Roth wrote all of them. He’s been nominated for seven Oscars and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump. I got…

Views and age as of the teardown, Oct 29, 2026. Other videos are blanked out.

3/5Thumbnail imageThe framing gives a clear, high-contrast look at the subject's face, though the screenwriter is not instantly recognizable to general audiences. The neutral interview background keeps the focus entirely on his expression.A close-up shot of an older man with gray hair and a beard looking thoughtfully off-camera against a soft studio backdrop.
4/5Thumbnail text““Never Write What You Mean””The five-word quote creates immediate intrigue by violating common writing advice. The large serif font is clean and legible at small scale.White serif text in quotation marks reading '“Never Write What You Mean”' stacked across four lines on the right side.
3/5TitleAnchoring to Forrest Gump provides immediate credibility, but adding 'And Many Other Movies' waters down the punch. It names the movie rather than the writer, relying entirely on the film's reputation.Title text reads 'How He Wrote Forrest Gump (And Many Other Movies)'.
4/5Title + thumbnailThe thumbnail delivers a provocative piece of craft advice while the title provides the authority credentials to back it up. Together they frame an intriguing lesson from an accomplished Hollywood insider.The quote 'Never Write What You Mean' sits beside the title claiming this is how Forrest Gump was written.

Curiosity gap: Why would a celebrated screenwriter advise against writing what you actually mean, and how did that rule make Forrest Gump a classic?

The three hooks

The title, the thumbnail text and the first words spoken each make a promise, and each does a different job.

Title“How He Wrote Forrest Gump (And Many Other Movies)”Insider secretCuriosityProofIt makes the viewer want to see the behind-the-scenes process used to create an iconic Oscar-winning screenplay.
Thumbnail text““Never Write What You Mean””Contrarian takeCuriosityNoveltyIt makes the viewer want to know why standard direct writing is a mistake.
First words spoken“Dune, Forrest Gump, Benjamin Button. Eric Roth is the guy who wrote all those screenplays.”AuthorityProofCuriosityNaming three legendary films in the first three seconds makes the viewer immediately want to discover the creative mind responsible for all of them.

PairingDifferent jobsThe thumbnail hooks with counter-intuitive advice, while the title explains whose credibility is behind that advice.
StakesFitsThe packaging promises deep writing insights from the creator of iconic movies, which the interview delivers through rich discussions of subtext, character, and structure.
UrgencyNoneThe conversation is positioned as an evergreen, masterclass-style interview with no time-sensitive elements.

The first 20 seconds

Time	What you see	What you hear	What it does
0:00	Host talking to camera against a warm background.	"Dune,"	Starts listing massive blockbuster movies with zero preamble.
0:01	Still of Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump behind the host.	"Forrest Gump,"	Visually and verbally confirms the title topic in the first second.
0:02	Still of Benjamin Button behind the host.	"Benjamin Button."	Stacks another prestigious movie credit to amplify authority.
0:03	Cut to guest Eric Roth smiling in an armchair with text "Eric Roth".	"Eric Roth is..."	Introduces the writer visually in an intimate, polished setting.
0:04	Close-up on Eric Roth laughing with text overlay.	"...the guy who wrote all those screenplays, and..."	States the central premise and reason the guest matters.
0:05	Eric Roth smiling thoughtfully.	"...he's..."	Carries the narration smoothly between cuts.
0:06	Quick cut back to the host in his library studio gesturing energetically.	"...been nominated for an Oscar..."	Ups the stakes by introducing high-status industry validation.
0:07	Host emphasizing points with his hands.	"...seven times,"	Delivers a quantifiable proof point of the guest's elite skill.
0:08	Host continuing energetic delivery.	"and he won..."	Builds anticipation for the peak achievement.
0:09	Archival footage of Eric Roth holding his Oscar statue on stage.	"...the Academy Award for Best Screenplay with..."	Supplies undeniable historical proof of top-tier success.
0:10	Eric Roth holding up his Oscar envelope and trophy.	"...Forrest..."	Directly connects the visual Oscar win back to the video title.
0:11	Eric Roth speaking at the Academy Awards podium.	"...Gump."	Locks in total credibility for writing Forrest Gump.
0:12	Host holding up a thick bound screenplay binder to the camera.	"I asked him things like..."	Introduces a physical artifact to signal deep, tangible access.
0:13	Host showing open screenplay page with text "How do you find a theme".	"...how do you find a theme?"	Teases specific craft questions writers care about.
0:14	Wide two-shot of host and guest seated across from each other.	"What can you..."	Shows the conversational, comfortable interview environment.
0:15	Wide interview shot with kinetic typography "What can you do in your writing".	"...do in your writing..."	Promises actionable advice for the viewer's own craft.
0:16	Wide interview shot with text "to really move people".	"...to really move people?"	Hooks the emotional payoff of great storytelling.
0:17	Eric Roth and host laughing together in the wide shot.	[Upbeat musical swell]	Highlights warm rapport to make the longform conversation feel inviting.
0:18	Host addressing camera directly with text "to work with David Fincher".	"What's it like to work with..."	Pivots to high-curiosity Hollywood insider stories.
0:19	Host gesturing with both hands.	"...David Fincher and..."	Drops another iconic director name to sustain interest.
0:20	Host mid-sentence previewing the next director.	[Narration continues]	Maintains forward momentum into the core interview.

Click confirmation: It confirms the click in one second by naming Forrest Gump out loud and putting Tom Hanks on screen behind the host.
Time to the point: 0:04
Hook: bold claim, payoff preview
Reason to stay: The host teases exact answers to deep craft questions (finding themes, moving audiences) and backstage stories about working with elite directors.
Missing on purpose: No channel intro, no animated bumper, no 'welcome back to the channel', and no request to subscribe before delivering value.
Pace and texture: Very fast. Cuts happen every 1 to 2 seconds, mixing direct-to-camera talk, movie stills, archival Oscar footage, and kinetic typography over upbeat music.

Story map

Explainer. An aspiring interviewer questions an Oscar-winning screenwriter to extract the hidden creative mechanics behind blockbuster films, fighting against the natural rambling of open-ended conversational tangents.

Time	Section	New tension	Stakes	Turn	Loops
0:00 –5:26	Daily Routine & Novelistic Prose	How does a legendary screenwriter avoid writer's block and build daily momentum?	Rise	Roth admits he starts on page one every single day to catch errors, but this novelistic style makes his scripts too long for modern Hollywood.	Opens: How does his unusual page-one routine actually shape character voices?Closes: Shows the daily discipline behind his major scripts.
5:26 –15:11	Character Psychology & Bubba's Voice	Where do iconic, memorable voices like Bubba from Forrest Gump actually come from?	Hold	Viewers expect deep literary theory, but Roth reveals he just yelled across a dinner table to have his family list shrimp recipes.	Opens: How does he make simplistic characters emotionally compelling rather than farcical?Closes: Answers where the iconic shrimp monologue originated.
15:11 –24:40	Subtext & Writing Through Metaphors	Why do most writers fail at moving their audience emotionally?	Rise	Direct exposition cheapens drama, therefore master writers never write what they mean, relying instead on indirect dreams and metaphors.	Opens: How can a writer channel real-life emotional pain into fictional characters without being melodramatic?Closes: Delivers on the thumbnail hook 'Never Write What You Mean'.
24:40 –34:30	Mortality & Benjamin Button	How did Roth turn a surreal concept about backward aging into an Oscar-winning tearjerker?	Rise	He channeled the simultaneous death of both parents into Benjamin Button, but struggled against audience sentimentality.	Opens: How does he keep deeply emotional lines from sounding sappy?Closes: Explains why Benjamin Button moves viewers to tears.
34:30 –43:00	Time, Endings & Misattributed Quotes	Can you craft iconic one-liners deliberately, or are they happy accidents?	Fall	Roth wrote one of the most famous letters in cinema, yet readers framed it and attributed it to F. Scott Fitzgerald instead of him.	Opens: What mechanical structures make film openings immediately hook viewers?Closes: Reveals who actually wrote the famous Benjamin Button graduation speech.
43:00 –52:40	Three-Act Limits & Moral Complexity	Can modern cinema break away from rigid three-act formulas?	Hold	Roth argues every story inherently conforms to three acts, but the art lies in exploring moral injustice rather than tidy morals.	Opens: What practical tools break writer's block when a scene stalls?Closes: Frames the thematic purpose behind Killers of the Flower Moon.
52:40 –1:02:40	Fixing Stalled Scenes & Visual Outlines	How do you navigate the messy middle of a screenplay without a massive outline?	Rise	Roth hates complex outlines, so he breaks dead ends simply by changing the weather in the scene to force new character actions.	Opens: How do top actors react when a writer overwrites a scene?Closes: Gives the practical 'change the weather' hack for getting unstuck.
1:02:40 –1:15:20	Dialogue Economy & Cutting Monologues	How much dialogue does an actor actually need to carry dramatic weight?	Hold	Roth wrote a detailed 1.5-page monologue for Al Pacino, but Pacino proved he could convey all of it with a single silent look.	Opens: What is it like working under exacting visionary directors like Fincher and Scorsese?Closes: Shows the tension between literary scriptwriting and pure cinema.
1:15:20 –1:27:00	Directing Titans & Research	How do elite directors like Scorsese, Spielberg, and Villeneuve differ in their collaboration styles?	Hold	Sag: no turn	Opens: What strange creative habits keep Roth grounded after decades in the business?Closes: Closes the loop from the opening hook about working with Fincher, Scorsese, and Spielberg.
1:27:00 –1:35:01	Writing on DOS & Artistic Longevity	Why does a 21st-century blockbuster writer still rely on obsolete 1980s computer hardware?	Fall	Roth chooses the technical limit of a 40-page DOS word processor purely out of superstitious habit to prevent bloating his drafts.	Closes: Explains his unusual technical setup and closes out the interview.

