Top 5 Peter Morgan Scripts

25 January 2014

Rush

Peter Morgan, film writer, television scribe and playwright, is perhaps one of Britain’s leading talents in the field.

Reserving his talents for accurate depictions of fragments from the past, Morgan’s attachment to a film’s credit-list conveys pulling power, many screenwriters in the business would struggle to acquire.

With Rush available on EST from 17th January 2014 and coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on 27th January 2014 from StudioCanal, we count down the top five films lucky enough to feature Morgan as writer.

- Rush (2013)

Peter Morgan’s Rush script recounts the legendary sports rivalry between Formula 1 racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda to the backdrop of a well-captured 70s.

Providing director Ron Howard and actors Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl with more than enough material, carving out the differing characteristics of the two, the film is extended to become a regular fixture on several people’s ‘Top 10s of the year’ lists. Rush is all-at-once informative, shocking and thrilling.

Rush is a triumph from start to finish. You would expect to get high octane and edge of your seat racing moments - and you do get that.

However, Rush is so much more than that, as it is also an intense character study of these two fascinating and different men.

Rush was my favourite film of 2013, and it really was beautifully written.

- The Queen (2006)

The first of two times Morgan has prolifically written for the character of Queen Elizabeth II - and each time played by Dame Helen Mirren.

Casting actors as famous figures, including Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Helen McCrory as Cherie, Morgan shows he is adept at fluently crafting eloquent scripts, which re-tell factual moments from history.

The Queen is a movie that is full of wit and humour as it gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the most important moments in recent history.

Much like Rush, The Queen is also a compelling character study of a woman who battles to survive; this movie really does humanise this incredibly famous figure.

- The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Co-written with Jeremy Brock, The Last King of Scotland - directed by Kevin McDonald - tells the story of a young Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) who travels to Uganda and becomes the personal physician of Dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).

A fictional story at heart, Morgan takes the real-life figure of Amin and crafts the film around the idea we as an audience have of him, guiding Whitaker towards an Oscar win.

Morgan has written the character of Amin so beautifully, as he goes from gentleness to monster in a heartbeat.

Whitaker spectacularly brings the character that Morgan has crafted to life - that switch from gentle to monster really is chilling.

- Frost/Nixon (2008)

Further showing his interest in writing about historical moments, Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon really is all about the script.

Based on his stage play of the same name, the film recasts the play’s stars Michael Sheen (as broadcaster David Frost) and Frank Langella (as President Richard Nixon.

However, as a film, the script does an excellent job at educating an audience who may not have known the ins-and-outs of the Watergate scandal.

Morgan writes the script like a sparring match between these two fascinating characters.

Frank Langella really does given a powerhouse performance, as he makes Morgan's words dance off the screen.

- The Damned United (2009)

Queen Elizabeth II; Richard Nixon; Brian Clough. Not a name you’d associate with the former two, however Morgan’s The Damned United script adapts David Pearce’s bestselling novel, transforming it into an incredible profile of the football manager’s ill-fated tenure as head of Leeds United in 1974.

Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) takes Morgan’s script, and all talent involved ensures The Damned United remain a compelling watch throughout - delivering an underrated performance from Morgan regular Michael Sheen.

Morgan, along with Hooper and Sheen, have crafted a funny and touching tribute to one of British football's biggest personalities.

This is a movie about a man's struggle with his own evil, and everyone involved makes this an intriguing battle.