Don't forget your readers know a thing or two

Adam Sandler is an actor I really like in dramas and really don't like in comedies. Now his new film is out, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and from the title alone I could tell you it's crap.

The story is about an Israeli who arrives NY to be a hairdresser. The original name of the Israeli was Boaz, a real Israeli name. Then they changes it to Zohan, which is nothing. For me it really said a lot about the rest of the film. It's a comedy, yes, but there is a real world behind it. Like every fantasy must have a clear set of rules to be plausible, so is a comedy. The reality that is the background of the story and the hero (in that case Israel and the war in the middle east) is very clear. How come the name of the hero is not part of this set of rules? Maybe they thought it sounded better, maybe they were afraid of too much realism that will make their comedy less funny, I don't know. For an Israeli guy, and especially the guy they chose to represent the ex-soldier macho, Zohan is not an option for a name. They could call him Zohar, which is a real name and the name of the Kabbalah book. Or just Boaz would be fine.

So when you're writing a script, don't forget there are people with some knowledge who read it. Jargon, slang and at least the basic set of principles of the described world - they should be correct. That's it.