Inside Nancy Meyers’ Secret Scriptwriting Process: What You Never Knew About Her Iconic Films
Ever wonder what it truly takes to craft a movie that stands out in today’s crowded Hollywood landscape? Nancy Meyers, a legendary figure behind classics like Something’s Gotta Give and Father of the Bride, suggests it boils down to one thing: trusting your own instincts to write the kind of story only you can tell. It’s a notion that’s as daunting as it is inspiring—can originality alone cut through the noise, or is there a secret sauce behind her success? From her early days collaborating on hit scripts to directing her own critically acclaimed films, Meyers’ journey is packed with insights about creativity, gender perspectives in storytelling, and the lonely road of solo writing. She challenges us to rethink who gets to tell certain stories and how faithfully one should cling to the written word once the cameras start rolling. If you’re curious about the delicate dance of writing and directing and what it means to truly follow your creative gut, this dive into her world is not to be missed. LEARN MORE
“I think you’re only going to get noticed by following your own instincts and doing original work, and writing the thing that only you can write.”
Nancy Meyers was for many years part of the Meyers & Shyer writing team that produced numerous hit movies including Private Benjamin (1980), Baby Boom (1987), and Father of the Bride (1991). She directed her first solo writing effort Something’s Gotta Give (2003), which was a hit with critics and audiences alike, grossing $266M worldwide. Other films credits: The Holiday (2006) and It’s Complicated (2009).
These interview excerpts are taken from “Backstory 4”, part of the wonderful series of books edited by Patrick McGilligan.
ON WHETHER IT TOOK A WOMAN TO WRITE A MOVIE LIKE “SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE”
“I don’t know. It took a woman, but I don’t know if it takes a woman. I mean, I haven’t seen any other scripts like this. I don’t know that a man couldn’t write a movie on the subject. I don’t think he would write one like this one because this movie is very much from Diane’s [Keaton] point of view as well as from Jack’s, and I would imagine if a man were writing it the woman would be more of a secondary character who came into his life, and he actually comes into her life.”
ON DIRECTING A MOVIE BASED ON A SCRIPT SHE WROTE
“I follow the script very, very carefully. I rarely deviate from how I describe how the scene takes place. I don’t write it as a blueprint and then improvise on that when I get there. I would. I’m not rigid about it. But I don’t just use it as a blueprint. I very carefully follow what I wrote because I’m the most sane about the script when I’m writing. Once you start directing, there are so many other things that come into your life every day in terms of just moviemaking, that when I look at the script and I see how I described she’s sitting in the chair and what her attitude is, it just locks me back into what the scene has to be. And I write those things in the script so I get them and they [the actors] do them. Everybody knows what’s happening in the scene.”
ON WRITING SOLO COMPARED TO WORKING WITH A PARTNER
“Well, it’s much lonelier. And when I worked with Charles, we talked and talked and talked for months, just…
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