TODAY'S NUGGET: The Best Man (1964) - Jabs in the Subtext of a Dialogue Heavy Satire

[Quick Summary: Two candidates - Russell, a ruthless one and Cantwell, a principled one - attempt to solidify the party's nomination for presidency.]

Today's script was written by playwright Gore Vidal, adapted from his own play. 

When the script was published, the editors wrote this interesting observation:

"But essentially the script consists of rather large master scenes only. There are fewer than 100 master scenes, a small number for a feature film, and all involve a considerable dependence, in the script, upon dialogue rather than action or cinematic effects. The result is a fairly long script built around a limited number of settings. For the most part, then, author Vidal leaves the handling of the master scenes in cinematic terms to the director and the crew."  (my own underlining)

Rather than focus on "cinema" and try to expand the world with multiple settings, I thought it was smart that Vidal:
1) kept to the spirit of the play and kept it intimate with limited setting;
2) kept the focus of the script on the duel between these two candidates;
3) avoided the trap of a dialogue heavy script (more "telling" than "showing") with great subtext beneath the surface of the words.

The scene below is a good example (particularly subtext). Prior to this scene:
- Cantwell and Russell are both running for the party's nomination.
- Cantwell is about to concede to Russell, who has released Cantwell's negative medical records to the voters.
- Alice is Russell's wife.
- Note that Russell, who has the upper hand in this scene, is playing games with Cantwell.  He's trying to rile Cantwell with jabs in the subtext.

INT. CONVENTION ROOM 2

Aide gives Cantwell a note; he glances at it perfunctorily.

RUSSELL (gaily): Hi, Joe! Long time no see!

CANTWELL: Yes . .  Mrs. Russell, I'm Joe Cantwell . . . I don't think we've met.

Cantwell shakes Alice's hand. 

ALICE: How do you do. 

RUSSELL: I thought you would be busy working on your acceptance speech. Or is it already written?

CANTWELL (begins): Now, Bill, as I see the picture. . .

RUSSELL: I've been working for months on my acceptance speech, trying to strike that delicate balance between humility and confidence.

CANTWELL: Yes. Now as I see this convention . . . 

RUSSELL: You of course have a gift for hitting the right note.

CANTWELL: Yes. . .

RUSSELL: I like the way you always manage to state the obvious with a sense of real discovery.

CANTWELL: Yes. Now, Bill . . .

RUSSELL: And that wonderful trick you have of . . .

CANTWELL (exploding): Bill, at least let me get one word in edgewise!

RUSSELL (laughs): I'm sorry, Joe. I couldn't resist it. (to the others) I was using Joe's technique: never let the other man get started. Talk right through him. Also, whenever Joe starts a sentence with "Now Bill" . . . you know he's up to no good.

CANTWELL (quickly): Now, Bill . . .

RUSSELL: See?

Cantwell controls himself with some difficulty. 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Though the filmmakers could take care of the cinema part, they needed the writer Vidal to do what they could not, i.e., bring the inter-personal dynamics, set the stage, include the subtext in dialogue.

The Best Man (1964)(8/28/63 final shooting script)
by Gore Vidal
Based on his play 

2026 OSCARS: Bugonia (2025) - Why It's Not Really About the Dialogue, But the Subtext

[Quick Summary: Two cousins kidnap a biomedical corporate executive, whom they're convinced is an alien, to get her to stop destroying the earth.]

This script is a 2-3 hander and is a quick read.  

I really admired how it made us connect with the characters.  I think it stems from the characters really trying to communicate something, a very exposing thing.

The amazing thing was how it's all in the subtext, not the words. 

For example, in the scene below:
- Teddy convinced his cousin Don to kidnap Teddy's boss, Michelle.
- They have brought her to their home.
- Michelle tries to escape by admitting to "being an alien."
- Teddy makes a dinner of spaghetti for her, him, and Don.
- Michelle tries to talk to Don, but Teddy discourages discussion of any personal nature.
- Undeterred, she tries again to find a connection through a neutral topic, bees. 
- Notice that she takes the first step to finding common ground.  She is the one who exposes herself and gives her opinion on bees. 
- When Teddy responds with a similar opinion, they have a moment of connection.
- Their unspoken feelings of "I respect you, I like you because we like the same things" is in the subtext of their similar opinions and shared smiles.

 INT. KITCHEN. DAY

...Don is unsure if he should reply.

TEDDY: You'll have to excuse my colleague. He prefers not to converse.

They eat silently again. Michelle sees some BEEKEEPER GEAR.

MICHELLE: I see you're an apiarist.

TEDDY: Of sorts.

MICHELLE: I've taken an interest as well.

TEDDY: Mm. So I've heard.

MICHELLE: Magnificent creatures. Honeybees.

TEDDY: Yes, indeed. Very much so.

MICHELLE: Earth's most admirable creation.

Teddy looks up. A brief moment of unexpected connection.

TEDDY: Well, shit. I've literally said those exact words before.

They lock eyes for a moment. Michelle smiles with respect. Teddy almost reciprocates, then turns back to his plate. 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: There's real craft in creating that subtext. It's not what is actually said, nor the meaning of the words (bees are magnificent), but the understanding of human nature that we tend to lower our walls with the people with whom we agree. 

Bugonia (2025)(undated)
by Will Tracy
Based on the film Save the Green Planet!

TODAY'S NUGGET: The Locked Room (unproduced) - Why This Creepy, Haunted, Twisty, Pull-of-the-Past Psychological Thriller is Smashingly Great

[Quick Summary: George, the executor of his childhood best friend Fanshawe's literary estate, gets Fanshawe's work published, but isn't prepare for the success or the haunting that follows.]

First, this adaptation* is a complex psychological thriller that's creepy, bewildering, and mesmerizing, but most of all, inventive.  I couldn't put it down. **

Second, I was impressed that this script feels like reading great literature, yet I never got lost or bogged down. ***

Here's the short version of the story:

- George and Fanshawe were childhood friends. 
- Fanshawe was cooler than everyone and George admired him. 
- They both wanted to be writers, but didn't, then lost touch after college.
- Twenty years later, George is working at a Big & Tall shop, writing in his free time.
- One day, George opens the door to a letter from Fanshawe's widow.
- Fanshawe wanted George to sort through his scribblings in a locked room and get them published if they were good. They were fantastic.
- Soon George is very busy handling offers, falling in love with his widow and child, appearing on tv promoting Fanshawe's writing. 
- This is a nightmare for a good guy and aspiring writer like George.
- George is simultaneously haunted by his past envies of Fanshawe, the present sticky situation, or his hope for a future with Fanshawe's widow.

