TODAY'S NUGGET: Greedy (1994) - Putting a "Button" on a Comedy Scene

[Quick Summary: When rich old Uncle Joe hires a "nurse," the estranged family lures back his favorite nephew, Daniel Jr., in hopes that he can get rid of the nurse.]

I'm sure someone else can define better the "button" of a comedy scene.

For me, it's the last joke of the scene that:

1) "bursts the tension bubble" of the build up and sums up the scene, and
2) sends us off with a laugh.

No one does it better than Ganz & Mandel.

Note in the example below:
- Rich old Uncle Joe is descending in an open elevator. 
- Carl and his family, one of Uncle's bloodsucking family members, descends beside him on the staircase.
- Carl touts the success of his nine year old son, named after Uncle. [build up of hot air, tension]
- Then the nine year old has the button line.  [bursts the balloon!]

ex. "INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY

...During the preceding, Douglas has pushed the chair into a small ELEVATOR CAGE.  There's only room in it for Douglas and Joe in the chair. The elevator cage slowly descends, leaving the others on the landing. [This chase builds the tension.]

NINE-YEAR-OLD: Why don't we just cut the cable?

NORA: Ssh!

Carl and Nora look at each other, then at the elevator...

CARL (sotto): It's too thick.

The family descends a spiral staircase which surrounds the elevator. They hurry to keep up.

CARL (CONT'D): Did you hear what happened to General Fruit Company? the old man died and he left it to his son --who had no head for business -- and eight months later, they were bankrupt --the work of a lifetime, down the drain. You should see how Big Joe -- our Big Joe -- what a head for business he has. Already -- just nine years old -- he organized this snow-shoveling company with the other fourth graders. It was amazing. [Carl touts Big Joe's accomplishments to make an unspoken good impression on Uncle.]

They've all reached the bottom Joe comes off the elevator.

JOE (to the nine-year-old): So, you're interested in money.

NINE-YEAR-OLD: Uh-huh. I made ten bucks just comin' here. [Button: His admission points out how desperate his parents are to make a good impression!]

His parents GASP." [We laugh at the audacity. We know the scene has ended.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The "button" does more than make us laugh as a punchline.  It's also a valuable tool to skewer, prick the tension balloon, add irony, reverse expectations, etc.

Greedy (1994)(pre-production draft, 4/14/93)
by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel