[Quick Summary: Anthony has difficulty remembering, to the dismay of his daughter Anne.]
An outstanding (and newly minted Oscar winning) script!
More than any other script in my recent memory, this one makes you FEEL Anthony's memory loss:
a) He can only hold on to bits and pieces, so he is discombobulated when new information arrives or has to retrieve old information that is no longer there.
b) The cyclical, repetitiveness of daily living becomes frustrating and frightening.
c) The writers included Anthony's mental attitude, even though we can't see it, and thus is supposedly forbidden under "screenwriting rules." It works well here.
For example, in the scene below:
- Anthony keeps thinking his watch is missing/stolen/lost.
- He does not really remember Paul, his son-in-law.
- I've underlined the lines below with Anthony's mental attitude.
INT. LIVING ROOM 2 - DAY
...ANTHONY has noticed Paul's watch. He seems fascinated. He's wondering if it might be his.
ANNE: Laura.
ANTHONY: Mm?
ANNE: The young woman who came to see us just now.
ANTHONY: Oh, yes.
ANNE: And we went to see the doctor...
PAUL: And? What did he say?
ANTHONY: Has anybody seen my watch? Can't seem to find it.
ANNE: Again?
ANTHONY: I've been looking for it for some time.
ANNE: You must have put it in your cupboard. Don't you think? In your hiding-place...
ANTHONY starts, afraid that PAUL has heard the word 'cupboard' and will discover his hiding-place.
ANTHONY: What are you talking about, Anne? I really don't know what you're talking about. What cupboard? Mm? There's no cupboard. No cupboard.
He takes ANNE aside.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: If it helps the reader, don't be afraid to describe the character's mental attitude.
The Father (2020)
by Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton
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