It's complicated, right? So why didn't I get lost?? I think it's because the writer understood the key role that subtext plays in psychological thrillers. 

He structured the scenes so that we question George's mental judgment, i.e., whether he's reacting to the past/present/future, and returns to it regularly.

For example, in the scene below: 
- Stuart, an editor and acquaintance, is entranced by Fanshawe's work. 
- Stuart wants to publish. George agrees.
- Fanshawe died in fiery car accident. 
- Two of the great mysteries of the story is WHY did Fanshawe leave all the responsibility to George, and what about George's hopes?
- Note that writer uses Stuart's questions to poke into the past, present, and future.
- Note how we circle back to an unspoken fear (George will not get published) and ends with a "ouch!" to his ego. 
- Also note the SPEED of the emotional pacing. It's a roller coaster ride that circles back to the competition between George and Fanshawe.

INT. GEORGE'S APARTMENT - EVENING

 ...STUART: Pity.

GEORGE: Yeah.

STUART: I mean, that he isn't around. I'd love to be able to work with him. A few little nips and tucks -- you know.

GEORGE: That's just editor's pride. You can't look at a manuscript without wanting to take a red pencil to it. I'm sure he wouldn't change a word.

STUART: Hmm, you may be right. But don't take it to heart -- we can't all be prodigies

Suddenly, Stuart looks slyly at George.

STUART: Where is he?

GEORGE: Why d'you mean?

STUART: Is he shy, your boy? Is it some Pynchon thing we've got here? You're not just fronting for him, are ya?

GEORGE: Listen, if he was still around, believe me, I'd tell him to do his own dirty work.

Stuart just smiles. Does he really think George is toying with him? Or is he toying with George?

STUART: How's it feel?

George raises his eyebrows questioningly.

STUART: Discovering a new American master.

Stuart is needling him. George refuses to rise to the bait. 

GEORGE: When do you think you'll have an answer.

STUART: Oh, I already have: we're publishing it. (at the door) Chin up. Might not be as bad as you think. 

GEORGE: What?

STUART: Reflected glory.

Stuart leaves. George pondering. 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Those two words ("reflected glory") made me realize the power of subtext in this script.  

It's so much more layered and powerful than "you're not good enough" and speaks to how beautifully constructed this psychological trap is.

The Locked Room (unproduced 3/9/01 draft)
Based on the novel by Paul Auster
by Lem Dobbs 

* It's adapted from The New York Trilogy (1987), by Paul Auster, which is three interconnected detective stories ("City of Glass," "Ghosts," and "The Locked Room").  

**I have not read the book.  Several book reviewers on Goodreads either loved it or hated it.  I can understand why.  I also felt frustrated that answers weren't readily available at times reading the script.

***Purely as a side note, I did get creeped out by the psychological suspense and was glad I read it in the day time.  

TODAY'S NUGGET: My Favorite Wife (1940) - Making It Easy for the Audience to Follow Trickster Characters (Structure)

[Quick Summary: After being missing for 7 years, an anthropologist returns to find her husband has just re-married that day.]

I love Cary Grant as a "trickster" character in screwball comedies because he often paint himself into a corner. How will he get out of this?!

Tricksters make wild decisions on a whim, causing many twists and turns.  Thus it is important to keep the story line fairly straightforward and relatable.

ex. This script's structure has a lot of twists and turns:
- Ellen, an anthropologist on an expedition, is presumed dead at sea.
- It turns out she's spent the last 7 years on a deserted island.
- She returns to find her husband Nick has just married wife #2, Bianca.  
- Nick finds out Ellen is not only alive, but had been on the island with Mr. Burkett, a fellow traveler on the ship.
- Ellen brings in a fake Burkett to meet Nick.
- Nick brings the real Burkett to confront Ellen.
- However, the real Burkett surprises them by declaring he wants to marry Ellen. 
- Despite all this ruckus, note that the simple jealousy story line makes it easy for the audience to follow the action.
- I also liked the smart (but hard to pull off) structural twist: Nick must choose between two wives --> It flips to Ellen now must choose between two husbands. 

Here's a sample of showing jealousy.  Note how it doesn't rush the emotions:

 EXT. GARDEN - DAY

...MED. CLOSE SHOT - of Nick, as he watches, fascinated apparently.

LONG SHOT - Burkett, beautifully build, ascends the lower diving board. He leaps from the diving board and catches the rings in mid-air. 

CLOSE SHOT - as the figure swirls through an intricate movement, every muscle showing.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Nick, as his head moves from left to right with Burkett's movements.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Burkett, as his chest expands to the breaking point.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Nick, as he stares, horrified.

LONG SHOT - as Burkett completes a complicated maneuver.

LONG SHOT - as the spectators burst into spontaneous applause.

MED. CLOST SHOT - as Nick feebly joins in applause.

LONG SHOT - figure still swinging.

                                                                               DISSOLVE

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Trickster characters are inherently contradictory and conflicted, i.e., interesting to watch. Thus, keep the plot simple.

Also, take your time allowing the emotions to rise/fall, as in the scene above. Most of the fun is watching tricksters squirm and evade problems. 

My Favorite Wife (1940)(undated draft)
by Bella & Sam Spewack
Story by Bella & Sam Spewack, and Leo McCarey

2025 OSCARS: Sing Sing (2024) - The Line of Dialogue That Tells the Multi-Layered Truth

[Quick Summary: Divine G and a group of prisons find deeper meaning when they put on their own time travel play/musical.]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.

In this line, Divine G speaks of taking ballet at the famous FAME high school:

DIVINE G: ...There's no room for lies in ballet.

I like it because it is economical and says so much about:
- his potential once upon a time
- his understanding of the finer arts
- a metaphor for what fine arts help uncover inside people
- in subtext, what the troupe is trying to uncover through acting.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I'm sure this line of dialogue was honed and honed and honed. It doesn't happen spontaneously (though it may appear to be).

