TODAY'S NUGGET: The Front (1976) - Using the Physical Space Well to Setup-Payoff a Joke

 [Quick Summary: After agreeing to act as a front for a blacklisted writer, Howard becomes famous and falls in love with a script editor who thinks he's a real writer.]

Have you heard of this black comedy? I hadn't, but was curious because it stars Woody Allen in a film he neither wrote nor directed.

Writer Walter Bernstein, who was blacklisted himself, satirizes the system that ruined lives (and is questionable if it had any anti-communism effect). 

Bernstein, a funny writer, really shines when getting the physicality of the joke right for the audience, i.e., using the physical space to setup and payoff a joke.

One of the best examples of this kind of setup-payoff (below) is nearly invisible: 
- Sussman, the producer, has asked Howard for an immediate rewrite.
- Howard frantically calls Alfred, the writer that Howard is pretending to be.
- Howard is a prisoner in his office, under watchful eyes, until Alfred rushes him a draft.
- Note that this is all done in shots, without dialogue.
- Also, note that Bernstein is so clear about the scene that he leaves out verbs in the narrative (last full paragraph).

INT. THE CORRIDOR - DAY

Florence walking along. She pauses before the door to Howard's office, then hesitates and decides not to disturb him. She looks at her watch and walks on.

INT. THE OFFICE - DAY

Howard at the window.  He sees what he has been looking for.

EXT. THE STREET - DAY

A taxi parked at the curb, window open, Alfred inside. He hands an envelope out to Howard on the street.

INT. THE CORRIDOR - DAY

The fire door opens a crack and Howard's eye surveys the scene. The coast is clear and he comes out, having made the climb up again. Carrying the envelope, he staggers into Sussman's office. [The word "staggered" made me laugh because it conveys so much irony.]

INT. SUSSMAN'S OFFICE - DAY

Sussman behind his desk, holding the script in his hands. Florence there. Howard in a chair, panting. Sussman indicates his condition to Florence. [ The meaning is clear, so no verbs are necessary, except for the last sentence.]

SUSSMAN: That's how we treat talent. Sometimes I'm ashamed.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  What is so great about this joke is the setup is all physical and non-verbal, topped off by the last punch line (payoff). 

The Front (1976)(8/13/75 revised)
by Walter Bernstein

TODAY'S NUGGET: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) - What Elevates a Good Comedy Fight to a Memorable One? Subtext

[Quick Summary: When two con men fight over territory, they agree that whomever wins the favor of a young female visitor will decide whom will go, whom will stay).]

Lawrence (Michael Caine) is the ultimate con man. Freddy (Steve Martin), on the other hand, is the new kid, and not nearly as good as Lawrence. 

They team up, but eventually Freddy wants to go solo -- on Lawrence's territory.

What makes this a good fight? Real stakes, like their livelihoods.

But what makes it memorable?
1) A good fight is about stakes. 
2) A better fight is about emotional stakes. What does winning/losing means to the character?
3) The best fights happen in subtext, unspoken and below the surface.

In the scene below, notice:
- Lawrence fears being usurped. He will no longer have status.
- Freddy fears he will lose his new golden goose. Also, in his mind, he will always be a second rate player.
- On the surface, this is about territory.  If you look closer, it's about how each guy feels as a new regime challenges the old.
- But if you check out the subtext, this is about how each one feels about his status.
- ex. Freddy thinks he's good enough now (subtext: I  don't need you). 
- ex. Lawrence thinks he can keep status quo (subtext: I'm still relevant).
- Also, this is a great turning point because it sets out the stakes (external and internal) before starting to escalate from here.

INT. SECTION OF HOTEL LOBBY - MED. SHOT

...LAWRENCE: You're forgetting one thing... You agreed that I would run the operation.

FREDDY: Yeah, but I didn't know you were gonna cut so deep.

LAWRENCE: All right, you'll get your money. But you realize this is the end of our association.

Freddy LOOKS OFF.

FREDDY: I'm a big boy now, I'll go it alone.

Lawrence looks to see what has caught Freddy's eye.

POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT

We see JANET COLGATE, a very beautiful young lady, richly dressed and carrying a mink coat, crossing the lobby to check in. She is followed by two or three bellboys carrying expensive luggage. An ASSISTANT MANAGER is fawning all over her. Obviously, she is an important and well-heeled guest.

BACK TO SCENE

LAWRENCE: Where? Where will you go it alone?

FREDDY: I kinda like it right here.

LAWRENCE: This is my territory, Freddy.

