Moonlight - Screenplay

by Barry Jenkins (Screenplay), Tarell Alvin McCraney (Story)

Moonlight is a 2016 American drama film directed by Barry Jenkins and written by Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, based on the previously unpublished play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by McCraney

A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, Moonlight is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Anchored by extraordinary performances from a tremendous ensemble cast, Jenkins’s staggering, singular vision is profoundly moving in its portrayal of the moments, people, and unknowable forces that shape our lives and make us who we are.

Genres: LGBT, Queer, Plays, Romance, Fiction, Film, Race

98 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review contains *spoilers*.

I recently watched the masterpiece that is Moonlight and to say that I was utterly blown away would not be at all an exaggeration. It’s the kind of movie that sticks with you. Covering issues of race, discrimination, sexuality, m/m love, coming of age, and so much more. I can’t get over how wide-spanning and game-changing this film is. To quote this article, Moonlight also became the first film with an all black cast, the first LGBT film and the second lowest-grossing film domestically (behind The Hurt Locker) to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.



Also, THAT ENDING!!!. Dev Patel and Andrew Garfield said it best when:





I vividly remember thinking during one particular scene in the film, I wonder how this was written down in the script… So I was beyond ecstatic to get to read the screenplay so soon after seeing the film. And as you might've guessed, Moonlight was just as spectacular on page as it was on the big screen. (Plus, we get extra scenes that didn't make it into the final cute.) (AND A DIFFERENT - BUT STILL SIMILAR - ENDING!!)

I had so many favorite scenes in Moonlight - and since the film is divided into three parts, it's quite a number - so I'll just start sharing:

warning: I get overly excited.





“JUAN
You don't talk much but you damn 
sure can eat.

Teresa smiling.

TERESA
That's alright, baby. You talk when 
you ready.

Little looking up from his plate at that, something about Teresa's voice, her presence, clicking with him. 


LITTLE
My name Chiron.
(and)
But people call me Little.

TERESA
I'm gon' call you by your name.”

This was my favorite introduction scene. Made me grow appreciative of Teresa and Juan that more. And like the brilliant Mahershala Ali, who plays Juan in the film, said best about his character:



“JUAN
So how you like swimmin’?

Nothing from Little. Heard him but the words too heavy to present themselves.

JUAN
That good, huh?”

I cherished the above scene even more when we had it come back between Little and Kevin in a later part:

“KEVIN
...this dude reminded me of you.

Beat.

BLACK
What’d he play?

A long pause from Kevin, the song wedging itself in his thoughts right now, pushing everything aside.

BLACK
That good, huh?”

Made a megawatt smile appear on my face.

“TERESA
(playful)
Think you slick, huh? Do it wrong so Teresa show up and do it right,
huh?
(laughs)

TERESA (CONT'D)
You and Juan, thick as thieves,
lemme tell you.

Teresa looking to Chiron for that last part, what begins as a smile slowly fading, shifting to something more reflective, heavy.

TERESA
You miss him?

Chiron holding her gaze, his silence answer enough.

TERESA
Yeah.
Me too.

Beat.

TERESA
Me too.”

I was devastated when I found out about Juan.

“KEVIN
Hell, shit make you wanna cry, feel
so good.


Chiron looking to Kevin now:

CHIRON
You cry?

KEVIN
Nah. But it make me want to.

Kevin flashing that big, cool ass smile.

KEVIN
What you cry about? You cry, Chiron?

Beat.

CHIRON
I cry so much sometimes I think one
day I’m gone just turn into drops.”

That last line impacted me so much that I wrote it down the minute I heard it in the film.

Last but not least, I'm sharing one of the most iconic exchange between two romantically involved characters:

“BLACK
You’re the only man who’s ever
touched me.

The air going out of Kevin’s chest, his gaze fixated on Black’s lips, anticipating the words falling from there:

BLACK
The only one.