Sing Sing (2024)
by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, & John "Divine G" Whitfield
Based on "The Sing Sing Follies" by John H. Richardson & "Breakin' The Mummy's Code" by Brent Buell

2025 OSCARS: Emilia Perez (2024) - The Line Which Conveys Two Women in the Same Space, Lost in Thought

[Quick Summary: Musical.  A lawyer assists Manitas, a drug lord, to "kill" him, help him to become "Emilia"  via surgery, and then reunite her with her wife and kids.]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.

I thought it was tricky to adapt this story into a film, and even more so, a musical.* 

There is a ton of ground to cover: who Manitas is; his empire; the threats to him; his transition to a woman; her establishing a non-profit to help families, etc.

The strongest story line that drove many decisions was Emilia's desire to be reunited with her kids, which wasn't unexpected.

The second strongest story line was unexpected: Emilia's new romance with Epifania.  I found it to be more nuanced visually, with subtext.  

The scene below is an example of the second point:
- Prior to this scene, Emilia meets Epifania at the non-profit.
- They go out on a date and stay the night together.
- The scene below is the morning after.
- As Emilia starts to sing, Epifania continues with day's work: dressing housekeeping, etc. 
- I liked the first sentence, which specifies: a) they don't see each other, and b) they're in the same frame.
- This is so succinct!  It conveys through visuals and space that they're each lost in their own thoughts.
- BONUS: I included the second sentence for the last phrase, "weighed down by love," which I thought was beautifully descriptive.

INT. EPIFANIA'S HOUSE - DAY

 ...Epifania does not seem to see her although they are in the same frame.....All her gestures are weighed down by love.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  I liked the economy of words. It's hard to quickly convey two people both lost in thought.

Emilia Perez (2024)
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, Nicholas Liveechi
Based on the novel by Boris Razon

*The Emilia Perez character began as a secondary character in a French novel.  Jacques Audiard, the film's writer/director, had the idea to first turned Emilia's story into an opera, then a film musical.

2025 OSCARS: Conclave (2024) - One Line That is Underlined May Have a Different Meaning Than Another

[Quick Summary: After the Pope dies, the Dean of the Conclave must manage the voting process for the new Pop and discovers hidden motives of the candidates.]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.

We writers are told a lot of "don'ts":  "Don't put in camera moves (directors don't like that)." "Show, don't talk about feelings (actors don't like that)."  

These days, I take them "under advisement", i.e., ignore them, because I've seen writers do those very things -  BUT THEY KNEW WHAT 'RULES' TO BREAK.

---------------

Q: In the above paragraphs, why do I only remember the underlined part?
A: Underlining emphasizes things.

Q: Have you seen any effective uses of underlining?
A: I will cite two lines from this script, in same scene, only because they show how underlining does different things:
- The first emphasizes what is in Lawrence's mind and emotions.
- The second is later in the scene, and emphasizes a shift in tone.

INT. PAPAL SUITE - SITTING ROOM - NIGHT

...Lawrence is holding the x-ray to the light, staring in silence, struck that he is looking at the very heart of the man he revered.

....The contest has begun.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Like any good tool, the emotional impact that comes with underlining is best used sparingly.

Conclave (2024)(final draft, w/revisions)
by Peter Straughan
Based on the novel by Robert Harris

2025 OSCARS: A Real Pain (2024) - The Line That Shows Great Subtext

[Quick Summary: To honor their grandmother, two opposite cousins go on a Holocaust tour of Poland.]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For this year's 2025 Oscar roundup, I'm going to feature my single favorite line from each of the 10 scripts.

Actor/writer/director Jesse Eisenberg began this story as a play with one character, another play with the other character, then a short story with the two characters.

His playwriting bent is evident in the emphasis on dialogue and few actions.  

However, there was one action line that was very cinematic and deeply subtextual:
- In previous scenes, we learn that David is the responsible cousin. Benji is the irresponsible one. James is the tour guide.
- Benji accuses James of spitting out facts and figures, not real stories that connect.
- James thanks Benji, as Benji and David are about to leave for the last leg, on their own, to go see their grandmother's house.
- This line shows James finally connecting with Benji.  It's also a really great image of what David and Benji are also trying to do.

INT. LUBLIN HOTEL - DAY

...With James' mop of hair buried in Benji's arms, it almost looks like Benji is hugging David.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I was impressed that this one image contained so much more subtext than what we see.  

However, it only makes sense in the film because it relies on previous context.  As a still image, a random viewer might not understand the dynamics.

A Real Pain (2024)(final draft)
by Jesse Eisenberg

TODAY'S NUGGET: This Land is Mine (1943) - "I Don't Love You" Moment That's Really "I've Never Seen You Before" (Aha! Moments in Subtext)

[Quick Summary: In WWII, a cowardly school teacher, who lives with his domineering mother in a German occupied town, is tempted to join the Resistance.]

This script takes awhile to get to the point.

It's due to a rather intricate set up and the close connections between characters:
- Albert Lory, the timid protagonist, and Louise Martin his neighbor, are grade school teachers.
- Albert has a secret crush on Louise, but lives with his overbearing mother.
- Their principal and mentor is Prof. Sorel.
- Louise is engaged to George Lambert, who works in the railroad terminal office.
- A member of the underground Resistance has been plaguing the town with bombs.

However, it's worth the wait.  I liked how it delivers an emotional punch, often through nuanced subtext, such as this aha! realization in the scene below:
- The police have just jailed Prof. Sorel as the suspected bomber.
- Louise now goes to see George, who speaks against the bomber.
- The secret bomber is actually Paul, Louise's brother.  He works at the railroad switch tower under George.
- I liked that Louise is working out her confused feelings for George in real time. ex. She admits her confusion to George ("Maybe I'm still in love with you.")
- This conversation about the bomber has brought Louise to an aha! revelation emotionally, i.e., she sees that she and George do not think alike.
- Notice the button on the scene (last few lines), which:
a) shows how far apart they are emotionally; and
b) is ironic, as Paul is the bomber that George has just been dissing.

INTERIOR GEORGE LAMBERT'S OFFICE - AT FRIGHT TERMINAL - DAY

...[Paul] leads [Louise] over to his chair and she sinks into it, glad to be weak for a change and have someone to comfort her. He takes his handkerchief and dries her eyes.

