The major studios don't differ very much from one another as they all operate under essentially the same principles and pressure.

Robert Altman's Nashville is my all-time favorite film because it covers all the bases - it's original, moving, and has something to say, but also funny and incredibly entertaining.

That said, I should also add that I learned a great deal from being allowed in these privileged circles and am grateful for the opportunity to have worked closely with some of the most powerful and successful people in the business including Steven Spielberg and Ted Turner.

Animation scripts tend to be much more descriptive and are lighter on dialogue.

Right now, writing for me is most rewarding because I'm old enough now to have something to say, which probably wasn't always the case.

While I've lived in L.A. since 1985, I'll always consider Chicago my home town and have much affection for it. My parents and sister still live there so I try to visit as often as I'm able.

I would rather read a poorly structured story that has fresh ideas than a tightly structured one with cliches.

Write the kind of movie you would want to see, in a genre you love.

I love all of Albert Brooks' work from Defending Your Life back to his first film, Real Life, but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

Working in Hollywood can be tumultuous, with incredible highs and lows and you need to be grounded.

There is nothing like the high of being on stage and reaping applause, especially for emotionally needy people like me!

I used to love Woody Allen but feel he's become a hack as a director. Bullets Over Broadway is the only film of his I've enjoyed in the last 10 years.

I know a lot of people in the business recommend the many Story Structure seminars being offered here, but I point to them as the single biggest contributor to lousy scripts.

Originality is, for me, the most important quality in a script.

I am a big fan of the TV series Taxi which combined comedy and pathos better than any other show I've seen.

The major studios don't differ very much from one another as they all operate under essentially the same principles and pressure.

Dick Van Dyke was my first idol. He's an amazing physical comedian, like a classic clown, but also very smart and not afraid to show vulnerability.

But so much of being an actor isn't so great - the auditioning, the rejection, the financial insecurity.

I was only in one play at Steppenwolf, in the early days.

I was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Evanston.

The best way for a beginner to write for animation is to closely watch animated films, then read the screenplays for them afterwards.

I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself with a small group of friends I could trust.

Unfortunately, all the cliches we see about Hollywood are true.

When I saw The Player, I came out with knots in my stomach because it was so true to my experience.

I'm more concerned with getting them to find and strengthen their original voice as writers rather than imposing my own subjective tastes, judgements or sensibility on the project.

Fear of failure has always been my best motivator.

All of the material for The Fine Line was created via improvisation with my partner, but not in front of an audience. We'd continue to refine it in front of an audience based on their responses until it was set and scripted.

All of the material for 'The Fine Line' was created via improvisation with my partner, but not in front of an audience. We'd continue to refine it in front of an audience based on their responses until it was set and scripted.

I am a big fan of the TV series 'Taxi' which combined comedy and pathos better than any other show I've seen.

I love all of Albert Brooks' work from 'Defending Your Life' back to his first film, 'Real Life', but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

I used to love Woody Allen but feel he's become a hack as a director. 'Bullets Over Broadway' is the only film of his I've enjoyed in the last 10 years.

Robert Altman's 'Nashville' is my all-time favorite film because it covers all the bases - it's original, moving, and has something to say, but also funny and incredibly entertaining.

When I saw 'The Player', I came out with knots in my stomach because it was so true to my experience.

Anytime you have a difficult encounter with your child, there is a good chance that at least one of these factors is bringing out the worst in him or her: transitions, time pressure, competition for your attention, conflicting objectives.

It's better to have done because then you know what the player is going through and you understand the pressure, but then on the other hand I know a lot of people that were good players but not good coaches, and vice versa.

I don't know, I think, in times where I'm really nervous, and I'm really under the pressure the worst possible outcome is for me to start thinking about it.

Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy.

You had to decompress the pressure before the race. I taught my heart to relax. I lay down before the race. It gave me more energy just before the race.

The time is coming when the pressure of population on the means of subsistence will be felt here as it is now felt in Europe and Asia. Then will the world enter upon a new stage of its history - the final competition of races, for which the Anglo-Saxon is being schooled.

It's a tough thing to know that when you're making your album, you're going to end up collaborating with, say, Wal-Mart, on your artwork. That just sucks. And the pressure behind getting the numbers real fast is, to me, dizzying.

But if you believe in Christ and that your main goal with your life is supposed to be to honor Him and do His will, then you don't have as much pressure as someone who bases all their happiness on whether they're a movie star.

The free world is really helping Lebanon restore its sovereignty. I imagine there is quite a bit of pressure on Syria to leave. I hope they leave in a peaceful way.

The three-thousand hitting thing was the first time I let individual pressure get to me. I was uptight about it. When I saw the hit going through, I had a sigh of relief more than anything.

Pressure is playing for ten dollars when you don't have a dime in your pocket.

No, I don't tolerate pressure from anyone about anything.

I was putting myself under enormous pressure to be successful.

I wouldn't want the pressure of a Six Feet Under or the pressure of improvising like Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Under pressure, people admit to murder, setting fire to the village church or robbing a bank, but never to being bores.

Many working mothers feel guilty about not being at home. And when they are there, they wish it could be perfect. This pressure to make every minute happy puts working parents in a bind when it comes to setting limits and modifying behavior.