Black’s hand is flat atop the table between them. His eyes lower to it:

BLACK
I haven’t really touched anyone,
since.”

THIS REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST LIVELY LINES EVER!!!

Reading the screenplay set me up in this continues loop of reading and then rewatching and then rereading and watching again. HELP.

And since there are so many more scenes I want to share, I was thankful to find this post that sums them up pretty greatly:



Real talk, Moonlight has my whole heart in the palm of its fictional hands. This film deserves every award and recognition it'll receive in the near future. And I hope it collects a whole lot.

P.S. I love this screenplay even more for opening up my world to the fact that I can read the screenplays of my favorite films.



Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying any of the books I mention, just click HERE to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!

Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils

[anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

rep: Black gay mc, Black bi li, Black cast

i'm putting this on my poetry shelf and u cannot stop me

truly an ode to the ocean. the softness of it all cleansed my gay soul.

[Hristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched the movie months ago, but only last night did I get around to reading the script. This story is such a masterpiece, and it's beautifully told in both forms. It's one of the best movies that have ever won an Oscar.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. If I could give this more than 5 I would in a heartbeat because it deserves it. Ugh, this story is so near and dear to me. I've watched this movie so many times and it was my absolute favorite film of 2016 so I'm very familiar with this story and the characters but once I saw that the screenplay was available online I knew I needed to read it!

I don't usually go for screenplays but this was beautiful. I absolutely loved it. No, it's not just 'reading the movie' because the ending to the screenplay is different. It actually ended how I wanted the movie to end! Why they changed it, I will never know but the film's ending is great as well.

Chiron has such a special place in my heart as a character. Our stories are different but I still saw myself in his character, I related to him personality wise and that made rooting for him and empathizing with him so easy. He's a character who wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to be vulnerable and I love that about him.

This story is just a wonderful coming of age story and I think it's an important story and aspect of life (i.e Black people and our representation in regards to the LGBTQ+ community) to talk about so I'm so thrilled with all of the praise and accolades it has received. It definitely deserves it and I will continue to recommend this film to everyone that I know.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood of a young, African-American, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

[✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third act is something so very meaningful to me.

[Ygraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"as we observe this movement of water and dance of light, shoulders appear, bare, gaunt: LITTLE from our opening episode.

calmly, methodically, little moves across the sand, approaching the water. a beat more of little easing up to the surf, then...

...he looks back: his dark skin moistened in the ocean spray, moon catching him same as its catching the surface of the atlantic.

and those eyes: looking right at us, staring plaintively, plainly, nothing requested, no expectation: just a clear, undisturbed openness.

hold this gaze, then...

...little turning from us, his form and movement slowly, steadily melding into the flow of light and waves as we heads out into the ocean and we...

FADE TO BLACK."

there's so much world and life and feeling and personhood in both the screenplay & the movie, the experience of consuming them fr the first time feels like trying to swallow the world. silences & gaps & dreams & memories & the interiority of being as well as its embodied-ness & sensation -- building a beautiful novel from these things, when you have a voice to join them together, is impressive to begin with, building a beautiful movie from them, where the camera and soundtrack and visual grammar are doing the work of narrating, is something else. and reading the screenplay, writing words back into silent shots, shifting meanings from writing to shooting to final cut, makes me want to start over, watch the movie, take longer over it, pay absolute & unwavering attention all over again. this is a beautifully true-feeling story, beautifully & truly, feelingly told.

[A ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I was going to read an script but I loved this movie, Chiron's story, so much that I decided to try it and I'm happy I did. I liked how some things were different and we got an insight to some characters.
This movie is amazing and if you haven't watch it yet, then you are missing so much!!!

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't dislike it - I mean, it's literally the shooting script and I love the movie (which is why I decided to read it!). Watching the movie was better than reading the script, tho, which I can't say is always the case bc like if I hated the acting in a particular movie I'll probably like the screenplay better :)

[roma · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven't cried reading since i was six fuck

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

cmon its moonlight it was always going to be a 5/5

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: Black cast, gay mc

CWs: homophobia, drug abuse

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I cry so much sometimes I think one day I’m gone just turn into drops."

