While it would be easy to fill several columns with films that have been based on literary works, it’s a different story when looking for films that deal with writers themselves. Hollywood often likes to pretend that it can do just fine without writers (Robert Altman’s The Player takes this notion to an extreme), but every once in a while filmmakers start feeling guilty about making billions of dollars recycling the worst aspects of pop culture and decide to pay tribute to those who supply words and concepts. Here’s a few films from the unusually literary early ’90s that seem to capture the essence, if not the madness, of writing.

• Naked Lunch


• Barton Fink


• Henry & June


• Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle