2020 OSCARS: The Two Popes (2019) - Inserting Humore in Writing

[Quick Summary: The story of the relationship of Pope Benedict and Bergoglio, an Argentinian cardinal, who becomes Pope Francis.]

Writer Anthony McCarten, whose BAFTA Screenwriters' Lecture speech is well worth a listen, has spoken often on inserting humor in his writing.

I laughed at the scene below, and it was a release valve.

Bergoglio has just arrived at the Pope's summer residence.  He is uncomfortable, surrounded by so much excess.

I thought the humor was even more accentuated because it was followed by the sober reminder of the expectations that surround us, i.e.,  saints and cherubim.

ex. INT. CASTEL GANDOLFO - CORRIDOR (2012) - EVENING

Bergoglio is following the nun along the intimidating corridors. He's not happy here. The nun shows him a room.

BERGOGLIO: Thank you, sister.

NUN: Oh. I almost forgot. A message from your assistant in Buenos Aires...

She hands him a piece of paper. He unfolds it, troubled.

She shows him to his room. As he goes into his room...

NUN (CONT'D): Is it bad news, father?

INSERT: Shot of the piece of paper in his hand. It's a starting line up for tonight's big San Lorenzo game.

BERGOGLIO: I'm afraid so. Lavezzi is not in the starting line up for Argentina and Equador tomorrow.

PICK UP ON Bergoglio trying to pray a little later. He is distracted by the decoration in the room - paintings of saints surrounded by beaming baby-faced cherubim.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: "Those who lose the ability to laugh, lose the ability to think."-Clarence Darrow

The Two Popes (2019)
by Anthony McCarten

TODAY'S NUGGET: Joker (2019) - Announcing, Without ANNOUNCING, a Switch to a Fantasy Sequence

[Quick Summary: The origin story of how Arthur Fleck, a mentally and socially unbalanced clown, becomes the Joker.]

Before reading this well written script, I wish that I'd known that it was meant to explore a world with a lack of empathy.

Because I did not, I found the nihilism and darkness to be oppressive. 

I also became weary of blaming society for the Joker's situation and painting him as a victim.  There's not a lot of hopefulness here.

However, I cannot ignore that this was well written.

I particularly liked how the writers clearly defined the switch to Arthur in fantasy sequence without announcing, "This is now a fantasy scene."

ex. INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS

SPOTLIGHT ON SHIMMERING MULTICOLORED CURTAINS PARTING, AND OUT DANCES MURRAY FRANKLIN (late 60's) doing an old soft shoe to the jazzy tune Ellis Drane is playing him out to. Audience cheering and applauding loudly for him. Murray takes a little bow, and does one or two more steps to the music...

ANGLE ON ARTHUR, clapping the middle of the crowd. He's dressed "richer" (it's Arthur's fantasy version of himself).  Everybody around him is enthusiastically applauding Murray....

MURRAY FRANKLIN: Wow. Thank you.

He glances up at Arthur, who is clapping wildly, squints his eyes a bit to make him out --

MURRAY FRANKLIN: Thank you. (beat; smiling) Who's that there? Hey Bobby, can you raise the lights for me?

The house lights come up. Murray takes a few steps downstage and points straight at Arthur --

MURRAY FRANKLIN: You there, will you stand up? What's your name?

Arthur looks around at the people around him, and realizes Murray's talking to him. Murray picked him out of the crowd --

Arthur gets up to his feet. He talks more here, and with more confidence, looks more at ease than we've seen him.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: It's ok to announce "it's a fantasy sequence" to the reader, but the audience will not see it on screen, so be sure to also include the character with different behavior and costume.

Joker (2019)(12/1/18 shooting script)
by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

2020 OSCARS: JoJo Rabbit (2019) - Using an Imaginary Friend

[Quick Summary: JoJo is a 10 y.o. Nazi-in-training with an imaginary friend called Hitler who is conflicted when he finds a young Jewish girl hiding in his house.]

I thought it was clever to use the imaginary friend to do a couple things:

a) question Jojo so we could hear his thinking process

b) comfort, advise, and make sense of the world for Jojo, which would be natural since he is Jojo's hero.

I also like that all the ridiculous stuff is there to make a point.

ex. EXT. WOODS - DAY

...VOICE (O.S.): Poor Jojo, what's wrong, little man?

 Jojo turns around, it's Adolf.

JOJO: Hi Adolf.

Adolf takes a seat.

ADOLF: Why so down in the dumps? A strong boy like yourself shouldn't be sad, you should be happy like a cloud!  Clouds don't care about anything!  [A's question allows us to hear J's inner reasoning.]

JOJO: They called me a coward. And my papa, they say he makes desserts instead of fighting. But I know he's still fighting, for you, for me, and for Germany.

ADOLF: Oh, of course he is! And he is also making nice desserts, nothing wrong with that. My God, his custard tarts are the only thing keeping up morale at the front. (beat) Want to tell me about the rabbit incident? What was that all about?  [A plays it serious, so it's funny & points out his ridiculous priorities. A's question leads to J admitting failure.]

JOJO: They wanted me to kill it. I'm sorry.

ADOLF: Meh, don't worry about it. I couldn't care less. Just like a cloud.

JOJO: But now they call me a scared rabbit.

ADOLF: Well you want to know something? (off Jojo's nod) Just because they're small and delightfully cute doesn't mean rabbits are cowards. The rabbit faces a dangerous world everyday, hunting carrots for his family...for his country. Forget those boys. They have their place and so do you. My empire will be made up of all animals, eagles, lions, elephants, and even the mighty rabbit. [A comforts & encourages J.]

