[Quick Summary: A reporter has not been home to Maine in 15 yrs. but returns to deal with her mother Dolores who is accused of murdering her rich, ill employer.]
Tony Gilroy is famous for writing without sluglines.
How does he keep time straight for the reader? When there are flashbacks too?
I think it starts with keeping the character's current emotional state very clear.
For example, in the scene below, note:
- The structure is to start in the present --> flash back to the past --> return to present.
- The emotional state is confusion in the present --> confusion also in the past --> neither the characters or the audience has all the facts --> we get the confusion.
- Dolores is the mother. Selena is her 30 y.o. daughter who is a reporter now.
ex. "DOLORES at the bottom of the stairs. Crushed. Moving heavily back through the living room and --
INTO
THE KITCHEN. DOLORES just about to start putting things away, when she hears SELENA coming back down the stairs. [PRESENT TIME]
DOLORES (turning back): Selena?
SELENA (12) standing at the bottom of the stairs. Dressed to go out. A backpack. [PAST STARTS HERE]
SELENA: Don't try and stop me.
WE ARE IN FLASHBACK
We're still in the living room, but it's a bright, Spring afternoon in 1975.
DOLORES (36) Standing near the kitchen. Bare feet.
SELENA (backing for the door): Mrs. Devereaux called, she need extra help with the hotel because of the people coming for the eclipse. I'm going to stay over a few days.
DOLORES: Selena, we talked about this --
SELENA: I don't care what we talked about! (rushing out the door --) I don't want to be here when you talk to dad about your crazy ideas!
DOLORES rushing to follow. Not as fast in bare feet. Through the front door and --
OUT INTO
The yard. DOLORES running off the porch -- heading across the field -- trying to cut SELENA off --
DOLORES (yelling as she goes --: Selena! Selenaaaa...!
SELENA already way ahead -- almost beyond earshot -- SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE SKY as she runs along the road to town and --
DOLORES running -- trying to chase -- tough without shoes --
DOLORES: Selena!!! (stopping as --)
Suddenly -- DOLORES stumbles -- A CRACKING SOUND -- something giving way -- boards breaking -- DOLORES falling -- catching herself -- GASPING -- grabbing at the ground as her legs disappear beneath her -- and then scrambling back up -- standing slowly and staring down at --
A DRY WELL - covered with rotting boards -- grown over with weeds and scrub -- a black hole there in the middle of nothing and --
MATCH CUT -- OUT OF FLASHBACK TO [BACK TO PRESENT]
THE ROUND KITCHEN TABLE. Cluttered with Selena's laptop, tape recorder, notebooks, etc...
DOLORES picks up her glass. Finishes the last of the Scotch."
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This is an excellent example of a flashback that gives us information, but is not an info dump. It's more about the emotional state of affairs.
Dolores Claiborne (1995)(3rd draft, 1/31/94)
by Tony Gilroy
Based on the novel by Stephen King
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