FREDDY (scoffs): "My" territory? You've been King of the Mountain so long you think you won it.*

As the Assistant Manager crosses in front of them, Freddy SNAPS his fingers, calls and beckons to him.

FREDDY: There's two lions on the mountain now.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: We remember the subtext of a fight because it's often the most painful, true part of the fith.

On another note, this was a funny scene because the audience was in on the joke.  We know Freddy needs Lawrence.  We know it's futile for Lawrence to keep out Freddy.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)(2/1/87 draft)
by Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning, and Dale Launer

*Fun fact: The original title was "King of the Mountain," which I loved because it encapsulates this whole fight.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Possession (2002) - Leave Out/Leave In an Emotionally Correct Scene (That Does Not Push Plot Forward)?

[Quick Summary: After two modern academics stumble across two Victorian poets' "racy" letters, they track down the truth of the poets' secret relationship.] 

How does one adapt the 1990 Booker Prize winner* that is 576 pages long (paperback edition)?  

What should the screenwriter leave out? Leave in?

In this well crafted script, I was surprised that one of the best visual moments had nothing to do with the plot, but was emotionally correct for the film.  

Roland, a post-grad student, is at a crossroads.  He has stumbled across two rather daring letters from a Victorian poet that he's studied.  

Should he publish them? It would make his career, but also would destroy the poet's reputation as a faithful husband.    

The scene below externalizes Roland's internal dilemma.  It does not push the plot forward, but IS very effective in conveying "what should I do?"  

INT. ROLAND'S FLAT (HOLLAND PARK) - BEDROOM - SAME TIME

Roland, shirtless, lies in his sagging bed and stares at the two sheets. He studies them, reading them through again. Suddenly, he holds one in front of his mouth and blows...the thing page rises slowly, then hovers overhead. He catches it with a free hand then does it again. The letter floats magically above Roland in the darkness.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This would be a scene I'd cut in favor of more plot, and I'd be wrong.  I also like that it could be read with different meanings. 

ex. The floating letters could be a metaphor about how fragile this situation is for the poet's legacy, but also how the upcoming journey will be dicey for Roland.

Possession (2002)(3/17/00 draft)
by Laura Jones and Neil LaBute
Based on the novel by A.S. Byatt

*FYI: The Booker Prize is a prestigious literary award for the best literary work in the UK and Ireland.  

TODAY'S NUGGET: Tom and Huck (1995) - How to Show A Kid Character Realizing the Consequences of His Actions

[Quick Summary: After Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn witness a murder in a graveyard, they try to defend the man unjustly accused of it.]

I felt myself relax as I read this script.  

First, it read extremely quickly.  Second, I wanted to go with the characters, eagerly wondering what they'd decide to do next. 

One of the reasons is that the kid characters do not get a pass on hard decisions.  They are allowed to make them AND SUFFER the consequences of their actions.

For example, in the scene below:
- Injun Joe, Doc Robinson, and Muff Potter rob a grave at night.  They fight.
- Doc aims a gun at Joe, but hits Muff, who passes out.
- Joe take Muff's knife and kills Doc.
- Muff is unjustly jailed for killing Doc.
- Tom and Huck witnessed the fight and slip away.
- Tom tells Huck they have to help Muff, who has been kind to them, but Huck refuses.
- This scene is constructed to show Huck the consequences of not helping Muff. 
- It also leads to more questions that made me want to turn the page, ex. What will Huck do next?
- Notice where the writer positions Huck: from afar, in the distance. We only see Huck's reaction shots. 
- Why put Huck that far away? I think it helps better convey Huck's mental state, i.e., that he is finally seeing things more objectively.

EXT. JAILHOUSE - NIGHT

Through the barred windows of his cell, we see Muff Potter sitting in a pool of light, a defeated, pathetic character. The cell door CLANGS open and Muff looks up hopefully but it's only the Sheriff come to deliver Muff's meal -- a hard biscuit and a cup of water.

MUFF (wishing): Has anybody come to see me, Sheriff?

We JUMP BACK TO A LONGER SHOT to reveal that someone is observing Muff from the shadowy roof of the building next door. It's Huck, though we can barely make out his face, just his tattered outline, rags blowing in the breeze.

SHERIFF: Don't be stupid, Muff. (as he CLANGS the door shut; a cruel laugh) Nobody cares about you. And nobody's gonna miss you when you're gone.

The words, meant for Muff, seem to have an effect on Huck. At any rate, he turns and disappears into the night.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Where a character is physically positioned in a scene can really help the audience psychologically understand his internal emotional state.

