Karen McCullah

Last updated
Karen McCullah
Karen McCullah (cropped) at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.jpg
McCullah in 2016
Born (1967-12-05) December 5, 1967 (age 56)
Philippines
NationalityAmerican
Alma materMarketing B.A. (1988), James Madison University
Occupation(s) Screenwriter
Novelist

Karen McCullah (born December 5, 1967) is an American screenwriter and novelist most known for co-writing comedies such as 10 Things I Hate About You , Legally Blonde , Ella Enchanted , The House Bunny , The Ugly Truth and She's the Man with her screenwriting partner Kirsten Smith. After graduating from James Madison University with a degree in marketing, McCullah worked various jobs before beginning to write. She is a faculty member at Syracuse University's Los Angeles Semester.

Contents

Early life

McCullah was born in the Philippines, where her father had been assigned with the United States Navy performing counterespionage duties. She grew up in Maryland, [1] where she attended elementary school before attending junior high in Japan, [1] and she graduated from Indian Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey, in Bergen County. [2] As a high school student, she maintained in her diary 10 Things I Hate About Anthony, her boyfriend at the time, which ultimately led to the title of her 1999 film, 10 Things I Hate About You . [3]

In 1988, McCullah graduated from James Madison University in Virginia where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority [4] and majored in marketing. [1] Though she would become a writer, she received a C in creative writing. [1] She has said her experiences at university strongly influenced her screenwriting, [1] and she donates a yearly scholarship to the school. [5] Before screenwriting, McCullah worked in "marketing and PR, painting furniture sold in galleries in New Mexico, travel writing, and teaching creative workshops to teen gang members," as well as various fast food jobs. [6] She began writing in Albuquerque, New Mexico after reading a book called How to Write for Film and TV since there were no local jobs available in her field. [7] In 2005, she wrote her first novel, The Bachelorette Party.

Screenwriting career

McCullah describes many of the characters she's written as, essentially, “badass and full of mirth.” [8] Most of her published screenplays have been co-written with Kirsten Smith; they met when Smith read one of McCullah's scripts as part of Smith's job in 1996. After letters and phone calls, the two met for margaritas and started their first script (a woman-led action-comedy) [8] on a cocktail napkin. [9] Though the first script did not sell, they wrote 10 Things I Hate About You while living in separate cities by mailing pages of the draft to each other. [8] They admired and were considering following in the footsteps of Clueless , a spin on Emma, as they knew they wanted to write a teen comedy with a twist on a classic story. With a title already set from McCullah's high school diary, the duo picked Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew to modernize and outlined their plans while sitting on a beach in Mexico, [7] though as McCullah said, “We definitely knew [the title character] would not be tamed at the end." [8]

McCullah and Smith had already started adapting Legally Blonde (the novel) for film by the time 10 Things went to theaters. [8] Of writing the main character, McCullah said: "It was fun to play with that dynamic with [the rich, pretty, popular girl] being the underdog, having to prove herself to other people even when she was completely capable." They spent two days on Stanford's campus in the spring of 2000 doing research for the screenplay. [10]

They were actively involved during filming, sometimes rewriting in the middle of the night [11] and suggesting Luke Wilson as the love interest during casting. [12] Originally, the "bend and snap" scene — where main character Elle explains to her new, older friend Paulette how to get her crush's attention — almost didn't make it into the movie. [13] At first, the writers spent a week or two trying to figure out what the plot for Paulette should be, pitching "scene after scene" of crime plots that "all felt very tonally weird." [13] Later, while brainstorming at a bar in Los Angeles, McCullah came up with a solution: "What if Elle shows [Paulette] a move so she can get the UPS guy?" On the spur of the moment, Smith invented a move, standing up and demonstrating what would become the bend and snap. Smith explains, "It was a spontaneous invention. It was a completely drunken moment in a bar." [13]

The film originally ended with Elle winning the movie's pivotal case and sharing a victory kiss with Emmett, then starting a Blonde Legal Defense Club at law school in the future. After test audiences revealed they didn't like this ending, McCullah and Smith consulted with the production team and they all agreed a new conclusion was necessary. "It was just kind of a weak ending," explained McCullah. "The kiss didn't feel right because it's not a rom-com — it wasn't about their relationship. So test audiences were saying, 'We want to see what happens — we want to see her succeed.' So that's why we rewrote for graduation," which became the movie's new ending. [14]

The duo's modern day writing process generally involves co-writing a first draft, editing it separately, and redrafting it, usually turning in a 6th or 7th draft. [15] McCullah's personal preferred way to write is outside in the sun, as she states "It’s hard for me to be funny in the rain."

