The Art of Screenwriting: Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne is a top-five filmmaker for me and someone I argue doesn’t get enough love in the cinephile world. Election (1999) and Sideways (2004) will always hold a special place in my heart, and it’s nice to see Payne still making quality films 30 years into the game with 2023’s The Holdovers.

I’m excited to see what Payne does next. If you’re unfamiliar with his work or it’s been a blind spot, I encourage you to dive into it as soon as possible. Regardless, let’s explore what makes Payne such a great writer and what we can learn from his accomplished works.

Photo license: Wikimedia Commons

Background

Born in 1961 in Omaha, Nebraska, Alexander Payne has frequently used the Midwest, particularly his home state, as the backdrop for his films. Payne believes many filmmakers feel a natural pull to explore their roots, especially early in their careers.

For him, the lack of Midwestern representation in the films he grew up watching was a key motivation to center his stories in Nebraska and bring those overlooked lives to the screen. It’s a reminder to analyze what’s around you since you never know what you can use within your films.

Payne’s Grittiness

There’s an appeal to Payne’s scripts, particularly his early works such as Citizen Ruth and Election, which combine rawness and grittiness while setting up a typical story structure. You may go into a film like Election expecting Ferris Bueller but walk away with a much darker and grittier story packaged as a mainstream satire.

That being said, what I love most about his work is the sly satirical edge, the recurring themes of people being broken yet carrying on, the blend of indie drama with unexpectedly hilarious moments, and his boldness in showing characters with all their flaws while still asking us to care for them.

Dark comedies that usually fall flat do so because they treat the characters themselves as the punchline rather than finding humor in their situations.

The key to effective dark comedy is that the characters aren't the joke, but their circumstances, actions, and the tone of the storytelling are. Films like Sideways and Election get this balance right. They create humor from absurd, extreme, or tragic situations while allowing the characters to remain grounded and sincere within their worlds.

Flawed Characters

Alexander Payne’s films always strike me as portraits of flawed, stumbling characters stitched together with moments of awkward, dark humor, culminating in a kind of emotional catharsis by the end. It feels like a formula he consistently follows, whether you’re discussing About Schmidt, Sideways, or Election. That said, they’re all excellent movies I’ve revisited multiple times.

At its core, while flawed, his characters are so complex and unforgettable. I haven’t seen Election in nearly a decade, yet every character, from Reese Witherspoon to Matthew Broderick to the brother and sister who ran for student council, is still vivid in my memory.

For example, I love how the narrations in Payne’s films explore the tension between morals, our sense of right and wrong, and ethics, which reflect society’s broader standards. Characters often act based on their moral compass, yet judge others according to ethical norms.

Their narrations feel like depositions, with each character explaining why they believe their actions were justified. They never tell you what to think, just why they did it. It’s left to the viewer to decide whether their reasoning holds up.

And that’s where the brilliance lies: you may disagree with their choices morally, but you’re prompted to evaluate them ethically. If you sympathize with a character, it might be because their morals align more closely with yours than the others’.Lastly, remember that flawed characters doesn’t mean stupid characters. A flawed character can have a wide range of traits. They might be an alcoholic avoiding reality, a coward who can’t face conflict, or someone who’s overly naive and too trusting. That’s not the same as a character making choices with zero logic. Stupidity is when actions lack believable reasoning, not when a character has human weaknesses.

Longevity

Alexander Payne is an extraordinarily talented filmmaker. Aside from Downsizing, which consistently lands at the bottom for me, I think there’s a case for almost any ranking of his films.

I’d say Election or Sideways is his best. What sets him apart is his ability to portray real, deeply human characters–something few directors pull off as consistently as he does, which is a big reason he’s been producing such strong work for so long.

What I especially admire is how he balances comedy and drama. Many comedies are suitable for a laugh but lack the emotional depth to be memorable, while dramas that try to shoehorn in humor often feel clunky or formulaic.

Payne somehow avoids both pitfalls. His films can be genuinely hilarious in one moment and profoundly moving in the next, and that tonal balance keeps me engaged in a way few directors manage.

I’d also give him credit, however much influence a director can have for drawing out remarkable performances from his actors (Paul Giamatti, I’m talking about you!). Across his filmography, there’s a long list of standout roles, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Less is More

Payne has gone on record stating that less is more with screenwriting. He finds overwritten scripts burdensome, especially when they demand too much imagination from the reader through excessive detail. When reading a screenplay, he's looking for a clear sense of the film's rhythm and flow, which mirrors how the final product might feel.

A strong advocate of self-editing, Payne often considers numerous details while drafting a scene. However, he consciously tries to include only what the reader truly needs to know. Extraneous information, like the exact color of something, is set aside in a separate file for his use as a director, rather than cluttering the script for others.

For Payne, less is more. He advises writers to keep screenplays as tight and lean as possible, ideally under 120 pages. A script that is 90 pages signals to him that the writer understands the discipline and economy of filmmaking. In his view, many modern films suffer from unnecessary length, and the craft of screenwriting should reflect the constant pursuit of efficiency in storytelling.