Frank Cottrell Boyce
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Frank Cottrell Boyce is a British screenwriter, novelist and occasional actor, best known for his collaborations with film director Michael Winterbottom.
Prior to his writing career, Boyce, after completing a doctorate in English at Oxford University (where he was also an undergraduate) wrote criticism for the magazine Living Marxism. As a result there was supposedly always a copy of the magazine on sale in the newsagent set of long-running British soap Coronation Street, while Cottrell Boyce was on the writing staff of that programme. After he met Winterbottom, the two collaborated on Forget About Me.
Winterbottom made five further films based on screenplays written by Boyce, Butterfly Kiss, Welcome to Sarajevo, The Claim, 24 Hour Party People and Code 46. Their latest collaboration, A Cock and Bull Story, will be their last according to Boyce, who asked that his contribution be credited to Martin Hardy, a pseudonym. He told Variety, "I just had to move on ... what better way to walk away than by giving [Winterbottom] a good script for free?" [1]
Other film directors Boyce has worked with include Danny Boyle (Millions), Alex Cox (Revengers Tragedy), Richard Laxton (Grown Your Own) and Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie).
Boyce has been praised by, among others, Roger Ebert, as one of the few truly inventive modern-day screenwriters. He has spoken against the "three-act structure" and the "hero's journey" formulas, which are often regarded as automatic truths in the business.
In addition to original scripts, Boyce has also adapted novels for the screen.
Recently, he has started writing novels for children, winning the 2004 Carnegie Medal for his debut, Millions, based on his own screenplay for the film of the same name. His more recent novel, Framed, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book of the Year and for the Carnegie Medal.
In addition to Coronation street, he wrote many episodes of the soap opera Brookside, as well as its spin-off Damon and Debbie.
He is married and the father of 7 children [2].
[edit] Screenplays
- Grow Your Own (2007)
- A Cock and Bull Story (2006) (as Martin Hardy)
- Framed (2005)
- Millions (2004)
- Code 46 (2003)
- Revengers Tragedy (2002)
- 24 Hour Party People (2002)
- The Claim (2000)
- Pandaemonium (2000)
- Hilary and Jackie (1998)
- Welcome To Sarajevo (1997)
- Saint-Ex (1996)
- New York Crossing (1996)
- Butterfly Kiss (1995)
- A Woman's Guide To Adultery (1993) (TV)
- Coronation Street TV Series (1991)
- Forget About Me (1990) TV
- The Real Eddy English (1989) (mini) TV Series
- Damon and Debbie (1987) (mini) TV Series
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[edit] External links
Author's Blog: http://swearbyit.typepad.com/infinity_park/
MotherDaughterBookClub interview with Frank Cottrell Boyce [3]
