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1,4

will shepherd the project.
"You know you've got something
good when it always gets better the
r. ore you work on it," Schiff, 34, says
of the script, which he and Burnstein
worked on for about eight months.

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13

ty good price, my former students
started calling and asking somewhat
fearfully if this meant I was going to
stop teaching," Burnstein says.
"I had to laugh. If they had any
idea how many of my colleagues in
L.A. have -told me they dream about
a gig like this.
A Poet's Passion
"For me, teaching at Michigan was
"Partnerships are a very funny
a calculated way of saving my sanity.
thing," adds Schiff. "I really equate it
Working as a Hollywood screenwriter
to a marriage. I talk to Jim 10 times a you never know exactly where you
day, we e-mail 20 times a day, but it's
are. There's always this uncertainty
sort of finding that balance.
about when things begin and end.
"A partnership has to create an
"But the beauty of teaching for me
environment where each
is that I always know where
other's styles complement
Former Detroiter I'm supposed to be every
each other and yet both
Bruce Jo el Rubin
Monday night. For those
voices are heard at the
("Ghost' 2 center,
three or four hours I can
same time if that's possible. with Jim Burnstein, forget about the craziness
"Jim is the poet. He's
second from right, of whatever project I'm
always searching for poetry
and advanced
working on and just focus
and metaphor in every line
screen writing
on developing my students'
possible. I'm looking for
ideas into screenplays.
studen ts.
streamlining the plot, mak-
"The funny thing is, this
ing the moments bigger.
Monday night escape has
I'm the more commercially minded
made me a much better writer. It's
one.
forced me to be much more con-
"I used to see Jim once or twice a
scious of my craft.
year. By no means did we have a rela-
"It's no accident that the best origi-
tion, hip before we started working
nal ideas I've had for screenplays
together. Now we're like best
have come since I started teaching at
friends."
Michigan. And the truth is, I don't
The Quarterback's Tale was the sub- think I ever knew what a pure movie
ject of a bidding war. in September
idea was until I started teaching.
and ultimately sold to MGM for
"Here's what I think is really craz:
$500,000 (the total payout will be
anybody who goes into teaching or
$800,000 if and when the movie
writing expecting to get rich. You
actually ge - s made).
either love doing these jobs or you
But what it always goes back to
should stop. Because I think it
these days for Burnstein is the
always shows if the true passion isn't
University of Michigan, because teach- there for these professions.
ing at U-M is more than just giving to
"That being said, it still drives me
students — it gives back to him, too.
nuts when my wife forgets to pick up
"Naturally when we sold The
her paycheck. Maybe that's why she's
Quarterbac.s Tale as a spec for a pret- the best teacher I've ever known." ❑

