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Michael Clayton: The Shooting Script
The official screenplay book tie-in to the hit thriller from Warner Bros., starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack, and written and directed by Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy).
Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). Though burned out and hardly content with his job, his divorce, a failed business venture, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At the agrichemical company U/North, meanwhile, the career of in-house counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multimillion-dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.
The Newmarket Shooting Script® book includes the complete script, an exclusive foreword by William Goldman, a Q&A with writer/director Tony Gilroy, a color photo section, and the complete cast and crew credits.
Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). Though burned out and hardly content with his job, his divorce, a failed business venture, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At the agrichemical company U/North, meanwhile, the career of in-house counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multimillion-dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.
The Newmarket Shooting Script® book includes the complete script, an exclusive foreword by William Goldman, a Q&A with writer/director Tony Gilroy, a color photo section, and the complete cast and crew credits.
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 6, 2021
An excellent story that moves effortlessly from start to finish.
Michael Clayton comes to a crossroads and can no longer pretend that he isn't aware of what is going on.
Well written, the characters as interesting as the story itself. A mix of suspense, thriller and at the precipice of ethics and morality.
This is worth a read by any reader just on the quality of the story alone.
Michael Clayton comes to a crossroads and can no longer pretend that he isn't aware of what is going on.
Well written, the characters as interesting as the story itself. A mix of suspense, thriller and at the precipice of ethics and morality.
This is worth a read by any reader just on the quality of the story alone.
October 29, 2025
Michael Clayton written and directed by Tony Gilroy
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Michael Clayton is an excellent film.
George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson act perfectly.
Nevertheless, it is Tilda Swinton that won the Academy Award, BAFTA and other prizes.
And I am not crazy about this actress and I know I am biased.
Michael Clayton has a powerful, fantastic story to tell.
One of Redemption.
To begin with, he is nearly the epitome of the villain.
A fixer who takes care of dirty work.
He says so himself:
I am the janitor, the one they call to clean up the mess.
He has big debts, he plays cards and helps people who have committed crimes.
Yes, that is what a lawyer does and everyone needs a defense and someone to help them.
But for some time he is on the side of the really bad corporation, one which kills people.
Knowingly.
The viewer sees Michael Clayton in a less serious situation.
Even if there has been a traffic accident and somebody was hit, it is not the large scale damage done by a product.
The man who caused the injury is a major client and so The Fixer is sent to him...
Having hit and run, Michael Clayton is warning him about the consequences.
It happened right near the police station
Very soon they will find traces at the spot and they will be looking for a white Jaguar...
- So help me!
- You need a different kind of help.
- They said they are sending A Miracle Worker
- And here Clayton contradicts with the aforementioned janitor line
I will pause here to say how impressed I am, not only with the exceptional performance of George Clooney, but also his humility.
In the classic book about the film industry Adventures in the Screen Trade, William Goldman writes about all aspects of making movies.
There are quite a few stories with stars...
How Dustin Hoffman misbehaved on the set of Marathon Man.
The fact that the famous Humphrey Bogart whined about others getting roles he wanted.
Robert Redford has been mean to Goldman on two occasions, maybe more.
But the stars want to have roles where they appear as strong, handsome, powerful, good, which was the reason of one of the Redford incidents.
The fact that George Clooney took a role in which he has to say that he is just a janitor mad otherwise a rather negative character is impressive.
Granted, there is Redemption!
After this humiliating start, the man who says that he can be bought, finds the Dao
The Way
He is purified and absolved of all sins
He becomes...Shiva, The God of Death
First, he is called in to clean another mess.
A man of the big company has had a breakdown.
The character is brilliantly portrayed by the fabulous Tom Wilkinson.
No matter what role he has, he plays to perfection.
Michael Clayton is supposed to watch over him, make him come to his senses and again, to fix this disaster.
Only he gets attached to the victim of ruthless leaders and begins to understand the size of the crime that these people are willing to commit.