Adolf offers Jojo a cigarette.

JOJO: No thanks, I don't sm--

ADOLF: Can I give you some really good advice? Be the rabbit. The humble bunny can outwit all his enemies and that is why he is a hero. Be. The. Rabbit. [A gives J good advice, which we agree with but also makes us uneasy.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I never thought to use of the imaginary friend to give advice, much less good advice.

However, it's quite effective in making me consider, "Why do I like this guy? Do I trust him?"

JoJo Rabbit (2019)(2/8/19)
by Taika Waititi
Based on the book "Caging Skies" by Christine Leunens

2020 OSCARS: The Irishman (2019) - Transitioning Present to Past to Present

[Quick Summary: Frank Sheeran recounts his life in three eras, as the guy closest to Jimmy Hoffa and the one to kill him.]

This script had excellent structure, excellent pacing, epic conflict.

However, I was bored.  For the record, it's not the writer's fault. 

The main character does not change much, or was conflicted enough to change.  He's stoic so the script had to be about 70% in Frank's voice over.

I did think the writer did a heroic job of keeping the story focused though it jumps between three time frames.  I think it was because of really clear transitions.

NOTE: The hand --> the hand --> the gun in the hand --> Frank speaks

ex. PRESENT TIME - NURSING HOME

FRANK: One of a thousand working stiffs...

This is who we've been looking for - Frank Sheeran - perhaps to kill him. But he pays no attention to us, even as we come in close enough to see his gold watch encircled with diamonds, and the distinctive ring made from a gold coin on a finger.

INT. EMPTY HOUSE - A BLANK WALL - DAY

We see a young man's hand with the same gold and diamond encrusted watch and diamond pinky ring raise a gun at an unseen target.

FRANK (IN SYNC): ...until I wasn't anymore...

TWO QUICK GUNSHOTS to the back of an UNKNOWN MAN'S head.

The blank wall explodes in red, as though a bucket of blood had been thrown against it. The blood begins to slowly ooze down the wall covering it with red streaks.

FRANK (IN SYNC): ... And started painting houses myself.

INT. ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY - DAY - 2000

BACK in the ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, Frank gives us a moment to grasp what he's said. Then:

FRANK: In this particular matter, the whole thing was built around the wedding.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Keep the visuals strong and simple.

The Irishman (2019)(final shooting script)
by Steve Zailian
Adapted from the book by Charles Brandt

2020 OSCARS: Little Women (2019) - Doing Something Different Isn't Enough in an Adaptation

[Quick Summary: The story of aspiring writer Jo March and her sisters Meg, Amy, and Beth in the 1850s.]

TWO THOUGHTS:

1) STUNNED. My sister is one of the hardest demographics to get into theaters:
- She BALKS at going to the movies.
- She would rather watch tv re-runs of "Say Yes to the Dress" at home because she can multi-task, i.e., short attention span.

However, she is also the best demographic if she likes the film:
- She tells EVERYONE about the film.  You can't pay her to shut up.
- She buys the soundtracks, DVDs for the extras. 

So when she insisted that we must see this film on opening day (Christmas), I was stunned. * **

2) DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT ISN'T ENOUGH IN ADAPTATION.

Making a film just to "do something different" would have been boring and a waste of money.  Audiences want more.  (Or as my sister put it, "well done.")

I think the smartest thing the producers did here was to match the right writer to the material.

Writer/director Greta Gerwig said that this film is about "women, art, and money," and understood that these themes have not gone away for women.

How did Gerwig make this script FEEL like the book even though the structure is different (told in flashback)?

I think it is because she:
a) was well aware of the themes and
b) used the form (flashback) to make a point about it.

In the scenes below, notice the contrast from past (carefree, close family fun) to present (hard work, poor, lonely).

ex. "INT./EXT. MARCH HOUSE. NIGHT. 1861.
...The girls laugh and prance and gossip around the warm fire. He stands apart, loving them all, the whole family...

EXT. MARCH HOUSE. NIGHT. CONTINUOUS.

...but most especially Jo. As Laurie retreats back to his big, lonely house, he looks across the field to Jo, writing alone in the attic, absorbed with her work.

THE PRESENT. EXT./INT. NEW YORK BOARDING HOUSE. NIGHT. 1868.

Jo works with her writing costume on: an antique military jacket. Her writing is like an attack, moving into enemy territory and occupying space. Her hand starts to cramp, she shakes it, stretches it, and then switches hands.

Suddenly she stops - she's heard something. She opens the door, but the hallway is empty. She looks down and sees a book, a very beautiful copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. She opens the cover - inside there is a note:

FRIEDRICH (read to camera): For the writer in the attic: Because you enjoyed the play o much tonight, I wanted you to have this. It will help you study character and paint it with your pen. I would love to read what you're writing, if you'll trust me. I promise honesty and whatever intelligence I can muster. Yours, Friedrich

Jo opens the book and almost greedily she begins to read, reciting the words to herself.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I was impressed that Gerwig always knew what point she was making. It shows up in the unity of the script.

Little Women (2019)
by Greta Gerwig
Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott

*You all want to know, "How do you get THAT demographic into the theater?!"

When I asked her, she replied, "It has to be well done."

Sigh. Not helpful. What makes a film "well done"?! 

**She also mentioned becoming interested after seeing a segment interviewing the director on  her favorite "CBS Sunday Morning."

So I guess knowing the audience you're marketing your film to?