Tom and Huck (1995)(9/6/94 rev.)
by Stephen Sommers, David Loughery and Ron Koslow
Based on Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

TODAY'S NUGGET: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) - Humor in Sci-Fi

[Quick Summary: When an unknown madman takes a planet hostage in the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise races get there to prevent further war.]

Why does sci-fi remain relevant?  I think it's because we learn about how humans think and feel when we see humans grappling with science.*  

For example, I really enjoyed today's script** because of the humor arising from its action-adventure and sci-fi situations.***  It's not an easy combination to pull off.

In the scene below:
- The Enterprise has just been renovated with a newly installed, inescapable brig.
- The writer set up this situation: What happens when technology is taken away from humans, who are so dependent on it?
- Then the characters have to figure it out.  They are frustrated, which is universal and recognizable. 
- Why is it humorous? Because we all have experienced a "foolproof" situation which defeats us, and we have to resort to primitive solutions.

INT. BRIG

...An infrequent almost inaudible tapping sound comes from the wall of the cell.

KIRK (continuing; distracted): What is that damn noise?

They turn and regard the back wall. The tapping continues.

SPOCK: I believe it is a primitive form of communication known as Morse Code.

They scramble over and huddle beside the wall.

KIRK: You're right, Spock. I'm a little out of practice...(listening) Let's se... that's an "s."

SPOCK: I believe the next letter is a "t."

KIRK: "a"..."n"..."d"...end of the word.

McCOY: "Stand."

KIRK: New word. "b"..."a"..."c"..."k."

McCOY: "Back." "Stand back."

They're about to congratulate themselves when they realize it's a warning. 

TOGETHER (in horror): Stand back!

They dive for cover as a large panel explodes from the wall, showering them with dust. Scotty appears in the opening.

SCOTTY: Well, what're you waiting for? Dinna you know a jailbreak when you see one?

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Humor arises because we recognize ourselves in the situation, EVEN if the situation is other worldly.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)(rev. final, 11/21/88)
by David Loughery
Story by William Shatner, Harve Bennett, David Loughery  

* For more discussion, see my review of a previous Star Trek film. 

** FYI: This script was the last Star Trek film produced while creator Gene Roddenberry was still alive.

*** I have enjoyed the ability of action-adventure writer David Loughery to combine action-adventure and humor with genre.  It's a real gift (see another of his scripts (here), and next week's script). 

TODAY'S NUGGET: Reds (1981) - How It Feels To Be Overshadowed (Subtext in Dialogue)

[Quick Summary: In the 1910s, journalist Louise Bryant and communist activist Jack Reed are tested when they report on the Russia revolution.]

Having heard a lot about Warren Beatty, I was skeptical of him as a writer. However, this script surprised me and it was unexpectedly easy to read.*

It was ok that I didn't quite understand all the politics because the dynamic between Louise and Jack is wonderful, as they tried (and often failed) each other.

I particularly liked how the script shows Louise's point of view and how she is often overshadowed by dynamic Jack, who is a natural is in front of the masses.

The scene below shows how this push-pull leaks into their personal relationship:
- Louise is trying to be seen for the person she is. Jack doesn't have those problems. and can't empathize.  It wears on her soul.
- She is conflicted as she tries to tell Jack what she wants, gets frustrated when he doesn't get it, yet still wants to love him.
- Notice the unspoken subtext. These two are being honest, but can't quite pinpoint the obstacle between them.
- The dialogue is free from exposition and quite good to speak aloud. 

INT. BEDROOM

...LOUISE: Listen, I want you to know something. I asked Whigham if he'd send me to France. [This seems to indicate she's made a decision without him.]

Silence. He sits on the bed. They don't look at each other. 

JACK: Is that what you want?

LOUISE: Yes.

JACK: Why? (no answer) What are you doing? [He confronts by asking questions.]

LOUISE: I'm not taken seriously when you're around.  [She's trying to explain without blaming.]

JACK: What do you mean you're not taken seriously?

LOUISE (turning away): This is not good.

JACK: Do you mean I'm taken more seriously? [He's annoyed.]

LOUISE: Do you mean you're not? You know what I'm saying. And you know it's true. Be honest with me.  [She wants reassurance.]

JACK: Maybe if you stopped taking yourself so seriously, somebody else would have a chance. [Rather than talk about how she feels, he tries to solve the problem. They're on different pages.]

LOUISE: Thanks.

JACK: Why should you be taken seriously before you've done serious work?