For money, power, status, some Machiavellian individuals are ready to murder competitors, bystanders, anyone.
And this is what they do here.
They hire contract killers and try to eliminate anyone who is in the way, might talk, knows too much...
- The Usual Suspects
Even if some of this is well known and predictable, I still appreciated greatly the acting, the optimistic message and this very good film.
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Michael Clayton is an excellent film.
George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson act perfectly.
Nevertheless, it is Tilda Swinton that won the Academy Award, BAFTA and other prizes.
And I am not crazy about this actress and I know I am biased.
Michael Clayton has a powerful, fantastic story to tell.
One of Redemption.
To begin with, he is nearly the epitome of the villain.
A fixer who takes care of dirty work.
He says so himself:
I am the janitor, the one they call to clean up the mess.
He has big debts, he plays cards and helps people who have committed crimes.
Yes, that is what a lawyer does and everyone needs a defense and someone to help them.
But for some time he is on the side of the really bad corporation, one which kills people.
Knowingly.
The viewer sees Michael Clayton in a less serious situation.
Even if there has been a traffic accident and somebody was hit, it is not the large scale damage done by a product.
The man who caused the injury is a major client and so The Fixer is sent to him...
Having hit and run, Michael Clayton is warning him about the consequences.
It happened right near the police station
Very soon they will find traces at the spot and they will be looking for a white Jaguar...
- So help me!
- You need a different kind of help.
- They said they are sending A Miracle Worker
- And here Clayton contradicts with the aforementioned janitor line
I will pause here to say how impressed I am, not only with the exceptional performance of George Clooney, but also his humility.
In the classic book about the film industry Adventures in the Screen Trade, William Goldman writes about all aspects of making movies.
There are quite a few stories with stars...
How Dustin Hoffman misbehaved on the set of Marathon Man.
The fact that the famous Humphrey Bogart whined about others getting roles he wanted.
Robert Redford has been mean to Goldman on two occasions, maybe more.
But the stars want to have roles where they appear as strong, handsome, powerful, good, which was the reason of one of the Redford incidents.
The fact that George Clooney took a role in which he has to say that he is just a janitor mad otherwise a rather negative character is impressive.
Granted, there is Redemption!
After this humiliating start, the man who says that he can be bought, finds the Dao
The Way
He is purified and absolved of all sins
He becomes...Shiva, The God of Death
First, he is called in to clean another mess.
A man of the big company has had a breakdown.
The character is brilliantly portrayed by the fabulous Tom Wilkinson.
No matter what role he has, he plays to perfection.
Michael Clayton is supposed to watch over him, make him come to his senses and again, to fix this disaster.
Only he gets attached to the victim of ruthless leaders and begins to understand the size of the crime that these people are willing to commit.
For money, power, status, some Machiavellian individuals are ready to murder competitors, bystanders, anyone.
And this is what they do here.
They hire contract killers and try to eliminate anyone who is in the way, might talk, knows too much...
- The Usual Suspects
Even if some of this is well known and predictable, I still appreciated greatly the acting, the optimistic message and this very good film.
July 24, 2014
Phenomenal. Just sucks you in from the manic voiceover and doesn’t let go. Tight, yet complex. Fast-paced, with jump cuts back and forth between simultaneous action, but full of beats of devastating silence; emotional hell. Actor’s dream moments. A total master class in screenwriting. In the interview that follows the screenplay, Gilroy says that his goal for the screenplay is to “make the reading experience as identical to seeing the movie as possible.” Amazingly, with minimal scene painting and stage direction, the scenes come alive and do flow just like the movie. Loved the movie, too, and reading the screenplay, it’s all there in the dialog and the scenes, but the cast just killed the quiet moments where Gilroy left room in the script for them to act. That’s a key screenwriting skill, too, and something Gilroy also touches on in the closing interview. Ten stars for this one.