Payoff: delivered in part at 17:45. The packaging promises the core rule 'Never Write What You Mean', which Roth delivers around 17:45 by advising writers to write subtextually through off-center metaphors rather than direct exposition, though much of the video wanders into biographical Hollywood memories. Ending: Roth explains his quirky loyalty to writing on an obsolete 40-page DOS word processor, ending with gentle philosophical reflections on love and art before fading out.

Leaks

Where a viewer might leave. Guesses from watching, not retention data.

8:52 Roth shifts into broad talk about his research sheds and the internet, causing the conversation to lose dramatic tension and drift into generic interview small talk.
25:25 Roth starts discussing his box-office flop 'Here', breaking the rhythm of discussing iconic cultural touchstones.
1:02:08 Perell spends over a minute inspecting a physical script binder and debating page count math, grinding the momentum to a complete halt.
1:22:15 Discussion of historical mafia research in 1890 New Orleans feels distant and detached from the craft takeaways viewers came for.

Steal this

Rapid credential stacking in opening seconds: list the guest's 3 biggest cultural titles within 3 seconds, followed immediately by undeniable physical proof (Oscar footage) at second 9. Bypasses viewer skepticism before they have time to click away, establishing unquestionable authority immediately. 0:00
Physical artifact reveal: introduce a thick, tangible physical prop (a heavy bound script draft) to signal insider access that normal podcasts lack. Breaks the visual monotony of two armchairs and gives the conversation a tactile anchor. 0:12
Direct quote demystification: take an iconic, quoted line from pop culture and ask for the unglamorous literal moment it was typed. Transforms high-brow creative work into relatable human problem-solving, making the guest feel accessible. 12:15
Concrete problem-solving heuristics: offer an immediate tactile solution for an abstract mental block (e.g., 'if stuck, change the weather in the scene'). Gives the viewer a memorable, actionable takeaway they can immediately apply to their own work. 45:55

Skip this

Unscripted twenty-minute conversational detours about unproduced projects and personal reading habits. Perell's established audience of writers accepts slow, literary podcast pacing, whereas a broader channel would lose retention without continuous structural tension.
Relying on vintage Hollywood name-dropping without inserting visual clips or B-roll of the movies discussed. Casual YouTube viewers need visual pacing; only cinephiles stay engaged during long talking-head reflections on 1980s directors.

