Call Me By Your Name - Screenplay

Call Me By Your Name

by James Ivory, André Aciman (Novelist)

In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen-year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.

Genres: Romance, Queer, Plays, LGBT, Film, Fiction, Media Tie In

94 pages, Screenplay

Reviews

[Momina M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"ELIO
We’ll never speak again, you know..

OLIVER
Don’t say that.

ELIO
I just know it. We’ll chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat. And the funny thing is, I can live with that.

OLIVER
You just rhymed."

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know James Ivory was eighty something when he wrote this, but it is a masterclass in how to turn a book into a screenplay.
It takes 14 pages of script before the ‘later!’ starting line of the book appears.
The obvious heart string tugging character - the small girl next door with leukaemia - she’s not here.
The entire scenes of the two of them going to stay in Rome, and going to the book reading and the subsequent trip to the bar with Oliver making drinks (he was a trained barman as well) and then on to the cafe with a crowd of people - it’s not here. That kind of scene would introduce a great number of cast, all of whom would be confusing for viewers. It would also add to production costs to have to film in Rome.
It’s the kind of scene that reads well, but doesn’t film well.
It’s gone.
Replaced by a small town and a bus ride.
What is here are stage directions like this…

At the bottom of the stairs, in the middle of the field, the PERLMANS and some FRIENDS in bathing suits are sitting around an old stone drinking trough, now used to freshen up. There are always people coming and going at the Perlmans’ - friends, relatives, acquaintances of Elio, like Marzia. We don’t always learn who they are, but they give a sense of ever-moving inhabitants of the place.

Right… Elio’s world is one of constant movement of people: smart, educated, quixotic people. It is also in Italian, French and English. Like Elio’s World.
And of course, the ending is different - no trips to the present day (their future).
It was also discussed in a podcast here:
https://johnaugust.com/2018/call-me-b...
Pdf of the screenplay here: http://sonyclassics.com/awards-inform...

Read it and weep… in the best way possible.
Today it won the BAFTA for best adapted screenplay for James Ivory.
5 stars

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Beautifully Perfect. Tears were absolutely shed.

[Spencer]

now with more nudity!

[Ross Bonaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Ivory's adaptation of Andre Aciman's original novel gets to the core of the uncertainty and heartbreak at the core of Call Me By Your Name. Ivory wisely takes the viewer out of Elio's and lets us witness this story from a third-person perspective that doesn't allow us to hear all of Elio's inner thoughts. By doing this, he makes his audience just as uncertain about this relationship as Elio seems to be. Like the book, Ivory also doesn't overuse dialogue, allowing it to come out only when absolutely necessary. This choice works perfectly with the lazy summer of this story, never feeling rushed and airy in the way this story should be. A great structure for which Luca Guadagnino turns this story into pure magic.

[Zosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this film has my whole heart
6/5⭐️

[lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

I loved this. More than the book, in a way.
It is incredible. After watching the movie, you can see how Guadagnino took Ivory's words-- and ran loose so you could feel the movie in your soul.
I love how it's an adaptation both ways-- from the book to the screenplay, and then the screenplay to the movie.

[Patricie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Beautiful as always.

[Ema · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Ivory deserves not one, but at least two Academy Awards for this Screenplay.
Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius. Genius.

[Sarah Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterclass on novel adaptation

[ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

content warnings
- homophobia
- nudity
- explicit sexual content

review
I love it, honestly. It's exactly what the film is; beautiful scenery, an exploration of desire, and a very well done adaptation.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

By now I think we ALL know my feelings about this story (sorry Victoria justice...) so of course it was gonna be a very high rating. One of my only things though... the script had a narrator.... WHAT. James Ivory how could you? Nah but even that was ok. But yeah:

zwischen
immer
und
nie
.

[Nick Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

way over the top

[ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually read challengers which isnt on here so i picked the next best thing ✌️

[gloire en espagnol · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai trouvé très intéressant le fait que les indications sont soigneusement écrites, comme si on lisait un livre. Et je pense que ça a beaucoup aidé le jeu des acteurs.

[Jelle Starremans · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book made me cry. The film made my cry. The screenplay made me cry.