LOUISE: I've got to find another place. [Thinking it's fruitless to explain, she reverts to protecting herself. This is another brick in the wall between them.]

JACK: I'm not sure I know what kind of work you're serious about. [He's trying, and failing to bridge the gap with facts vs. feelings.]

LOUISE (turning back to him): Well, I don't care. And I'm really not interested in whether your friends take me seriously or not. I don't think we like the same people, Jack, or the same kind of life. I want to be on my own. I may have found a place on Houston Street.  [She feels misunderstood.]

JACK: Go ahead. Be on your own. I don't give a damn. You're on your own anyway. [He responds with hurt.]

LOUISE: I know you don't give a damn. [She responds with hurt.]

JACK (shouting): WILL YOU TELL ME WHY THE HELL I SHOULD GIVE A DAMN?

LOUISE: YOU SHOULDN'T. DON'T GIVE A DAMN. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN EITHER. I'M LEAVING. (she walks out)

JACK: O.K. ALL RIGHT. LEAVE! (she slams the door) I'M LEAVING TOO!

He drives his fist through the door. She stands in the living room. Silence. He lies down on the bed, rubbing his bruised hand.

LOUISE (finally): Is this what it's like? [After she unloads her feelings, she still cares.]

JACK: I guess so. [And so does he.]

She returns to the bed. He makes a hollow for her between arm and chest.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The disconnect seems so real because it's all below the surface.

She's looking for reassurance (emotional) and he's looking to solve a problem (anything but emotional).

Reds (1981)(undated)
by Warren Beatty and Trevor Griffiths

* Apparently there were a several uncredited writers, and the relationship parts I liked best were written by writer/director Elaine May:

...(Beatty said of the first draft that it “had serious problems. There was no tension between Bryant and Reed. What I needed to do was pit her feminism against his chauvinism, turn a woman who was in love with a man against that man.”) He ended up bringing in an uncredited Elaine May, with whom he collaborated on Heaven Can Wait. She focused mostly on the crackling tension between the wiseacre lovers, underscoring the sexual politics of the filmmaker’s present.

TODAY'S NUGGET: The Money Train (1995) - Active Decisions is One Way to Carry One's Point Without Forcing It

[Quick Summary: A NYC transit cop tries to steal the express "money train," despite the protestations of his foster brother and fellow transit cop.]

A recent New York Times Book Review gave a high compliment: "a sensitive writer who can carry his point without forcing." 

This could easily be applied to writer David Loughery, whose description of action always delights  me because they're a continual see-saw of suspense.  

One of his secrets is that neither the protagonist or the bad guy has the upper hand for long. Both must make active decisions.

For example, in the scene below:
- The Torch just set John's girlfriend, a fellow cop, on fire.
- John, the protagonist, has to constantly make decisions (A or B?)
- This keeps us constantly off balance and engaged.
- To me, this effectively "carries the point" that John is the underdog (vs. "forcing" with frequent reminders 'but don't worry - John is experienced! John is the cop!')

INT. TUNNEL #2 - DAY

John runs through the darkness, gun ready. He can hear The Torch somewhere up ahead, footsteps echoing back. The tunnel comes to a division, breaking off into two tunnels.  [Which tunnel, John?]

John stops.

Which way did The Torch go? John listens. No footsteps. No noise. John's nostrils flare. He can smell gas. It leads into the left tunnel.  Cautiously, John enters, swallowed up in the darkness.

Then --wham! -- John is struck from behind with a rotting plank in the hands of The Torch. John loses his gun and falls to his knees. The gun skitters into the darkness.  [John makes the right decision, but has another problem and has lost a weapon. What is the next decision?]

With a giggle, The Torch drops the rotted plank and runs to retrieve John's fallen gun, unaware that his hose is leaking a trail of gas behind him. [The Torch, who is not immune from problems either, helps inform John's next decision..]

Stunned, still on his knees, Johns sees the trail of gas droplets and follows it with his eyes to where the The Torch is standing, grinning like a crazy raccoon, pointing John's own gun at him.  [I like this mix of uncertainty and danger. It is a good way to sustain suspense.]

THE TORCH: See what happens when you play with fire?

With his free hand, The Torch reaches inside his coat and pulls out his gasoline bottle, intending to spray it on John. He doesn't notice that John has reached into his own coat pocket and comes out with a book of matches. [The scales tip toward John, for now.]

JOHN: Somebody gets burned. 

