TODAY'S NUGGET: A Simple Twist of Fate (1994) - Updating a Novel; How Do We Know a Character is Changing?

[Quick Summary: After a 1 y.o. girl stumbles into his house, a lonely, gold hoarding, furniture builder raises her as his own child, until her real father show up years later.]

TWO THOUGHTS:

1) UPDATING A NOVEL. This is an excellent update of a 1861 novel. It is humorous. It is sets up and pays off beautifully.  The characters are well defined.

However, something was missing for me. Perhaps Rogert Ebert knew why:

The point is, though, that they are Victorians, living in the last century among fears and mores we no longer possess. When you take a Victorian story and plop it down in the 20th century, as "A Simple Twist of Fate" does, you get a strange interruption of the rhythm - as if the characters are dancing to unheard music. They do things that are inexplicable unless you realize they're living according to the codes and cliches of the last century....Try as I might, I just couldn't accept this Victorian story in modern dress....

2) HOW DO WE KNOW A CHARACTER IS CHANGING?  This question haunts me.  How does one show the process of change??

This script was helpful in reminding me that we need:
a) To show WHY a character is changing
b) Then to show the character MAKING DIFFERENT DECISIONS than before.

Before the scenes below:
- Michael lost a wife (to infidelity) and a child (he thought was his but it wasn't).
- He now builds custom wood furniture.  He cashes in his checks for gold coins.
- He is now fostering Mathilda, a 1 y.o. orphan.
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Scene #1: Why Michael changes. Notice the emotional connections.

ex. "INT. MICHAEL'S WORKSHOP - DAY

Michael is hard at work building a playpen. The child, wearing overly-large safety goggles, watches him. Michael concentrates on his work, and hears something uttered from the child.

MICHAEL (off-handed): What?

MATHILDA: Dad-dy.

He looks at Mathilda and she stares at him giggling. The full importance of what has happened hits him.
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Scene #2: Michael makes a different decision than a previous visit.

ex. INT. MRS. SIMON'S ANTIQUES - DAY

Michael cashes a check at the antique store, but this time, instead of getting gold, he loads up on things a baby might enjoy.

MRS. SIMON: Hope you don't mind me saying it, but it's been a while since you bought something for someone else.

Michael looks at the baby rattle in his hand and recognizes the truth, but responds with a joke:

MICHAEL (straight-faced): This is for me.

He stoically shakes the rattle."

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: First, take the time to lay out WHY the character is changing --> Then show the character MAKING A DIFFERENT DECISION.

A Simple Twist of Fate (1994)(drafted dated 8/2/93)
by Steve Martin
Adapted from the novel "Silas Marner," by George Eliot