TODAY'S NUGGET: Superman 2 (1980) - The Art of Combining a Pratfall, Story, & Romance

[Quick Summary: Superman begins a relationship with Lois Lane, only to be interrupted three Kryptonian criminals arrives to hunt him on Earth.]

I thought this was a great sequel script because it has enough new story AND still has the same themes of Superman I.*

I particularly liked the scene below because it combines several things:
- Story - Lois steps out a window to make Clark prove he's NOT Superman.
- Romance & conflict - Clark wants to rescue Lois, but also protect his identity.
- Pratfall - I'm a sucker for any type of action that add humor and movement.
- Theme - Notice how it is built along the lines of "a love story + man can fly."

EXT. SIDE OF PLANET BUILDING - DAY

LOIS falls through the air.

INT. PLANET STAIRWELL - DAY

A revolving blur shoots down the stairwell.

EXT. STREET - PLANET ENTRANCE - DAY

SUPERMAN is almost instantly at the street entrance to the Daily Planet, looks up.

BACK TO LOIS

LOIS hasn't far to go.

BACK TO SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN inhales, blows up at her with his super-breath.

BACK TO LOIS

The gust of wind hits LOIS, breaking her fall, wafting her slightly upward like a leaf.

ANGLE ON PASTRY SHOP - SUPERMAN'S POV

TWO DELIVERY MEN emerge from the pastry shop, under a closed awning, carrying an enormous wedding cake toward a waiting delivery van.

BACK TO SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN smiles, turns on his X-Ray vision.

ANGLE ON STREET - SUPERMAN'S POV

The heat vision hits the closed metal awning apparatus, popping it open. The awning unfurls over the DELIVERY MEN and wedding cake as LOIS hits the awning, bounces, rolls off the edge, missing the cake by a hair, falling heavily into the fruit pushcart. The PUSHCART MAN screams as fresh fruit, especially bananas, goes flying.

ANGLE ON SIDEWALK

Ripe bananas hit the pavement near the feet of the DELIVERY MEN, burst open.

CLOSE ON LOIS

LOIS, totally smeared and smothered in squishy fruit, looks up in shock.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked that this scene had real story, real stakes, and was not about another set piece that would look great but ring hollow.

Superman 2 (1980)(Mar. 1977, shooting script, revised)
Story by Mario Puzo
Script by Mario Puzo and David Newman and Leslie Newman & Robert Benton (& Tom Mankiewicz (uncredited))

* As mentioned in my previous post, the director's instructions to the writer were: “The most important thing when you look at it is this: make a love story. And prove a man can fly.”