John ignites the whole book of matches and throws it on the trail of gas droplets. Foom! A line of flame runs to The Torch and right up his leg, setting him on fire.

Whoosh! The Torch lets out a scream of surprise as his gas-soaked coat blazes up. He squeals and spins around as flames erupt all over him.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  Don't allow your characters to have it easy for long.  Don't ever stop creating situations where they have to make active decisions.

The Money Train (1995)(shooting script, 12/30/94 w/revisions)
by David Loughery

TODAY'S NUGGET: In the Mood (1987) - I Was Swept Away By His Chivalrous Goofiness

[Quick Summary: A 14 y.o. goofy romantic makes headlines when he whisks two different women (20s, married) off on grand adventures.]

Who'd fall for the story of a 14 y.o. chivalrous romantic? As it turns out, I did.

Based on a true 1940s story, I was surprised how darned charming I found Sonny. 

How does this character upend expectations? I think it's because:
1) the script specifically says, "he's goofy," and
2) he's so earnest, sweet, not calculated.

He makes this coming-of-age story interesting to watch because of his off-beat, odd point of view, but I don't blame you if you said you'd have to see it to believe it.

So here's a scene that shows there's still romance in the world:
- Judy, 20, is a married neighbor with a new baby.
- She is a lonely housewife and disconnected with her older husband. 
- Sonny has just arrived at 11 for 12pm party at Judy's house.
- Notice that Sonny is a fun-loving, empathetic, colorful character, but is not exactly a Casanova. It is his empathy for Judy that is attractive, but will trip him up.

INT. JUDY'S HOUSE - DAY

,,,JUDY: Sonny?

SONNY: Yes?

JUDY: Do you want to...kiss or something?

Sonny thinks for a second and then looks at his watch.

SONNY: 11:02...Alright.

Their lips meet. It's a long but chaste kiss, just lips pressed moderately against lips; no tongue, no moaning, no groping. After a little while they begin to look like statuary. When they stop, Sonny falls back against the rear of the couch, glassy-eyed and gasping for breath.

JUDY: Oh stop, I'm not that good a kisser.

SONNY (choking): ...swallowed my gum...

She jumps to the rescue by pounding him on his back until he holds up a hand and nods his head in a gesture of "Okay, that's enough." He takes an unobstructed swallow, checks his watch, and dives back in to kissing.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Sonny is memorable simply because his combination of chivalrous and goofy fun has to been seen to be believed. 

In the Mood (also known as "The Woo-Woo Boy") (1987)(2nd draft, 12/20/85)
by Phil Alden Robinson
Based on the true story of Ellsworth "Sonny" Wisecarver

TODAY'S NUGGET: Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) - What Happens When Your Transporter Fails?

[Quick Summary: When a destructive alien entity approaches Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes control of the Enterprise to intercept it.] 

Q: What do you think about the "dilution of Star Trek since Gene Roddenberry"?
A: I'd heard about it, but it occurred to me that I'd never actually read any of his actual writing.  Hence,

Q: What is science fiction anyway?
A: It is defined as:

(n.) fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component.

Q: What did you think about this script?
A:  It may not be the strongest story in the canon, but I really appreciated how Roddenberry DOES try to grapple with the effect of SCIENCE.  

Q: How is it different than more modern sci-fi film/tv shows?
A: I feel more recent approaches are lazier and less exploratory because they put metaphor and allegory above the hard work of grappling with the effect of science.

For example, in the scene below:
- This scene is about equipment malfunction and sabotage.
- Decker and Scott just discovered a sensor that was deliberately inactivated.
- Kirk has just relieved Decker of his captain's duties.
- It is also about the consequences when science fails us. How do we cope when we rely heavily on equipment?
- As an action scene, it is very brisk, in large part because the motive (rescue) and stakes (crew members) are clear.

INT. ENGINEERING SECTION

...Decker EXITS. Kirk waits, collecting his composure as he watches him go. Then Kirk turns to glare at Scott. Interrupted by a flare as something shorts out at the mechanism where Scott and Decker had been working. Technician (Cleary) reacts, hits an intercom button fast:

TECHNICIAN (CLEARY): Transporter room, come in! Urgent! (to Scott) Redline on the transporters, Mister Scott!

Scott whirls to a console fast, speaks urgently!

SCOTT: Transporter room, do not engage! Do not...

TECHNICIAN (CLEARY) (reacting to a reading; interruption): Too late; they're beaming now!

 Kirk is exiting on a run, followed by Scott.

INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM - INCLUDING TRANSPORTER CHAMBER

An unusually defective-looking TRANSPORTER EFFECT in progress, alternately flashing and glowing -- even the Transporter SOUND seems wrong, as if struggling to overcome some problem. At the console, CHIEF RAND and ASSISTANT are reacting in surprised, near-horror as they attempt vainly to save the situation.

RAND (into intercom): Starfleet, override us! OVERRIDE...! Yank them back!

Suddenly, from Rand's console, a VIOLENT GLARE -- a PROTESTING SOUND from the circuitry. And on the console a red-warning light now begins flashing.

STARFLEET VOICE: Unable to retrieve their pattern, Enterprise...!

KIRK (into intercom):                               SCOTT:
Starfleet, boost your matter               We're losing the pattern...!
gain: we need more signal!                Oh, no! They're forming!

CLOSER ON THE TRANSPORTER CHAMBER

with the human forms FLUTTERING INTO FULLER AND FULLER MATERIALIZATION, FRIGHTENINGLY, HORRIBLY MISSHAPEN. We RECOGNIZE one form as the Vulcan, Sonak -- the other a human WOMAN. They MATERIALIZE; we HEAR A MOAN form from the Vulcan - -- the Woman's SCREAM OF PAIN. Then, all at once, the half-materialized bodies are gone; the transporter chamber is empty.

KIRK: Oh, my God...!

KIRK, SCOTT AND RAND

gazing, horrified, at the empty chamber.

KIRK (into intercom): Starfleet, do you have them?

A moment of utter, vacant silence -- and Kirk and Scott look at each other again, their pained faces presaging the answer they already know:

STARFLEET VOICE (shaken): Enterprise...what we got back didn't live long. Fortunately.

Another moment of stunned silence, and then Kirk hits the transmission button -- fighting to control his voice as:

KIRK: Starfleet...Kirk. Please express my condolences to their families. Commander Sonak's can be reached through the Vulcan Embassy (sees Rand's stricken expression) There was nothing you could have done, Rand. It wasn't your fault.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Don't lose that edge that grappling with the effects of science brings to sci-fi.  It's one of the things that makes it so universal.

Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979)(7/19/78 shooting script)
by Gene Roddenberry & Harold Livingston
Story by Alan Dean Foster and Gene Roddenberry

TODAY'S NUGGET: The Grass Harp (1995) - Avoiding The Trite & Cliche in Sisterly Forgiveness

[Quick Summary: Orphaned Collin has a grand adventure living in a tree house with his ephemeral Aunt Dolly, after a serious argument with rich Aunt Verena.]

This is the last film of writer Stirling Siliphant, who had a long string of film and tv credits, including In the Heat of the Night and The Poseidon Adventure.  

I sensed his practiced hand particularly in the characters. I really appreciated they are full fleshed out and distinct. No one acts or speaks the same. 

ex. Aunt Verena doesn't trust easily and relies on facts and cash to relate to people. Aunt Dolly is the opposite: open, fun, and trusting.

So when Verena wants to mass produce Dolly's medicinal recipe, it's the last straw. I believed Dolly would take her maid and nephew to live in a tree house.

I thought the reconciliation scene below was particularly fine because it's so emotionally true.

NOTE:
- Judge Charlie proposed to Dolly during their adventures.
- My heart bled for Charlie, who probably didn't understand sisterly bond, but accepted it.
- I think it avoids the trite and cliche because it does not duck hard truths. Verena would have never admitted these things at the beginning (aging, loneliness, etc.)

EXT. PORCH -- NIGHT

Rain floods down. Dolly shivers under the eaves. Verena approaches behind her. The judge watches from the threshold.

...VERENA (beat): I walk through the house, nothing is mine. Your pink room, your kitchen, the house is yours - and Catherine's too, I think. Only don't leave me. Let me live with you. I'm feeling old. I want my sister.

Her voice cracks. Dolly stretches out a tentative hand.

DOLLY: Forgive me, Charlie. I want my sister, too.

The judge cannot reach her: not with his arms, not with his heart. [This line really moved me. It captures the longing, disappointment, and reality.] Verena's claim is too final. The sisters embrace in reconciliation. Dolly strokes Verena's hair. The judge looks on sadly, silently from the doorway. The storm rages on....

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This scene made me feel the longing and loss that I'd rather not feel, yet I felt good because it's an "I see you" moment.

Also, I liked there was no "message," no false importance to the moment.  

The Grass Harp (1995)(9/6/94, revised)
by Stirling Silliphant and Kirk Ellis
Based on the novel by Truman Capote