July 12, 2021
An excellent, well-paced legal drama that, about 40% of the way through, also becomes a terrific character study about a man trying to outrun both his past and present. The Oscar-nominated movie is also well-done but, if you have an opportunity, read the script (as I did) before seeing the film for the first time. It will help you appreciate just how well-written and economical Gilroy's dialogue is. A scene early on in the script, where Clayton deals with a rich hit-and-run offender handle the fallout, is positively gripping as both a demonstration of character, style, and smarts. My highest recommendation for screenwriters.
April 6, 2019
Famous, established screenwriters rave about this screenplay and rightly so. It is stellar! Along with being a killer film, Gilroy’s script offers fascinating insight into who the characters are, why they behave as they do, and what they’re thinking, the locations are lived in, real, and described with specific but concise detail, and the whole thing bleeds purpose and nuance. It’s tight as a drum too. This will become a screenwriting how-to ala “Chinatown” and “Casablanca”, if it isn’t already.
March 1, 2021
This reads like a more intense John Grisham novel. There is pretty much no violence in this movie, but it is just as intriguing as a movie where violence plays a vital role. The characters are great and it’s awesome to see how well the script transformed to the screen. Other than No Country for Old Men, this is probably my favorite movie of 2007.
April 7, 2022
Michael Clayton works for a law firm, but what exactly does he do? He fixes things. During one case he and his boss realize their client is responsible for many deaths. As they fight to convict, they are stalked and some are murdered.
July 15, 2022
I loved this movie, particularly for its dialogue, so I decided to read the script. This was a fascinating experience because as I read it, my mind was converting it into the movie. So I basically got to watch the movie again at twice the speed. The script is brilliant and the movie does it justice. Not many people seem to know about it, which makes this a hidden gem.
February 3, 2023
A fast-paced legal thriller filled with compelling moments and amazing monologues, the screenplay for Michael Clayton is as gripping as the film itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I'm sure anyone who enjoys films or writes films will enjoy it, too.
February 7, 2026
we write all dat bullshit to make the ending land and damn the ending landed
the second i read the line "I’m not a guy you kill! I’m the guy you buy!" i googled it and found some articles glazing this line damn thats sick
john grisham vibes
the second i read the line "I’m not a guy you kill! I’m the guy you buy!" i googled it and found some articles glazing this line damn thats sick
john grisham vibes
April 27, 2022
A man is a "fixer" for corporations when things go wrong. This is a different type if book than I usually read. However, the book is short. Just what I needed on a rainy day.
August 12, 2022
Interesting points about writing in the Q&A at the back of the book.
April 17, 2025
What a script!
June 15, 2008
DO I LOOK LIKE I'M NEGOTIATING!
Michael Clayton: Mr. Greer, you left the scene of an accident on a slow week night, six miles from a state police barracks. Believe me. If there's a line, you're right up front.
Mr. Greer: I can get a lawyer any time I want. I don't need you for that. We're not sitting here for forty five minutes for a god damned referral.
Michael Clayton: I don't know what Walter promised you but...
Mr. Greer: A miracle worker. That's Walter on the phone twenty minutes ago. Direct quote, okay, "Hang tight, I'm sending you a miracle worker."
Michael Clayton: Well he misspoke.
Mr. Greer: About what? That you're the firms fixer? Or that you're any good at it?
[explodes in anger]
Mr. Greer: The guy was RUNNING. In the STREET! You take that, you add the fog, you add the light, you add the... the angle. What the fuck is he doing running in the middle of the street at midnight? You answer me that, huh?
[Mrs. Greer throws a glass across the room, there's a long pause]
Mr. Greer: What if someone had stolen the car? Huh? Happens all the time.
Michael Clayton: Cops like hit and runs. They work them hard and they clear them fast. Right now there's a DCI unit pulling paint chips off a guard rail. Tomorrow they're going to be looking for the owner of a custom painted hand rubbed Jaguar XJ12. If the guy you hit, if he got a look at the plates? It won't even take that long.
[the phone rings]
Michael Clayton: There's no play here. There's no angle. There's no champagne room. I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor. The math on this is simple. The smaller the mess the easier it is for me to clean up.