GEORGE (continued)(as to a child, tenderly): There now, is that better?

LOUISE: George, I'm frightened. I'm scared to death. Life is getting horrible. I don't know what to do. I need you.

GEORGE: Of course you need me, darling. That's what I'm here for. I love you.

As she relaxes, comforted:

GEORGE (continued): I know all about Sorel. They also took that fellow that runs the store across the street from you - Lorraine, and eight other men. One of them worked here in the yard. (petting her comfortingly) But nothing can happen for a week. If they find the man who threw the bomb they'll all be released.

LOUISE (half out of her mind): But that's just it. You don't understand. The man who threw the bomb -- Oh, George, I'm in an awful situation.

GEORGE (comfortingly): I know, dear, I know. The man who threw the bomb is a criminal.

Louise draws back and looks up at him as if she couldn't have heard right but in his indignation he doesn't notice it.

GEORGE (continued): If he has a spark of courage he'll come forward and admit his guilt - save innocent men.

LOUISE (staring at him): You really think he's a criminal?

GEORGE (righteously): Look Louise, all fo us hate this Occupation. I stood up to Major von Keller and told him to his face I didn't like it. But we have to face facts: They have the power. If one of us wants to resist, and get killed, that's foolish but courageous. He takes the risk and punishment himself. But the man who secretly resists, with acts of sabotage, is a coward; he escapes and innocent people die.

LOUISE (staring at him): You believe that?

GEORGE: It's obvious, darling.

LOUISE (looking at him strangely): You mean everyone who resists the enemy should give himself up, George?

GEORGE: I think so.

LOUISE: Then there is no more resistance.

GEORGE: Then we'd have peace. Wouldn't we be better off? Our duty now is to keep alive. To exist. What becomes of a nation if its citizens all die? Do you want to die? Do I want to die?

LOUISE (quietly; looks at him as if she had never seen him before): I saw them take Professor Sorel. He's not afraid to die.

She gets up and looks out the window, suddenly a million miles from him.

GEORGE: But he's old. We're young. Life means everything to us.

LOUISE (looking out at the switch tower): I know young men who aren't afraid to die. [She means her brother Paul.]

GEORGE (goes to her): Nothing is worth the sacrifice of your life, Louise. We have everything ahead of us - love, marriage, children --

LOUISE (turns on him): No, George.

He looks at her blankly as she takes off the ring and drops it on his desk.

LOUISE (continued): I was in love with you. Maybe I'm still in love with you. But I begin to feel as if I'd never looked at you before. This is the first time you've been frank with me. My mind's confused -- I haven't the right answer yet for the things you've said, but I feel -- I know you're wrong.

Her eyes widen as the door swings open and Paul walks in, his usual gay self.

PAUL: Hello, folks. (grins) I don't know how you do it, George. I can't get my girl to come down here and visit me.

Louise walks straight past him and exits. He looks after her curiously, then at the discomfited George.

PAUL (continued): Hey, what's the matter?

GEORGE (trying to cover up, hiding the ring in his hand): Oh, she's just upset. She'll get over it. You know women.

PAUL (laughs): I sure don't.

FADE OUT

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The subtext here works because:
- George and Louise fundamentally have opposing views on the Resistance.
- George is missing information (doesn't know the secret about Paul).
- This moment comes at a crucial turning point (there are stakes).

In addition, I also liked how the subtext is also about other things: the bomber (surface); Prof. Sorel; young vs. old; the line of sacrifice; vulnerability; need; status.

This Land is Mine (1943)(anthology with only the script)
This Land is Mine (1943)(script + introduction)*
by Dudley Nichols

*This is a stand-alone publication includes the script plus an introduction with interesting details about where this film falls in history, the RKO studio, the director Renoir, and star Charles Laughton.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) - What Elevates a Good Comedy Fight to a Memorable One? Subtext

[Quick Summary: When two con men fight over territory, they agree that whomever wins the favor of a young female visitor will decide whom will go, whom will stay).]

Lawrence (Michael Caine) is the ultimate con man. Freddy (Steve Martin), on the other hand, is the new kid, and not nearly as good as Lawrence. 

They team up, but eventually Freddy wants to go solo -- on Lawrence's territory.

What makes this a good fight? Real stakes, like their livelihoods.

But what makes it memorable?
1) A good fight is about stakes. 
2) A better fight is about emotional stakes. What does winning/losing means to the character?
3) The best fights happen in subtext, unspoken and below the surface.

In the scene below, notice:
- Lawrence fears being usurped. He will no longer have status.
- Freddy fears he will lose his new golden goose. Also, in his mind, he will always be a second rate player.
- On the surface, this is about territory.  If you look closer, it's about how each guy feels as a new regime challenges the old.
- But if you check out the subtext, this is about how each one feels about his status.
- ex. Freddy thinks he's good enough now (subtext: I  don't need you). 
- ex. Lawrence thinks he can keep status quo (subtext: I'm still relevant).
- Also, this is a great turning point because it sets out the stakes (external and internal) before starting to escalate from here.

INT. SECTION OF HOTEL LOBBY - MED. SHOT

...LAWRENCE: You're forgetting one thing... You agreed that I would run the operation.

FREDDY: Yeah, but I didn't know you were gonna cut so deep.

LAWRENCE: All right, you'll get your money. But you realize this is the end of our association.

Freddy LOOKS OFF.

FREDDY: I'm a big boy now, I'll go it alone.

Lawrence looks to see what has caught Freddy's eye.

POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT

We see JANET COLGATE, a very beautiful young lady, richly dressed and carrying a mink coat, crossing the lobby to check in. She is followed by two or three bellboys carrying expensive luggage. An ASSISTANT MANAGER is fawning all over her. Obviously, she is an important and well-heeled guest.

BACK TO SCENE

LAWRENCE: Where? Where will you go it alone?

FREDDY: I kinda like it right here.

LAWRENCE: This is my territory, Freddy.

FREDDY (scoffs): "My" territory? You've been King of the Mountain so long you think you won it.*

As the Assistant Manager crosses in front of them, Freddy SNAPS his fingers, calls and beckons to him.

FREDDY: There's two lions on the mountain now.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: We remember the subtext of a fight because it's often the most painful, true part of the fith.

On another note, this was a funny scene because the audience was in on the joke.  We know Freddy needs Lawrence.  We know it's futile for Lawrence to keep out Freddy.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)(2/1/87 draft)
by Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning, and Dale Launer

*Fun fact: The original title was "King of the Mountain," which I loved because it encapsulates this whole fight.

TODAY'S NUGGET: Reds (1981) - How It Feels To Be Overshadowed (Subtext in Dialogue)

[Quick Summary: In the 1910s, journalist Louise Bryant and communist activist Jack Reed are tested when they report on the Russia revolution.]

Having heard a lot about Warren Beatty, I was skeptical of him as a writer. However, this script surprised me and it was unexpectedly easy to read.*

It was ok that I didn't quite understand all the politics because the dynamic between Louise and Jack is wonderful, as they tried (and often failed) each other.

I particularly liked how the script shows Louise's point of view and how she is often overshadowed by dynamic Jack, who is a natural is in front of the masses.

The scene below shows how this push-pull leaks into their personal relationship:
- Louise is trying to be seen for the person she is. Jack doesn't have those problems. and can't empathize.  It wears on her soul.
- She is conflicted as she tries to tell Jack what she wants, gets frustrated when he doesn't get it, yet still wants to love him.
- Notice the unspoken subtext. These two are being honest, but can't quite pinpoint the obstacle between them.
- The dialogue is free from exposition and quite good to speak aloud. 

INT. BEDROOM

...LOUISE: Listen, I want you to know something. I asked Whigham if he'd send me to France. [This seems to indicate she's made a decision without him.]

Silence. He sits on the bed. They don't look at each other. 

JACK: Is that what you want?

LOUISE: Yes.

JACK: Why? (no answer) What are you doing? [He confronts by asking questions.]

LOUISE: I'm not taken seriously when you're around.  [She's trying to explain without blaming.]

JACK: What do you mean you're not taken seriously?

LOUISE (turning away): This is not good.

JACK: Do you mean I'm taken more seriously? [He's annoyed.]

LOUISE: Do you mean you're not? You know what I'm saying. And you know it's true. Be honest with me.  [She wants reassurance.]

JACK: Maybe if you stopped taking yourself so seriously, somebody else would have a chance. [Rather than talk about how she feels, he tries to solve the problem. They're on different pages.]

LOUISE: Thanks.

JACK: Why should you be taken seriously before you've done serious work?

LOUISE: I've got to find another place. [Thinking it's fruitless to explain, she reverts to protecting herself. This is another brick in the wall between them.]

JACK: I'm not sure I know what kind of work you're serious about. [He's trying, and failing to bridge the gap with facts vs. feelings.]

LOUISE (turning back to him): Well, I don't care. And I'm really not interested in whether your friends take me seriously or not. I don't think we like the same people, Jack, or the same kind of life. I want to be on my own. I may have found a place on Houston Street.  [She feels misunderstood.]

JACK: Go ahead. Be on your own. I don't give a damn. You're on your own anyway. [He responds with hurt.]

LOUISE: I know you don't give a damn. [She responds with hurt.]

JACK (shouting): WILL YOU TELL ME WHY THE HELL I SHOULD GIVE A DAMN?

LOUISE: YOU SHOULDN'T. DON'T GIVE A DAMN. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN EITHER. I'M LEAVING. (she walks out)

JACK: O.K. ALL RIGHT. LEAVE! (she slams the door) I'M LEAVING TOO!

He drives his fist through the door. She stands in the living room. Silence. He lies down on the bed, rubbing his bruised hand.

LOUISE (finally): Is this what it's like? [After she unloads her feelings, she still cares.]

JACK: I guess so. [And so does he.]

She returns to the bed. He makes a hollow for her between arm and chest.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The disconnect seems so real because it's all below the surface.

She's looking for reassurance (emotional) and he's looking to solve a problem (anything but emotional).

Reds (1981)(undated)
by Warren Beatty and Trevor Griffiths

* Apparently there were a several uncredited writers, and the relationship parts I liked best were written by writer/director Elaine May:

...(Beatty said of the first draft that it “had serious problems. There was no tension between Bryant and Reed. What I needed to do was pit her feminism against his chauvinism, turn a woman who was in love with a man against that man.”) He ended up bringing in an uncredited Elaine May, with whom he collaborated on Heaven Can Wait. She focused mostly on the crackling tension between the wiseacre lovers, underscoring the sexual politics of the filmmaker’s present.

2024 OSCARS: Poor Things (2023) - Showing His Disconnect with Her

[Quick Summary: Bella, a child's brain transplanted into the body of her mother, learns at a rapid pace as she leaves home to explore the world.]

This is definitely Bella's story (Emma Stone).  She has tremendous arc.

However, I found the Duncan character (Mark Ruffalo) more interesting.  He is a man used to getting his way, and cannot cope with this woman outgrowing him.

One of the first scenes to show this disconnect is the scene below.  I really liked how Duncan is trying to undermine Bella's growing confidence in the subtext.  

What makes it funnier is that she has no idea he is jabbing at her and does not respond in a way we'd expect:

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

A flambe crepe suzette, a women's hair on fire. Duncan stares at Bella who ignores it, she is drawing a postcard to Baxter. Her floating at sea, a bird sitting on her chest pushing her under. [A woman on fire in a communal dining area is unexpected and funny.]

DUNCAN: There is a woman on fire. Look. [He makes a bid for her attention.]

She continues drawing. [She ignores the woman on fire, which is amusing. She ignores him, which is our first non-verbal sign. Maybe she didn't hear him?]

DUNCAN (CONT'D): I know you are mad, forgive me my kidnapping you, but it was for love. A romantic jape. Don't be such a cunt about it.

She looks at him. [Ok, she did hear him. She may not understand the meaning of "cunt," but she does seem to understand kidnapping is not love, nor for her benefit. They're not on the same page, and the disconnect is widening.]

BELLA: I want a drink.

DUNCAN: Of course darling. The ship is fun, a world to explore. I love you. Do you love me? [He's not listening to her. She doesn't know how to address what's going on yet. They are operating on two different levels. Even if they cannot can see the misunderstanding, we can, and it's humorous too.]

BELLA: Describe the elements I should be looking for within myself to be sure.

DUNCAN: You just feel it or not! [He's getting impatient, but has no idea why. He doesn't know there's an infant brain inside of her, literally. In subtext, he assumes she's being dense, and expects her to behave like an adult, but she cannot. I like the irony here.]

BELLA: So it is no evidence base as God would say. And so how judge it empirically?

DUNCAN: What the fuck are you talking about? Who are you? You don't know what bananas are, you've never heard of chess, and yet you know what empirically means! [He's getting more upset that she makes no sense, though he is not either.]

BELLA: Bella needs a drink. Said twice now. [She may not know what he's talking about, but she does know he's not listening.] 

DUNCAN: I have never felt anything like this. Is this true for you? [He continues to press, even though she can't give him the response he wants.]

BELLA: ...I suppose empirically it is. Oh I am out of ink. [She is literally out of ink, and of words. This was really smart. I also liked that it is a line puts a button on the scene. She has no subtext, and is speaking of ink.]

DUNCAN: Then you shall have ink my love. [Duncan seems to think their agreement re:ink also means they're on the same page about the two of them.]

He gets up and heads across the room.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked that we see the disconnect in the non-verbals, and also subtext (what characters believe, but not being said). 

We also think it's amusing because the audience can see what the characters can't.  

Ex. Duncan is insisting Bella behave a certain way without understanding where she is coming from, nor her lack of psychological development.

Poor Things (2023)(final, Dec., 2023)
by Tony McNamara
Based on the novel by Alasdair Gray

TODAY'S NUGGET: Turning Point (1977) - Delivering an Emotionally Satisfying End of Character Arc

[Quick Summary: A former dancer faces her decision to give up ballet, after her daughter joins a NYC company that features her (the mother's) former competitor.]

This week's script was a huge pop cultural sensation when it was released.* 

Perhaps one of the reasons is how the writer delivered emotionally satisfying endings, for both mother and daughter separately.

For example, in the scene below:
- Emilia, the daughter who has just joined this NYC company, has been dating Yuri, a very talented fellow dancer. 
- She's been wrapped up in him, thinking they're a couple.
- However, he's been seeing other women without telling her.
- This hits her hard, but it matures her. 
- How does the writer show the triumphant end of her character arc? Through her changed behavior. 
- Notice how she is no longer swayed by every emotion and  keeps it professional ("better give me more support").
- Also note that the fruits of the maturity are not just in private, but also in public ("she smiles -> but not for him -> it's a performer's smile").

INT. MISKOFF THEATRE - UNDER THE STAGE - NIGHT

...She starts to pull away, but he, holding her, makes her dance and then lifts her up in the air just as Wayne lifted Deedee. He smiles up at her.

YURI (coaxing): Emilia...?

She looks down at him. He is very handsome, very appealing. She inclines down just a little, then stops. Cool, confident:

EMILIA: You better give me more support tomorrow night.

He adjusts their position.

CLOSE SHOT - EMILIA

Now she smiles. But not for him. It is a performer's smile, a ballerina smile. Her head goes up, her back arches gracefully and as her hands and arms reach up, her whole body shoots up through the ceiling.

INT. STAGE  - MINSKOFF THEATRE

And there she is, on stage, in full costume and makeup, dancing with Yuri and dancing magnificently. They are perfect together -- as partners on stage. They finish spectacularly and applause breaks like a cloudburst.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I really liked the description "her whole body shoots up through the ceiling" because it's not only how the character felt, but also how I felt going through the arc with the character. 

Turning Point (1977) 
by Arthur Laurents

*Also, it garnered 11 Oscar nominations, including ones for actors Anne Bancroft, Shirley MacLaine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and writer Arthur Laurents (his only nomination).

TODAY'S NUGGET: Licence to Kill (1988) - When a "Romantic" Scene Lacks Believeability

[Quick Summary: When a drug lord kills the bride and maims the groom (Leiter), groomsman Bond goes on an unsanctioned hunt for the villain.]

Pam, a CIA contract pilot and one of Leiter's informants, was to meet him at a bar. After Leiter is wounded, Bond decides to meet with her instead.   

There's a shootout at the bar with drug lord's henchmen. Pam and Bond escape onto a cigarette boat (scene below).

So what is this scene about? A business deal.  Even grudging admiration.

But ROMANCE? PASSION? Any HEAT whatsoever? Certainly not enough to justify twinkle in eye --> kiss --> kiss --> "presses her passionately" at the end.

There's no baiting of the hook, and tug of the line.  Where's the fun if it's all one sided, no back-and-forth? How can I buy the romance if there's no chemistry?

INT. CIGARETTE COCKPIT  PAM AND BOND

at the controls, working them  he looks at dials.

INSERT GAS GAUGES

indicate empty.

BOND

He looks toward the shore, still irate.

BOND: They must have hit a fuel line.

PAM steps up next to him.

PAM: Out of gas? I haven't heard that one in a long time.
BOND (calming down): Take us a couple of hours to drift in. Look, I'm going to need your help. I want a complete rundown on Sanchez' operation...and a private charter to Isthmus City. No one must know I've left.

She looks at him steadily.

PAM: What do you want to go there for?
BOND: I'll pay you very well.
PAM: You're going after Sanchez, aren't you?
BOND: Will you help me?
PAM: How many men you got?
BOND: Just you and me.
PAM (a disbelieving laugh): You crazy? Sanchez has a whole army protecting him down there.
BOND: Then just drop me there and leave. Fifty thousand.

She steps between Bond and the dashboard of the boat. The wind blows her hair. She looks up at him, a twinkle in her eye.

PAM (ticking off on her fingers): It's not that easy. A false flight plan. I'll have to pay-off people at Isthmus City Airport...A job like that is going to cost at least a Hundred.
BOND: Alright. Sixty.
PAM: Ninety.
BOND: Seventy.
PAM: Eighty.
BOND: Seventy-five.
PAM: You pay the fuel?
BOND: We use your plane.
PAM: Deal.

She reaches up and kisses him fully on the lips to seal the bargain. They part.

BOND: Why don't you want 'til you're asked?
PAM: Why don't you ask me.

She kisses him again. He presses her passionately back against the wheel.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: In fly fishing circles, there's a saying, "The tug is the drug."  

