Today I read a spec that's making the rounds.
The writer is clearly action oriented, and aiming for a tent pole audience. There's plenty of whizz-bang-crash, & a clear villain. But I'm kinda tired & it's only page 22.
On the surface, it seems to have the whole checklist:
Flawed hero? Check.
Unusual situation? Got it.
Stakes? Uh...sortof...He's a problem solver for other people. Not sure what his stakes are yet.
Good problem? Not really. Bingo - this is the issue! He needs money to get him out of a ditch, but I'm just not convinced money will really solve his real flaw, i.e., his emotional distance from his family. Say he saves the day & he'll be a hero to the world...but he doesn't address the emotional flaw. If this isn't fixed, he'll still be far away from what really matters to him (family), & that's just a really sad ending to a film that should end with him reunited with his family.
Here, what's the point of getting the money? It doesn't do much because it doesn't solve his sore spot.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The character's goal should help him solve his personal sore spot. Otherwise, why are we watching this movie?
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