Once you read the script, it's the only way it can be. James L. Brooks More Quotes by James L. Brooks More Quotes From James L. Brooks You have more and more people coming into the tent with the creative guys [on Hollywood films]. You have marketing and concept testers, advertising people. What you find gets the high numbers is easily appealing subjects: a baby, a big broad joke, a high concept. Everything is tested. The effect is to lessen the gamble, but in fact you destroy a writer's confidence and creativity once so many people are invited into the tent. James L. Brooks hollywood-films creativity baby Media reporting denied privacy to anybody doing what I do for a living. It was no longer possible to work on your picture in privacy. James L. Brooks denied privacy media I've done it with Broadcast News-where there was no finish line, there was no agenda that I had to move all the characters to this point, that I was sort of open to what happens. James L. Brooks news character moving If you ever catch a great boss, it's just such a rare thing, and it's amazing. James L. Brooks amazing great you boss When I wrote a gay character, I spent six months asking questions I've never asked a gay friend, the questions you don't ask just because you don't have the right to do it. James L. Brooks friend you gay character In my mind, if you write a comedy where human beings experience pain, you're just being realistic. James L. Brooks you experience pain mind I was raised primarily by women. I had a mother who almost killed herself to survive, I had a sister who was eight years older who was like a second mother, and my mother had two sisters. In the environment I grew up in, I heard a lot of female perspectives. James L. Brooks survive sister women mother I'm big on research. James L. Brooks big research Tone is up for grabs in what we do - what's the tone of the scene. James L. Brooks up tone scene I always fight hard to push a movie to the point where it pulls me. James L. Brooks push fight me always Linking up the things you were with the things you become is what growing up is. James L. Brooks become things you growing-up I have a rule in research: The third time you hear something, it's generally true. James L. Brooks true you research time I laugh every day. There are days when my laughs are pretty hollow. Dust comes out of your mouth, and your bones make a funny sound. But I'm laughing. James L. Brooks laugh every-day day funny I always loved writing, but never considered that I could do it professionally. James L. Brooks loved never always writing I always think a successful television series is the best job because it gives you community, it doesn't demand temporary insanity the way movies do, and you can be almost a normal person. James L. Brooks best job you community