In this scene, the fisherman doesn't even have to cast a line out. Fish are throwing themselves into the boat. This is NOT romantic.

Licence to Kill (1988)(final draft)
by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum

TODAY'S NUGGET: Charade (1963) - Balancing Genre Tones (Mystery, Romcom); Earning the Kiss Takes TIME

[Quick Summary: After her husband steals a fortune from five thieves, a widow falls for one of the men pursuing her.]

If nailing the tone in a romantic comedies is tricky, it's exponentially harder when mixing in another genre.  How does one balance them??

Let's look at this script, which is:
- a mystery (puzzle)
- with the spine of a rom-com (two people become a couple). 

I think these two things keep this script balanced: 

1) The essential question for a romcom is, "What is keeping the couple apart?"
- Here, it is the mystery of the location of the stolen money.
- Also, the subtext to this mystery is motive, "What does she/he want?".
- HER: Does he want me, or the money?
- HIM: Is she more important to me, or the money?

2) MORE TIME THAN YOU THINK. For a kiss to feel earned, there needs to be a closeness, a shared vulnerability. It's not a secret this only happens with time. 

The scene belong is long, but shows how balance works:
- Note the tone never falls to ALL mystery or ALL romcom.
- They're talking about the mystery, but the subtext is "me or the money."
- After they've revealed vulnerabilities, she feels secure enough for a kiss.
- Note: He lied to her, saying he was the brother of one of the thieves (Dyle).

EXT. SEINE - BATEAU MOUCHE -- DUSK

... DYLE: Are you trying to say that I might have killed Charles and Scobie?

She doesn't answer.

DYLE: What do I have to do to satisfy you -- become the next victim?
REGGIE: It's a start, anyway.
DYLE: I don't understand you at all -- one minute you're chasing me around the shower room and the next you're accusing me of murder.
REGGIE: Carson Dyle didn't have a brother.

WIDER ANGLE

She rises from the table and walks away. DYLE hesitates a moment, then follows.

DYLE: I can explain if you'll just listen. Will you listen? [He begins to open up.]
REGGIE (looking at river): I can't very well leave without a pair of water wings.
DYLE: Okay. Then get set for the story of my life -- not that it would ever make the best-seller list.
REGGIE: Fiction or non-fiction?
DYLE: Why don't you shut up!
REGGIE: Well!
DYLE: Are you going to listen?
REGGIE: Go on.
DYLE: After I graduated college I was all set to go into my father business. Umbrella frames -- that's what he made. It was a sensible business, I suppose, but I didn't have the sense to be interested in anything sensible. [He's sharing his story, but it may be a lie.]
REGGIE: I suppose all this is leading somewhere?
DYLE: It led me away from umbrella frames, for one thing. But that left me without any honest means of support.
REGGIE: What do you mean?
DYLE: When a man has no profession except the one he loathes, what's left? I began looking for people with more money than they'd ever need -- including some they'd barely miss.
REGGIE: (astonished): You mean, you're a thief?
DYLE: Well, it isn't exactly the term I'd have chosen, but I suppose it captures the spirit of the thing.
REGGIE: I don't believe it.
DYLE: Well, I can't really blame you -- not now.
REGGIE: But I do believe it -- that's what I don't believe. So it's goodbye Alexander Dye -- Welcome home Peter Joshua. [She allows herself to believe.]
DYLE: Sorry, the name's Adam Canfield.
REGGIE: Adam Canfield. Wonderful. Do you realize you've had three names in the past two days? I don't even know who I'm talking to any more.
DYLE (now called ADAM): The man's the same, even if the name isn't.
REGGIE: No -- he's not the same. Alexander Dyle was interested in clearing up his brother's death. Adam Canfied is a crook. And with all the advantages you've got -- brains, charm, education, a handsome face --  [She admits to feelings.]
ADAM: Oh, come on!
REGGIE: -- there has to be a darn good reason for living the way you do. I want to know what it is.
ADAM: It's simple. I like what I do -- I enjoy doing it. There aren't many men who love their work as much as I do. Look around some time.
REGGIE: Is there a Mrs. Canfield?
ADAM: Yes, but --
ADAM REGGIE (together): -- we're divorced.  [More personal revelations.]
ADAM: Right. Now go eat your dinner.

ANOTHER ANGLE

They walk back to the table, where a WAITER is busy putting food on it, mostly on REGGIE's side.

REGGIE (miserably): I could eat a horse.
ADAM (looking at all the food): I think that's what you ordered.
REGGIE: Don't you dare to be civil with me! All this time you were leading me on --
ADAM: How was I leading you on?
REGGIE: All that marvelous rejection -- you know I couldn't resist it. Now it turns out you were only interested in the money.  [She admits he got to her.]
ADAM: That's right.
REGGIE (HURT): Oh!  [Her vulnerable moment.]
ADAM: What would you like me to say -- that a pretty girl with an outrageous manner means more to an old pro like me than a quarter of a million dollars? [His vulnerable moment.]
REGGIE: No -- I guess not.
ADAM: It's a toss-up, I can tell you that.
REGGIE: What?
ADAM: Don't you know I'm having a tough time keeping my eyes off of you? [Vulnerable moment.]

REGGIE reacts in surprise.

ADAM: Oh, you should see your face.  [Moment of shared humor.]
REGGIE: What about it?
ADAM (taking her hand, nicely): It's lovely. [Sincere compliment.]

She looks at him with happy amazement, then pushes her plate away.

ADAM: What's the matter?
REGGIE: I'm not hungry -- isn't it glorious? [She is finally secure.]

The lights go out.

REGGIE (alarmed): Adam!
ADAM: It's all right -- look.

EXT. SEINE BATEAU MOUCHE - NIGHT

A searchlight near the boat's bridge has gone on and now begins sweeping the river banks. On benches by the water's edge, lovers are surprised by the bright light which suddenly and without warning discovers them in various attitudes of mutual affection. Some are embarrassed, some are amused and some (the most intimate) damn annoyed. One even shakes his fist at the light.

MED. SHOT -- REGGIE AND ADAM

Who, like everyone else, leave the table and stand together at the rail watching.

