Scott Frank

When considering darkly comic noirs like "Get Shorty" (1995) and "Out of Sight" (1998), or the bleak futuristic thriller "Minority Report" (2002), one could envision a haunted, brooding writer comfortable only in a seedy dive bar. But screenwriter Scott Frank - both affable and boyish in his late 40s - has been a far cry from Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett, possessing instead the demeanor of a friendly English teacher or a kindly neighbor who loans out his snow blower with no questions asked. Frank built a reputation as one of the most reliable and highly-paid screenwriters in the business, balancing book and short story adaptations with lucrative - and occasionally uncredited - rewrite gigs. While other successful writers bemoaned their lack of respect in Hollywood, Frank flourished with sanity and optimism intact, becoming one of the few widely known successes in a profession typically hidden behind closed doors.