Monday, October 14, 2019

TODAY'S NUGGET: Dolores Claiborne (1995) - Switching Time Without Sluglines

[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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