McCullah's is currently a faculty member at Syracuse University's Los Angeles Semester. [6] Her future projects include Hope, a Netflix rom-com starring Aubrey Plaza, and [16] [17] Party Girls, a comedy picked up by Paramount Pictures, [18] , all with her screenwriting partner Smith. [16]

Writing

Novels

Films

Screenplays (unproduced)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screenwriter</span> Person who writes for films, TV shows, comics, and games

A screenwriter is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based.

<i>10 Things I Hate About You</i> 1999 American film by Gil Junger

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger in his film directorial debut and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. The screenplay by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith is a modernization of William Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew, retold in a late-1990s American high school setting. The film follows new student Cameron James (Gordon-Levitt) who is smitten with Bianca Stratford (Oleynik) and attempts to get bad boy Patrick Verona (Ledger) to date her antisocial sister Kat (Stiles) in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating. Named after a poem Kat writes about her romance with Patrick, the film was mostly shot in the Seattle metropolitan area, with many scenes filmed at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> 2001 film by Robert Luketic

Legally Blonde is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, based on Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge. The story follows Elle Woods (Witherspoon), a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Davis) by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School, and in the process, overcomes stereotypes against blondes and triumphs as a successful lawyer.

<i>Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde</i> 2003 film by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld and written by Kate Kondell. It is a sequel to the 2001 film Legally Blonde and the second film in the Legally Blonde series. It stars Reese Witherspoon alongside an ensemble cast featuring Sally Field, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge, Bruce McGill, Dana Ivey, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Bob Newhart, Luke Wilson, and Bruce Thomas, with Coolidge, Wilson, and Thomas reprising their roles from the first film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screenwriting</span> Art and craft of writing screenplays

Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shonda Rhimes</span> American television producer and writer

Shonda Lynn Rhimes, is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Rhimes became known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2005–present), its spin-off Private Practice (2007–2013) and the political thriller Scandal (2012–2018), becoming the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100 episode milestone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Wells</span> American director, screenwriter, and producer (1960–2018)

Audrey Ann Wells was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. Her 1999 film Guinevere won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

Leslie Dixon is an American screenwriter and producer.

Krista Vernoff is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for being the showrunner for Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off, Station 19 (2019–2023). She has also served as executive producer and writer forShameless. Other works as producer-writer for television include Charmed and Wonderfalls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diablo Cody</span> American writer and producer

Brook Maurio, known professionally as Diablo Cody, is an American writer and producer. She gained recognition for her candid blog and subsequent memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper (2005). Cody received critical acclaim for her screenwriting debut film, Juno (2007), winning both the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindy Kaling</span> American actress, writer, and comedian (born 1979)

Vera Mindy Chokalingam, known professionally as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Known for her extensive work on television, she has received numerous accolades including two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. She was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and was awarded the National Medal of the Arts from US President Joe Biden in 2022.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> (musical) 2007 musical

Legally Blonde is a 2007 musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach. It is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsten Smith (writer)</span> American screenwriter and novelist (born 1970)

Kirsten M. "Kiwi" Smith is an American screenwriter and novelist whose credits include Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted. She has written most of her screenplays with her screenwriter partner Karen McCullah.

Robin Stender Swicord is an American screenwriter, film director, and playwright, best known for literary adaptations. Her notable screenplays include Little Women (1994), Matilda (1996), Practical Magic (1998), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), the latter of which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. She wrote and directed the 2007 film The Jane Austen Book Club.

<i>The Ugly Truth</i> 2009 American film

The Ugly Truth is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, and starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. The film was released in North America on July 24, 2009 by Columbia Pictures.