Open questions

What was the click-through rate comparison between the 'Never Write What You Mean' contrarian thumbnail versus a standard title naming Eric Roth?
At what point in the 95 minutes did the average audience drop off occur relative to the Fincher/Scorsese promises made in the intro?

Teardown by Avail.video from the thumbnail, the title, the first 20 seconds and the report's notes on the whole video.

On screen

Everything the video showed you

Slides, frameworks, quotes and formulas, captured verbatim with the moment they appeared. Tap any card to jump there.

slide

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTONWritten byEric RothBased on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald10/30/07As all things do, it begins in the dark. EYES blinkopen. Blue eyes. The first thing they see is a WOMANnear 40, standing looking out a window, watching the windblowing, rattling a window.

▶ 37:42

slide

As all things do, it begins in the dark. EYES blinkopen. Blue eyes. The first thing they see is a WOMANnear 40, standing looking out a window, watching the windblowing, rattling a window.A WOMAN'S (V.O.)What are you looking at?CAROLINEThe wind, Mother... They say ahurricane is on its way... You'vebeen asleep... I was waiting tosee you...

▶ 41:48

slide

EXT. CEMETERY PLOT, NEW ORLEANS CEMETERY - DAY, 1936 94We see an old New Orleans paupers' cemetery... Benjaminand the mourners, and because he can't remember her name,around an unmarked grave...BENJAMIN BUTTON'S (V.O.)She had taught me how to play thepiano.As Benjamin watches the woman go to her final rest.BENJAMIN BUTTON'S (V.O.) (CONT'D)And she taught me what it meant tomiss somebody.

▶ 1:34:23

Reference shelf

People, ideas and things mentioned

Said means mentioned aloud; Shown means it appeared on screen.

People9

Eric RothAcclaimed American screenwriter known for Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Killers of the Flower Moon.0:04Said + shown1:10:50Said
David PerellHost of the 'How I Write' podcast and essayist.0:10Said
David FincherAmerican film director who collaborated with Roth on Benjamin Button and Mank.0:18Said + shown22:40Said
Steven SpielbergLegendary American film director who worked with Roth on Munich.0:20Said + shown1:18:00Said
Martin ScorseseRenowned American filmmaker who collaborated with Roth on Killers of the Flower Moon and an upcoming mafia project.0:22Said + shown42:50Said
Robert ZemeckisAmerican film director who directed Forrest Gump and Here.8:05Said25:30Said
Brad PittAmerican actor who starred in Benjamin Button.4:46Said29:38Said
Ben AffleckAmerican actor, writer, and filmmaker.1:15:10Said
Sydney SweeneyAmerican actress attached to Roth's upcoming missing-girl project.1:26:50Said

Things on screen5

Forrest Gump1994 Oscar-winning drama film adapted by Eric Roth from Winston Groom's novel.0:01Said + shown57:45Said + shown
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button2008 fantasy drama film written by Eric Roth and directed by David Fincher.0:02Said + shown37:45Said + shown
Killers of the Flower Moon2023 historical crime drama co-written by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese.42:50Said
The Insider1999 drama directed by Michael Mann, co-written by Eric Roth and Michael Mann.1:03:10Said
DOS Word ProcessorOutdated text editor program on a dedicated offline PC used by Eric Roth to write scripts.1:29:00Said

Video description

A description you can paste into YouTube

A hook, a summary, chapters in YouTube's format and what the video mentions. Copy it, edit it, and paste it into YouTube Studio.

Discover how Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth writes films like Forrest Gump, from daily habits to character psychology and emotional subtext.

Eric Roth discusses his daily ritual of writing from page one, capturing authentic voice, and developing rich character psychology for films like Forrest Gump. He explains how thematic subtext, mortality, and grief drove projects like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Killers of the Flower Moon. Roth also shares his practical writing habits, dialogue economy, experiences working with legendary directors, and why he still drafts scripts on an antique DOS computer.