HRV: Gotovo sam zaboravila koliko je ovaj scenarij savršen. Film je daleko najbolji dobitnik Oscara IKAD. Čista poezija.

ENG: I almost forgot how perfect this script is. The movie is the best ever Oscar winner. Pure poetry.

[rency · Rating 5 out of 5]

gasp

[Tien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Aylin]

buraya kaydı yapılmış olması ilginç, aslında yayınlanmış bir eser değil Moonlight.

http://www.kitaptanfilme.com/2017/03/...

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonlight by Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney
9 out of 10


This is an acclaimed film, it won the 2017 Academy Awards for Best Motion Picture of The Year, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Supporting Role and I could only finish it last night, for some wrong reason – it was late when it aired, did not really feel another gay romance would really make my day, and others

Brokeback Mountain https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... is just one of those stories, which I enjoyed a lot, it is just a question of how many, and also, the issue I have when I do not relate, identify with the character, seeing as I do not understand same sex love…
Sapphic love is excluded, and then, this is a limitation that would prompt a change of reading material – you would find something which is not way better, but also acceptable, politically correct, since I see myself as open-minded, my absolute favorite writer is Marcel Proust https://realini.blogspot.com/2014/04/...

Then another, perhaps second on the list of favorites, would be Somerset Maugham https://realini.blogspot.com/2012/12/... whose stories are mesmerizing, glorious, and whose sexual orientation was the same as for Marcel Proust, and other authors
Yes, I get that, after so much silence, of millennia actually, and abuse, discrimination and punishment for those who felt differently, it will take a long time to make up, establish some kind of balance, though in my case, I really prefer to see stories about men and women, or women and women involved intimately, especially when we get the bedroom scenes

This is in fact not an isolated, retrograde, passe individual, there was an article in The Economist that looked at the Oscars and the big win that Oppenheimer https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... represents for cinephiles
Oppenheimer has won this year’s Oscar for Best Motion Picture and it was a box-office hit, yet, since 2010, no other winner for the top spot was a hit with audiences, which is why the journalist from The Economist was cheering the fact that, after such a long time, audiences have seen an Oscar Winner, and we may hope for better films

Since studio executives have supported the Marvel type of film, which was bringing in success at the box office, and looked at the awarded films as art house productions, independent projects that would not sell tickets, we could expect the same, without this recent change, indeed, Martin Scorsese spoke of the death of cinema…

As we know it, given that the storylines for those movies based on cartoons are simplistic and we get out of the theater made more stupid by these, and now that this big hit, with a billion in ticket sales – which made one hundred million for Christopher Nolan – has taken seven Oscars, we could hope that more decent projects will get approved
Moonlight was not even in the top 100 movies, in terms of sales, in the year when it was out in the cinemas, albeit it is an excellent film, if you ask me, I would pick Manchester by The Sea https://realini.blogspot.com/2023/10/... over the winner, a personal choice

Arrival https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/... was also more my cup of tea, in moonlight, there is more than same sex love, evidently, and we feel empathy, more than that, for the young hero, who has to suffer a lot, his mother is a junkie, and on top of that, he is bullied
Lucky for him that Juan aka Mahershala Ali – he has won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and he is one of the best thespians of our times, one of my favorite films of last year was Leave the World Behind https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... a wondrous SF film

Mahershala Ali, Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke act in it and on my list, Leave the World Behind is above Poor Things https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... with talk about apocalypse, how America (and the world for that matter) descends into chaos and conflict, with few survivals
The Economist – again, hey, this is my main, if not only source of global information, I have been reading this since I was 19, some 41 years ago – has a look at Civil War, a well-received motion picture, with a metascore of 73, that looks at what the title makes clear, the USA after states have seceded and they fight each other

In my mind, America (which should have been called…Erica, king Eric had more to do with the discovery than Vespucci) is already divided into the blue (mostly decent realms) and the red, which I see as worse than where I leave – and to think that in my AT&T days I tried to move to America, a few lines about that time are included below
Lake Wobegon Days https://realini.blogspot.com/2020/08/... is the novel that talked about the United States of Erica and what has become the Lake Wobegon Effect, the notion that most have of themselves – they see themselves as better than average…

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...

Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’

‚Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’

“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting to read these scenes after watching the film. I wonder why all these small details were changed later on, and also the reason for those "omitted" scenes.

[Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHIRON
You don’t even know.

WILLIAMS
Oh I don’t? You think all this just started, boy?

CHIRON
I ain’t no boy.

WILLIAMS
Hell you ain’t: if you was a man it’d be four other knuckleheads sittin’ right there with you.

Chiron looking away again out a window there, done with this:

CHIRON
(low, breaking)
You don’t even know.

I teared up on that part of the movie! I mean it's not as powerful reading the script, but it's affecting just the same. Reading the script, you get more of what is "missing" on the movie. Here we have a sort of different ending that they obviously did it in the end WITH awkwardness but still just as similar.

But there are scenes that better left untold, and I love that it ended in an open ended note.
That ending though! when we go back to little about to run into the water, but looking into the moonlight before doing so. All I think about was when Kevin mentioned "But then you could just roll out into the water, right? Roll out into the water like all these other muhfuckers out here tryna drown they sorrows..Sound like somethin’ you wanna do." That's why it felt better for me to not have it an obvious "happy ending", because it would take time, considering how Chiron rebuild himself growing up, to be "hard" and the obvious tough guy expected on the traditional notion of black masculinity. He was guarded and rightfully so. Dramatic and disarming at times, without having that forced sentimentality and being emotionally manipulative.

[Ross Bonaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonlight is probably one of my ten favorite films of the decade. It's truly a masterpiece that deserves all the attention it has received, and deserves even far more. Having just read all five of the Oscar nominees this year for Best Adapted Screenplay, Moonlight is the most beautiful, not because the film is the best of the nominees, but because this screenplay has so much more heart than the others. Instead of just setting the state and placing the lines, Moonlight makes sure we know what these characters are feeling at any given time, making sure we know the emotions and putting us into each character's viewpoint. Moonlight is warm in a way that few screenplays are. A burst of relatable emotion that is simply a masterpiece.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is just so lovely. the film was fantastic, the script just as good. haunting and beautiful and poetic and soft, something i'll treasure and carry with me for a long time.

[lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck my feelings right

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a poignant and emotional script and Barry Jenkins is so good at describing characters through little dialogue. With Chiron, it's his eyes or the gaze he holds.

I could honestly write a whole piece on how much I love this film, but I'm just gonna make this short and sweet and say that Barry Jenkins writes in a way that makes you wanna fall in love. That scene between Chiron and Kevin in the diner is so good.

[vivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my favorite kind of screenplay because you can tell how badly barry jenkins wanted this movie to exist from the level of specificity and detail he puts in. he had it inside his head and i'm so glad he was able to realize it.
it's about love it's about growth and understanding!!!
also i read this while "watching" la la land in another tab and all it did was accentuate what a weak script la la land has lolz

[Sophia Ankarvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece, although I did like the movie better than the script: it's very aesthetically pleasing and the casting is superb. You can feel the tenderness in the acting. The good thing is that I understand Chiron better after reading the script. All in all, one of my favorite movies.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

read the script in class but wanted to watch the movie before i gave it my lil rating even though i knew i would be giving it five stars

anyway finally saw it last night and it was even better than i anticipated. actually i’m giving it million out of five stars

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got chills at the end, the movie is a cinematic masterpiece and the screenplay is literary brilliance.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words, just awesome

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is legit poetry. i can't, i really can't.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutting that last scene wounds my soul