William Goldman, the Oscar-winning writer of screenplays for “All the President’s Men” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” who died on Friday, coined the best line in the history of Hollywood, and it wasn’t even for one of his movies.
“Nobody knows anything.”
If you work in this business — and Goldman was clear-eyed about the fact that the film industry is an industry first, where art and ideas must serve the bottom line, or perish — it’s worth getting those three words tattooed on your forearm. Or cross-stitched onto a throw pillow for your agent’s couch.
They serve as a reminder to every writer in town to stand by your ideas, because you can never predict what will be a hit — “not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work” — and every time you compromise your vision...
“Nobody knows anything.”
If you work in this business — and Goldman was clear-eyed about the fact that the film industry is an industry first, where art and ideas must serve the bottom line, or perish — it’s worth getting those three words tattooed on your forearm. Or cross-stitched onto a throw pillow for your agent’s couch.
They serve as a reminder to every writer in town to stand by your ideas, because you can never predict what will be a hit — “not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work” — and every time you compromise your vision...
- 11/16/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Similar News
‘Pulp Fiction’ Reunion on the Red Carpet 30 Years Later; Bruce Willis Absent but Honored
- 4/19/2024
- by Ali Hicks
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Empire Podcast #613: Dan Stevens, Ed Skrein & Fra Fee, Alex Garland
- 4/19/2024
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
‘Pulp Fiction’ Cast Reunites and Reminisces on Film’s 30th Anniversary: “It Changed Cinema”
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Cramer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Meryl Streep trivia: Which Oscar-nominated role was she not ‘sexy enough’ for until she ‘stuffed’ her bra for the director?
- 4/19/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The B-Side – Robert Redford (with Blake Howard)
- 4/19/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Sundance could fade out on Park City in 2028 as contract expires
- 4/18/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Chris Farley | Paul Walter Hauser to play comedian in biopic
- 4/15/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Muna's Naomi McPherson Set to Make Acting Debut in 'SNL 1975'
- 4/13/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
‘SNL 1975’: Muna’s Naomi McPherson to Make Acting Debut With Jason Reitman Film (Exclusive)
- 4/12/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
Box Office: ‘Abigail’ Bites Into $1 Million in Previews
- 4/19/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
BAFTA Sets Date for 2025 Film Awards — Global Bulletin
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
‘Fallout’ Officially Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon
- 4/18/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
‘The Witcher’ Renewed For 5th & Final Season At Netflix
- 4/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Henry Cavill Says ‘Maybe I’m Too Old Now’ to Play James Bond as Fake Movie Trailer With Him as 007 Goes Viral With 2.5 Million Views
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
‘Scream’ Actors Support Fired Co-Star Melissa Barrera at ‘Abigail’ Premiere: ‘It Says a Lot About How True the Love Is’
- 4/18/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
Henry Cavill Says ‘Maybe I’m Too Old Now’ to Play James Bond as Fake Movie Trailer With Him as 007 Goes Viral With 2.5 Million Views
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Was Recognized as Her ‘Seinfeld’ Character While Giving Birth
- 4/18/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Selena Quintanilla Deserves to Be Celebrated This Year - Not Exploited
- 4/16/2024
- by Lucas Villa
- Popsugar.com
Bad Bunny's First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First
- 4/12/2024
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Vashon Island Film Festival Sets Date for Third Event – Film News in Brief
- 4/19/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov and Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Title ‘Eephus’ Picked Up by Film Constellation (Exclusive)
- 4/18/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Ethan Coen Rounds Out ‘Honey Don’t!’ Cast with Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Talia Ryder
- 4/19/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
‘Honey Don’t!: Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke’s Upcoming Comedy Adds Charlie Day, Billy Eichner & More
- 4/19/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Box Office: ‘Abigail’ Bites Into $1 Million in Previews
- 4/19/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
BAFTA Sets Date for 2025 Film Awards — Global Bulletin
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
‘Aang: The Last Airbender’ Delayed to 2026, ‘Transformers One’ Moves Back a Week
- 4/18/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’
- 4/17/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Martin Scorsese’s Long-Gestating ‘Sinatra’ Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Adds Jennifer Lawrence
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
BAFTA Sets Date for 2025 Film Awards — Global Bulletin
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Amazon’s miniTV Adds 200 Titles Dubbed in Tamil and Telugu for Indian Regional Users
- 4/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
‘Fallout’ Officially Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon
- 4/18/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
‘The Witcher’ Renewed For 5th & Final Season At Netflix
- 4/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Squid Game,’ ‘Night Agent’ Set for Second Half of 2024 on Netflix
- 4/18/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News