<i>The House Bunny</i> 2008 American film

The House Bunny is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Fred Wolf, written by the writing team of Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, and produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Anna Faris, Allen Covert, and Heather Parry. The film stars Faris, Colin Hanks, and Emma Stone, and tells the story of a former Playboy bunny who signs up to be the "house mother" of an unpopular university sorority after finding out she must leave the Playboy Mansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslye Headland</span> American writer and director (born 1980)

Leslye Headland is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and playwright. She is best known for the play and 2012 film Bachelorette and 2015 film Sleeping with Other People. She co-created the Netflix series Russian Doll, along with Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. She also created the Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte.

Legally Blonde is an American media franchise created by Amanda Brown. It consists of American comedy films, a Broadway musical, a reality television series, and an upcoming television series. The films include two theatrical releases, one musical television film, one straight-to-home video release, and a third theatrical film in development. The installments follow the comical adventures of Elle Woods, portrayed by actress Reese Witherspoon in the films, a blonde California University of Los Angeles sorority president, who enrolls in law school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Fremon Craig</span> American filmmaker and screenwriter (born 1981)

Kelly Fremon Craig is an American screenwriter, producer, and film director. She is known for writing and directing the 2016 coming-of-age dramedy The Edge of Seventeen and the 2023 adaptation of Judy Blume's classic middle-grade novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Ellen Rapoport is an American television writer, producer, and director who created and executive produced the 2022 television comedy series Minx. Rapoport also wrote the screenplay for the 2020 movie Desperados.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Romero, Ariana (2013-03-31). "CC Interviews "10 Things I Hate About You" Writer Karen McCullah Lutz". College Candy. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  2. ↑ Longsdorf, Amy. "N.J. writer puts her mark on Hollywood", The Record (Bergen County) , July 20, 2009. Accessed August 4, 2011. "Screenwriter and former Oakland resident Karen McCullah Lutz is the first to admit she owes New Jersey a big debt of gratitude. Spending four years at Indian Hills High School sparked her love of Springsteen and the Paramus Park Mall, but Lutz is particularly grateful for an even more lasting Garden State gift."
  3. ↑ Beckerman, Jim. "This blonde is having more fun as a screenwriter", The Record (Bergen County) , September 7, 2008, p. F-8. Accessed September 7, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Montpelier - James Madison University Magazine". Jmu.edu. 1999-03-31. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  5. ↑ "Walter N. Lutz and Karen McCullah - Madison Scholarships Hub". jmu.academicworks.com. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  6. 1 2 "Karen McCullah". Syracuse University Los Angeles Semester. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Jameson (2015-05-13). "Screenwriter Karen McCullah Talks Screenwriting, Her First Script and What Inspires Her Writing". The Script Lab. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Bennett, Alana (2018-12-03). "This Iconic Hollywood Screenwriting Team Should Be Household Names By Now". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Hayley (2020-09-11). "Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah: The Screenwriting Duo You Should Know About". Blue Bear Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  10. ↑ "Blonde Ambition". Stanford Alumni. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Urban Cinefile LUKETIC, ROBERT: LEGALLY BLONDE". Urban Cinefile. March 25, 2020. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  12. ↑ "What we learned from watching 'Legally Blonde' with the people who made it". EW.com. April 9, 2018. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 "Legally Blonde writers explain how the bend and snap was created". Entertainment Weekly. April 2, 2018. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ Strause, Jackie (June 6, 2015). "'Legally Blonde' Almost Had a Different Ending, Says Film's Screenwriter". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Q & A with Screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith". Zamm.com | My Movies. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  16. 1 2 3 Sneider, Jeff (2019-08-16). "Aubrey Plaza to Star in Netflix Rom-Com Hope from Legally Blonde Writers". Collider. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  17. ↑ "About Netflix - JACKIE VAN BEEK and MADELEINE SAMI TO DIRECT AUBREY PLAZA IN FEATURE COMEDY "HOPE" FOR NETFLIX". About Netflix. Retrieved 2021-03-18.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (2019-05-21). "Paramount Snags 'Party Girls' Film Pitch From 'Legally Blonde' Scribes Kirsten Smith & Karen McCullah; Todd Garner Producing". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.