[margarida · Rating 4 out of 5]

in love with screenplays but more importantly in love with THIS screenplay

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call Me by Your Name – Screenplay by James Ivory and Andre Aciman – another look at the script is at https://realini.blogspot.com/2017/12/...
8 out of 10


Call Me By Your Name was one of the most acclaimed films of 2017, nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards and elsewhere, perhaps launching the career of the celebrated Timothee Chalamet (in cinemas these days with another huge hit, Dune 2, already said to be an Oscar contender) and winning many trophies

Indeed, this is a sophisticated offer, with splendid landscapes, Italy, with fruit trees, archeological treasures – Mister Perlman is the father of the hero, a professor who specializes in Greek – Roman ancient cultures, and he is portrayed by the fantastic Michael Stuhlbarg, the specialist has a new assistant…
That is Oliver, and here we have another formidable performance, from Armie Hammer – the actor has been embroiled in quite a scandal, related to messages he had sent, about a supposed preference for…cannibalism, and then he was Canceled, maybe he is still off the A -lists now, which is a shame, if we think only talent

Intellectuals https://realini.blogspot.com/2014/06/... is a stupendous book by Paul Johnson, which looks at Leo Tolstoy, Henrik Ibsen, Ernest Hemingway, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and other luminaries and how they misbehaved, to use an euphemism, in their private lives, towards others
It is heinous, quite often, so if we think thespians, most of them are needy – hence the decision to get in front of audiences and get acclaim – and Armie Hammer could have been joking…nonetheless, let us get back to the film, where Oliver comes to this centuries old Italian villa, and stays with the professor and his family

Elio Perlman is given life by Timothee Chalamet, as a seventeen years old boy, skilled, played the piano and guitar, reading books, an aspiring intellectual, looking to have fun, and trying to show the surrounding countryside to the guest…to begin with, Elio thinks Oliver is somewhat, or very arrogant and pretentious
However, with time, the two cycle together, Oliver becomes friendly with the ‘natives’, playing cards with the seniors of the village, interested in a lot, or everything, he dances with one of the young girls, and they all seem to be attracted to him, they watch from the side and long to be in his arms, and moving with the music

Only Oliver is gay, or maybe bisexual, somewhere in between, there is another excellent book, Girl, Woman, Other https://realini.blogspot.com/2022/06/... Co- Winner of The 2019 Booker Prize, by Bernardine Evaristo, which explains many of the aspects of sexuality…

Such as the fact that ‘gender is one of the biggest lies of our civilization’, we apparently change orientation from one minute to the next (or could do that, I am not sure, I am too conservative, mature, which stands for older than thirty, to understand that there is such a dynamic for sexuality) and there is some of that elsewhere
The divine Marcel Proust https://realini.blogspot.com/2013/10/... is my absolute favorite writer, he wrote about homosexuality, he was gay, and the works are the nec plus ultra, best one can read, masterpieces that fit the description quoted in the standard ending, at the end of this quote

Nevertheless, if I liked Call Me By Your Name the first time, now that it was scheduled on HBO – on Sunday, at prime time, which is something they do lately, instead of giving you a newish offer, they just show what is available on other, free to air channels – again, the result was much less mesmerizing, it was rather lame
There are a few factors at play, one could be Armie Hammer, who may, or may not be a cannibal, but there is an image problem now, then Chalamet could be enjoying rave reviews, a huge following, millions of fans, but that could just be the problem, he does not have enough gravitas, for someone so sophisticated as this cinephile

I am just fooling around (there is that joke from Fawlty Towers https://realini.blogspot.com/2017/11/... where we hear this fellow say ‘pretentious, moi’, which is the best two words blague that I know, furthermore, this is the best comedy series)
The Peach may be the most famous (infamous for some) aspect, element in the narrative, Elio is playing with himself, putting his hand into his pants, and eventually, he starts having intercourse with this…peach, which is clearly original, you had not seen this before, in case you have seen the movie, which sounds improbable

If you saw it, then why would you read this, and come to that, why would you be here anyway, film seen or not, it was clear way back, that this is not really about the love affair – if it was that – but more about impressions, thoughts, and the cliché ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, also the notion that it is too much
I have mentioned Marcel Proust, the zenith, crème de la crème, but then there are too many stories wherein I do not identify with the protagonists, too old fashioned, or maybe worse, passe, and so on, but I want stories where I can see myself within

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.”

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love being destroyed by this story i'll continue to read and re read and wait for sequels forever and ever

[skybluesol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The screenplay made everything that I didn't like in Call Me By Your Name (book) be cropped out. It was beautifully written, and I could see the movie playing out before my eyes as I read. There were some differences between the screenplay and the end result movie, most which I am glad did not make it into the final result. But there were some parts that would have been better in the movie if they had strictly followed the screenplay.
By reading this, I was able to confirm the suspicion that I had since I read the book: Elio and Oliver's story is one better told visually, rather than with text. There were so many nuances and atmosphere buildups that was absent in the script because it did not go into detailed descriptions, which is fine, since that's just how screenplays are. But the incredible acting and masterful shots of the movie did the story better, and it would have been impossible to transmit that nostalgia that these two aspects transmited through text.
There were parts that made me sob, which surprised me, since I've seen the movie several times and already knew what happened or what would be said. The dad's speech at the end hit me harder in the script than in the movie, for some reason.
The final scene, though, did not do the final result justice. In the movie, this part was my favourite, but not because of the dialogues; it was, in fact, because of everything but the dialogues. Timotheé Chalamet's acting and the character's body language, facial expressions and even his voice when he spoke were what enraptured me completely in this scene, and were what broke me apart by the time the movie ended. Being a part with such little dialogue meant that there was little of that scene in the screenplay, though the latter isn't to blame for this.
Overall, I thought the screenplay was wonderful, but nothing compared to the movie, for the simple reason that the majority of the feelings and the atmosphere are built through shots or body language, not dialogues or text. And thus, the screenplay couldn't quite catch the feel of the movie.