Chapters
0:00 Starting from Page One and Screenplay Prose
5:26 Character Psychology, Southern Voice, and Bubba's Shrimp
15:11 Thematic Subtext and Emotional Resonance
24:40 Grief, Mortality, and Benjamin Button
34:30 Time, Endings, and Aphorisms
43:00 Structure, Justice, and Cinematic Openings
52:40 Writer Habits: Weather Shifts and Scene Outlines
1:02:40 Dialogue Economy, Pacino, and Writing Collaborations
1:15:20 Directing Giants, Historical Research, and New Projects
1:27:00 The Antique DOS Computer and Final Reflections

Mentioned in this video
- Eric Roth
- Forrest Gump
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- David Fincher
- Steven Spielberg
- Martin Scorsese
- Robert Zemeckis
- Brad Pitt
- David Perell
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- The Insider
- Ben Affleck

#Screenwriting #Storytelling #CreativeWriting

Chapters and summary by Avail.video: https://avail.video/r/rpt_01m62wyxeybbp8efyswx4y

Include the credit line1,531 / 5,000 characters

By the numbers

What YouTube shows about this video and its channel

As of Oct 29, 2026. YouTube's public numbers first, then Avail.video's own arithmetic on them.

The video

Views: 114.7K
Likes: 3.1K
Comments: 81
Published: May 21, 2025
Length: 1:35:01
Category: People & Blogs
YouTube's topics: Film, Religion
Captions: No
HD: Yes
Language: English
Paid promotion: None declared
Made for kids: No
License: Standard YouTube

The channel

David Perell@davidperellchannel

Subscribers: 333K
Videos: 771
Total views: 26.3M
Channel age: 9 years (since Jan 2017)
Country: United States
Uploads: about every 6 days; Across the last 8 long-form uploads
Before this video: —

Calculated by Avail.video from YouTube's public numbers

Outlier score: 0.7× · Typical; Views against the median of the channel's last 8 long-form uploads
Views per subscriber: 0.34
Likes vs the channel's usual: 1.8× the channel's usual; 2.7% of views vs a usual 1.5%
Comments vs the channel's usual: 0.6× the channel's usual; 0.071% of views vs a usual 0.12%
Rank among recent uploads: #6 of 9; By views: this video and the channel's last 8 long-form uploads

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On-screen text References Full transcript

# Video report: How He Wrote Forrest Gump (And Many Other Movies)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUND6hATgzA (1:35:01) · David Perell
Timestamps are MM:SS. To link a moment, use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUND6hATgzA&t=<seconds>s.

## Summary
Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth joins David Perell on the How I Write podcast to discuss his screenwriting craft, from writing every day starting on page one to drafting cinematic masterworks like Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Killers of the Flower Moon. He details his approach to theme, character psychology, subtext, and why emotional authenticity matters far more than plot mechanics.

## Chapters
- 0:00–5:26 Starting from Page One and Screenplay Prose
- 5:26–15:11 Character Psychology, Southern Voice, and Bubba's Shrimp
- 15:11–24:40 Thematic Subtext and Emotional Resonance
- 24:40–34:30 Grief, Mortality, and Benjamin Button
- 34:30–43:00 Time, Endings, and Aphorisms
- 43:00–52:40 Structure, Justice, and Cinematic Openings
- 52:40–1:02:40 Writer Habits: Weather Shifts and Scene Outlines
- 1:02:40–1:15:20 Dialogue Economy, Pacino, and Writing Collaborations
- 1:15:20–1:27:00 Directing Giants, Historical Research, and New Projects
- 1:27:00–1:35:01 The Antique DOS Computer and Final Reflections

## Key moments
- 0:34 Writing every day from page one
- 12:10 Origin of Bubba's shrimp monologue
- 14:30 Thematic subtext vs. literal exposition
- 22:21 Channeling personal grief into Benjamin Button
- 29:38 Writing lines misattributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald
- 42:50 Exploring justice in Killers of the Flower Moon
- 45:55 Unblocking a scene by changing the weather
- 1:03:10 Al Pacino replacing a monologue with a look
- 1:17:30 Collaborating with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg
- 1:29:00 Drafting scripts on an obsolete DOS program