Mr. Greer: [points to the phone] That's the police isn't it?
Michael Clayton: No. They don't call.
From someone who was improperly charged with a Hit & Run, this scene resonates.
check this scene out, because i cant find it quoted anywhere, and it plays better anyways.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J751c...
yee haw!!!!
Michael Clayton: Mr. Greer, you left the scene of an accident on a slow week night, six miles from a state police barracks. Believe me. If there's a line, you're right up front.
Mr. Greer: I can get a lawyer any time I want. I don't need you for that. We're not sitting here for forty five minutes for a god damned referral.
Michael Clayton: I don't know what Walter promised you but...
Mr. Greer: A miracle worker. That's Walter on the phone twenty minutes ago. Direct quote, okay, "Hang tight, I'm sending you a miracle worker."
Michael Clayton: Well he misspoke.
Mr. Greer: About what? That you're the firms fixer? Or that you're any good at it?
[explodes in anger]
Mr. Greer: The guy was RUNNING. In the STREET! You take that, you add the fog, you add the light, you add the... the angle. What the fuck is he doing running in the middle of the street at midnight? You answer me that, huh?
[Mrs. Greer throws a glass across the room, there's a long pause]
Mr. Greer: What if someone had stolen the car? Huh? Happens all the time.
Michael Clayton: Cops like hit and runs. They work them hard and they clear them fast. Right now there's a DCI unit pulling paint chips off a guard rail. Tomorrow they're going to be looking for the owner of a custom painted hand rubbed Jaguar XJ12. If the guy you hit, if he got a look at the plates? It won't even take that long.
[the phone rings]
Michael Clayton: There's no play here. There's no angle. There's no champagne room. I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor. The math on this is simple. The smaller the mess the easier it is for me to clean up.
Mr. Greer: [points to the phone] That's the police isn't it?
Michael Clayton: No. They don't call.
From someone who was improperly charged with a Hit & Run, this scene resonates.
check this scene out, because i cant find it quoted anywhere, and it plays better anyways.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J751c...
yee haw!!!!
September 26, 2016
One of the best scripts to ever been filmed.
No, son, I'm not kidding. This thing rips out like a shark, with audacity and intelligence, sweeping you in beween lies, deception, suspense and some philosophical depth for you to hold onto while morality crumbles and greed lashes out at humanity.
Read it with a magnifying glass and then watch the movie and then read it again.
That's a masterclass for you.
No, son, I'm not kidding. This thing rips out like a shark, with audacity and intelligence, sweeping you in beween lies, deception, suspense and some philosophical depth for you to hold onto while morality crumbles and greed lashes out at humanity.
Read it with a magnifying glass and then watch the movie and then read it again.
That's a masterclass for you.
March 10, 2010
Wonderfully strong and tight script. It carefully walks the line between revealing too much and too little. It hooks the audience by making us supply the missing steps for the first half-hour or so. In that sense, it feels very Hemingway. Though the script was compact, the film cut even more scenes and intensified all the above.
September 12, 2012
Obviously, I don't usually read movie scripts! But after seeing this movie - more than once - I had to read it! For anyone concerned about the environment, social justice and truthfulness in our social discourse - let it challenge you!
January 25, 2008
Intelligent, but not cerebral, affecting, but not maudlin, this script does exactly what great narrative should do.
Read
April 30, 2008در صورت تمایل، جهت مشخصات فیلمی که بر اساس این کتاب ساخته شده است؛ میتوانید از لینک زیر استفاده بفرمایید
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538
July 1, 2008
this is the most underrated movie of '07. tony gilroy can write up a storm. and c'mon, its clooney.
December 28, 2010
Tony Gilroy is a genius.
November 15, 2023
Why? Because people are fucking incomprehensible.
“Why?”
(78:00)
“Why?”
(78:00)
October 14, 2013
Excellent script to learn the craft -- dialogue, character, action, etc.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews