William Goldman's screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid didn't just win the Academy Award — it fundamentally changed what a Western could be. By centering the film on the chemistry and banter between two charismatic antiheroes rather than on gunfights and conquest, Goldman and director George Roy Hill created a template for the buddy film that Hollywood has been borrowing from ever since. In this episode, Zac Hogle breaks down how the film works as a piece of craft — from Goldman's razor-sharp dialogue to the film's unusual narrative structure to Conrad Hall's gorgeous, sun-bleached cinematography.

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) — Directed by George Roy Hill, written by William Goldman

• William Goldman's script was sold for $400,000 — a record price for a screenplay at the time

• The film stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, whose natural chemistry together is one of the great on-screen pairings in Hollywood history

• Conrad Hall won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography — his sepia-toned, sun-drenched visuals helped establish the look of the 'revisionist Western'

• Craft focus: Dialogue, Buddy Dynamics & Screenplay Structure — how Goldman builds chemistry on the page, and the unconventional structural choices that make the film feel fresh even today

• Key craft takeaway: Goldman famously said 'Nobody knows anything' about Hollywood — but he also believed that character is everything. Every line of dialogue in Butch Cassidy reveals who these men are

• The film's famous bicycle scene set to 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head' is a masterclass in using music and montage to advance character rather than plot

• Streaming availability: Check JustWatch.com for current streaming options in your region

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.