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David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Whose Sea Is It Anyway?

James Toback is mouthing off (could a certain internet columnist be making Page Six waves for fun?) about writing credit on Beyond The Sea to Page Six. Meanwhile, Kevin Spacey’s publicist returned fire, claiming his contribution to the final script, which was written long after the six versions that were created at Warner Bros, didn’t make him eligible for credit.

But both sides are blowing smoke up Page Six’s black-and-white-and-red/read-all-over ass.

1. The credits for the final script is in arbitration and Toback has the absolute right to have his script in the mix…. or not. Unless Spacey tried to force him to be credited, which is a possibility when someone is paid over a certain six figure sum (I haven’t looked at that specific figure in a while), all Toback had to do was to not submit his script to the arbitrtion committee.

2. Mr. Spacey’s rep apparently doesn’t understand that a screenplay can get credit even if there is not a single word of dialogue or even all but a few characters left from an early draft. In fact, the arbitration process leans to the earliest drafts, even if the final outcome is unrecognizable. Even though the Bobby Darin story is biographical, if Toback laid it out first, he could well end up getting credit.

But not if Toback doesn’t want it.

What’s sad for Toback is that he stands to get more press attention for this non-event than for his most recent film.

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6 Responses to “Whose Sea Is It Anyway?”

  1. Mark says:

    Spacey is a waste of talent. Still waiting for the Shipping News 2.

  2. Esquire says:

    Spacey and Helen Hunt need to do another movie. So
    we can all be reminded of how much they were revered
    as top talents back in 1998, and are now on the outside
    looking in.
    How in the hell did that happen? That’s why trying
    to explain how Snow Dogs made a profit for Disney!

  3. bicycle bob says:

    i used to love spaceys work
    he had a string there with top notch stuff everytime out now hes a journeyman

  4. Sidney Fistow says:

    Spacey’s fine playing a tortured, neurotic gay man. Anything else and he reads a bit waxy and stiff.

  5. bicycle bob says:

    if its garbage it was probably written by toback

  6. Mark says:

    I think we’re getting ready for a huge bomb here.

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