Paper Moon (1973) — Screenplay
A Depression-era con man reluctantly teams with a sharp-witted girl who claims to be his daughter, turning their grift into a bond.
- Written by
- Alvin Sargent, Joe David Brown
- Genre
- Comedy, Drama, Crime
- Length
- 142 pages
Alvin Sargent adapts Joe David Brown's novel with razor-sharp dialogue that crackles between the cynical Moze and the precocious Addie, whose power struggle drives both comedy and heart. Study its period world-building and tonal balance—how it pivots from grift set-pieces to genuine tenderness without losing its edge. The evolving power dynamic between the two leads is a masterclass in character arc.
Read the full Paper Moon (1973) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study Alvin Sargent, Joe David Brown’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.