[Tinita125 · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMO ESTA PELÍCULA Y AMO ESTE SCREENPLAY!! ESTOY ENAMORADA!!!
Ya vi la película varias veces y no puedo describir el dolor en el pecho que me agarra, pero no de angustia, porque no lloré ninguna de las veces, sino de la emoción que me hacen sentir. Me parece que está increíblemente escrita y actuada. Me encanta lo que tomaron del libro (dejaron lo mejor y sacaron todas las partes aburridas) y cómo lograron capturar la esencia de la historia. Obviamente, hay que fingir demencia en varias partes, como por ejemplo, Armie Hammer siendo Hannibal lecter, Elio con 17 (yo sigo sosteniendo que tiene 22, porque TC tenía 22 mientras hizo la película, no apoyo bajo ningún concepto las relaciones con menores de edad!!!) y la famosa escena del durazno que es DESAGRADABLE. Sacando todo eso, es perfecta. De todas formas, el guión es brillante y le aplaudo al señor que lo escribió!!
Es brutal la química que tienen Timothée y Armie, de verdad, no sé quién los casteo, pero posta, merecía 40% de las ganancias. Me duele el pecho cuando los veo, es tan natural la relación, que me explota la cabeza. Me parecen brillantes y los AMO en el papel.
Otra cosa que me fascina es la ambientación, lo único que quiero hacer es ir a Italia y estar en esa misma casa, tirada en el pasto leyendo, metiéndome al río y saliendo a bailar música de los 80s. QUIERO ESTAR AHÍ. Impresionante. Una de mis escenas favoritas es cuando están con la cascada de fondo. Me enamoran.
Me gustó leer el guión, porque, a pesar de ser idéntico a la película, siento que termina de contarte las reacciones que tienen los personajes y, luego, reconocerlas en la pantalla. Tiene mucho lujo de detalle, para alguien que ame o le guste la peli, lo recomiendo bastante!
Se me pasó rápido y lo leí a la par que iba viendo el film. Cada vez me gusta más leer scripts <3 Nuevo hobby unlocked! En fin, ando enamorada <3 <3

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“PERLMAN
Their muscles are film- look at his stomach for example- and yet never a straight body in these statues, they are all curves, sometimes impossibly curved and so nonchalant, hence their ageless ambiguity. As if they are daring you to desire them.

Oliver, not unmoved by these images, steals a glance at Perlman to see if perhaps Elio’s father knows something about what is going on between Oliver and his son.”

5 stars. I have yet to read the novel version of Call Me By Your Name so I feel that I have inadequate knowledge to judge this screenplay as an adaption of a novel. However, I can say that this screenplay is beautifully written and intricately crafted, with its translation onto screen an artistic wonder.

[Joy]

i love cmbyn but 25 and 17 is acc madness when you consider it properly!
the screenplay was so insightful to read: some parts of it were more novelistic than anticipated which was lovely, and overall it gave more context to subtleties seen on-screen. it also revealed just how much work the actors and director had to put into making it all come alive and in a convincing manner (which they did a stellar job with imo?!) maybe i‘m due another rewatch!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the sound of a train arriving at the station, on the main platform.
ELIO and OLIVER together look at the train come to a stop.
ELIO is wearing Oliver’s blue shirt.
On the platform are a few travellers ready to leave.
Oliver's bags are those for his trip back home; they are about to say goodbye.

[Yun Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste!"

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Amazing. Stunning. I read this immediately after finishing the novel, and it's heartwarming to experience the retelling of such a beautiful story. Ivory does a fantastic job at accurately retelling Aciman's prose while filling gaps to better suit the big screen.

[Sarch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice BTS

[Bassam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book me live a nice story with nice words I love It so much

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ELIO (daringly)
“Elio, Elio...”

OLIVER (After a very long beat)
Oliver.. I remember everything ...

[Arvee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm getting addicted. It's just too beautiful, what Elio and Oliver had in the story. Sad, indeed, but beautiful. And still somewhere in my heart longs that they would end up together.