Heywood Gould | |
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Occupation(s) | Film director, writer |
Heywood Gould is an American screenwriter, journalist, novelist and film director. He wrote the screenplays for the films Rolling Thunder , The Boys from Brazil , Fort Apache, The Bronx , Streets of Gold , Cocktail , [1] [2] and wrote and directed the films One Good Cop , Trial by Jury , Mistrial and Double Bang .
On the strength of his spec screenplay Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), Gould was enlisted by star William Devane to rewrite Paul Schrader's Rolling Thunder script. Gould added pop-psych monologues for Devane's character, a former POW, that reflected an almost clinical understanding of his own trauma. Devane opted instead for a terse, contained performance in the mold of Steve McQueen, forgoing Gould's ornate characterization. Only one Gould monologue remains in the film, and it contains the oft-quoted line "You learn to love the rope," a poignant reference to defying one's captors. [3] Aborted monologues aside, Gould's changes to Schrader's script provide the most memorable scenes in the film. Moreover, Gould added flourishes that tied supporting characters more organically to the film's themes.