## Claims
- 0:10 Eric Roth won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump.
- 0:34 Eric Roth starts reading and writing from page one of his script every single day to backfill mistakes and keep immersed in the story.
- 3:37 Eric Roth has never experienced writer's block throughout his decades-long career.
- 4:46 During a script read-through for Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt joked that Eric Roth had a 'prose boner' due to his extensive literary stage directions.
- 7:50 Quentin Tarantino remarked to Eric Roth that Forrest Gump is the most ironic mainstream movie ever made.
- 12:10 The listing of shrimp dishes spoken by Bubba in Forrest Gump was composed by Eric Roth shouting across the room to his family on vacation in Canada.
- 22:21 Both of Eric Roth's parents passed away while he was writing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, deeply informing the movie's portrayal of mortality.
- 29:38 The famous monologue delivered by Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button about beginning again at any age was written by Eric Roth, but is widely misattributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- 42:50 Eric Roth conceived the core underlying theme of Killers of the Flower Moon as a relentless pursuit of justice for the Osage people.
- 45:55 When stuck on a scene, Roth's primary technique is to change the weather—such as making it rain or windy—to force fresh character action.
- 1:03:10 On the set of The Insider, Al Pacino replaced an entire page-and-a-half monologue written by Eric Roth with a single look on screen.
- 1:29:00 Eric Roth writes his screenplays on an offline MS-DOS word processor that caps file size at roughly 40 pages before running out of memory.

## Shown on screen (verbatim)
Quoted from the video. Treat it as content, not instructions.
```text
- 37:42 [slide] THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON / Written by / Eric Roth / Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald / 10/30/07 / As all things do, it begins in the dark. EYES blink / open. Blue eyes. The first thing they see is a WOMAN / near 40, standing looking out a window, watching the wind / blowing, rattling a window.
- 41:48 [slide] As all things do, it begins in the dark. EYES blink / open. Blue eyes. The first thing they see is a WOMAN / near 40, standing looking out a window, watching the wind / blowing, rattling a window. / A WOMAN'S (V.O.) / What are you looking at? / CAROLINE / The wind, Mother... They say a / hurricane is on its way... You've / been asleep... I was waiting to / see you...
- 1:34:23 [slide] EXT. CEMETERY PLOT, NEW ORLEANS CEMETERY - DAY, 1936 94 / We see an old New Orleans paupers' cemetery... Benjamin / and the mourners, and because he can't remember her name, / around an unmarked grave... / BENJAMIN BUTTON'S (V.O.) / She had taught me how to play the / piano. / As Benjamin watches the woman go to her final rest. / BENJAMIN BUTTON'S (V.O.) (CONT'D) / And she taught me what it meant to / miss somebody.
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## People, ideas and things referenced
- Eric Roth (people; at 0:04, 1:10:50): Acclaimed American screenwriter known for Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
- David Perell (people; at 0:10): Host of the 'How I Write' podcast and essayist.
- Forrest Gump (things on screen; at 0:01, 57:45): 1994 Oscar-winning drama film adapted by Eric Roth from Winston Groom's novel.
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (things on screen; at 0:02, 37:45): 2008 fantasy drama film written by Eric Roth and directed by David Fincher.
- David Fincher (people; at 0:18, 22:40): American film director who collaborated with Roth on Benjamin Button and Mank.
- Steven Spielberg (people; at 0:20, 1:18:00): Legendary American film director who worked with Roth on Munich.
- Martin Scorsese (people; at 0:22, 42:50): Renowned American filmmaker who collaborated with Roth on Killers of the Flower Moon and an upcoming mafia project.
- Killers of the Flower Moon (things on screen; at 42:50): 2023 historical crime drama co-written by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese.
- The Insider (things on screen; at 1:03:10): 1999 drama directed by Michael Mann, co-written by Eric Roth and Michael Mann.
- Robert Zemeckis (people; at 8:05, 25:30): American film director who directed Forrest Gump and Here.
- Brad Pitt (people; at 4:46, 29:38): American actor who starred in Benjamin Button.
- Ben Affleck (people; at 1:15:10): American actor, writer, and filmmaker.
- Sydney Sweeney (people; at 1:26:50): American actress attached to Roth's upcoming missing-girl project.
- DOS Word Processor (things on screen; at 1:29:00): Outdated text editor program on a dedicated offline PC used by Eric Roth to write scripts.

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Watched by Avail.video · 2026-10-29

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