REGGIE: You don't look so bad in this light.
ADAM: Why do you think I brought you here?
REGGIE (indicating the lovers): I thought maybe you wanted me to see the kind of work the competition was turning out.
ADAM: Pretty good, huh? I taught them everything they do.
REGGIE: Oh? Did they do that sort of thing way back in your day?
ADAM: How do you think I got here?

She rises on tip-toes and kisses him gently; his only reaction is to look at her.  [She makes the first move!]

REGGIE: Aren't you allowed to kiss back?
ADAM: No. The doctor said it would be bad for my -- thermostat.

She kisses him again. He responds a little better.

ADAM: When you come on, you really come on.
REGGIE: Well -- come on.

She starts to kiss him again, but he stops her.

REGGIE: I know why you're not taken -- no one can catch up with you.
ADAM: Relax -- you're gaining.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: 1) Put the mystery between the lovers; 2) An excellent subtext of a mystery is "me or the money." 3) Truthful intimacy will take time on the page.

Charade (1963)(10/1/62 draft)
by Peter Stone
Based on a story by Peter Stone and Marc Behm

2023 OSCARS: Tar (2022) - Excellent Use of Stacking Subtext

[Quick Summary: This story is about the downfall of manipulative Lydia Tar, the greatest living female conductor-composer of a major European orchestra.]

Every year, I read Oscar nominated scripts and ask, "Why was this one nominated? What is NEW? What is so GOOD about it?"

In this script, the subject of unequal dynamics is not new, but adding a female conductor-composer is.  

However, I found I was even more impressed by writer-director Todd Field's excellent use of subtext.  

I particularly like the way it is told with an understanding of female dynamics, i.e., the conflict is not a quick "one and done," but it lingers, resentful, and entangled.

For example:
- Prior to the scene below, Tar flirted with a Young Matron (YM) with a red handbag, after a public performance.
- Later, Tar has the red handbag. Was it a "gift" from the YM? I say yes.
- Tar has also taken, and been abusing, her partner Sharon's Metroprolol.
- All this previous behavior sets up the payoff in the scene below.  Notice how many lies are stacked on each other.

TAR'S HOME

She arrives in the middle of night, and habitually begins turning off LIGHTS left on EVERYWHERE.

Stops when she sees the light on at the end of the far hallway where a woman paces back and forth

LIBRARY SITTING ROOM

She enters to find SHARON GOODNOW (40) pacing in her underwear.

SHARON: The flutter's back. It's racing. I can't find my Metroprolol anywhere. [We remember Tar had taken Metroprolol earlier.]

Tar immediately heads to 

THE BATHROOM

Takes the bottle from her bag, taps out a pill, and noisily closes the medicine cabinet before returning to [Now we realize:1) Tar took the pills w/o permission and 2) Sharon does not know.]

THE SITTING ROOM

TAR: This was lying loose on the counter. Is it the right one? [Tar took the pills + Sharon does not know + She is pretending now.]

Sharon looks at it, nods, and swallows it.

SHARON: Thank you... is that a new bag?

TAR: A gift from Eliot. Do you want it? [Tar took the pills + Sharon does not know it + Tar pretending to find a pill + Tar lying it was a gift from her mentor + Tar not telling Sharon about YM + Offering a tainted gift to her partner in life.]

SHARON (sits, catches breath): ... no, suits you.  [This line plays on 2 levels: 1) Sharon really means it, and 2) It visually represents many lies and an artificial life that Tar is leading.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I was particularly impressed (and galled) at Tar's offer of the red handbag.

Visually, it's just a bag.  But in the story, it has a deeper symbolic meaning that represents layers of subterfuge and stacked subtext.

Tar (2022)
Directed and written by Todd Field

2023 OSCARS: Banshees of Inisherin (2022) - One Key to Writing Memorable Parts for Women

[Quick Summary: On a small Irish island of Inisherin in 1923, Padric is stunned when his fiddler friend Colm refuses to ever speak to him.]

I am impressed how well Martin McDonagh can write parts for women.  My first exposure was the two female leads in this early play, which blew my hair back.

How does he do it?  One key is that he is very observant of subtext.  He pays attention to the underlying dynamics women juggle, ex. societal expectations.

In the scene below:
- Padraic has been wrestling with why his friend Colm has suddenly changed.
- However, watch Siobhan, his sister, who is simultaneously having to juggle a sad Colm and neighbor Mrs. McCormick.
- Siobhan is required to host and attend to Mrs. McCormick in a way Padraic is not (societal norms).
- Also, the last lines of "hide behind walls" made me realize no one asked about Siobhan's dreams.  In taking care of everyone else, what's she suppressing?

INT. PADRAIC'S HOUSE - DUSK

PADRAIC, SIOBHAN & MRS. MCCORMICK, a spooky-looking, white faced, neighbor, 80, smoking a clay pipe through blackened teeth. SIOBHAN sews rose decorations on a black shawl, as PADRAIC refills the lamps around the room from a pail of Paraffin.

MRS. MCCORMICK: Is it six years since yere Mammy and Daddy died, Siobhan, or is it seven years since they died?

SIOBHAN: It's seven years, Mrs. McCormick, aye.

MRS. MCCORMICK: Is it seven years? Doesn't time be flying?

PADRAIC: Aye. When you're having fun.

SIOBHAN: Be off to the pub, now, Padraic, if you're going to be annoying us.

PADRAIC: I don't have to be down there every night, do I?

SIOBHAN almost double-takes, MRS. MCCORMICK just smirks.

MRS. MCCORMICK: ColmSonnyLarry's scared him off, I suppose.

PADRAIC: What did you hear of ColumSonnyLarry?

MRS. MCCORMICK: Didn't you and he used be the best of friends?

PADRAIC: We're still the best of friends.

MRS. MCCORMICK: No ye're not.

PADRAIC: Who says we're not?

MRS. MCCORMICK (pointing to SIOBHAN): She says!

PADRAIC: Ar for God's sake, Siobhan!

SIOBHAN: I said nothing of the like, Mrs. McCormick, I was just chatting! Now you go off to Jonjo's, Padraic, and don't be getting under our feet, sure Mrs. McCormick never gets a chance to come over for a chat...

SIOBHAN makes PADRAIC put on his coat.

PADRAIC: She never gets a chance cos you avoid her.

SIOBHAN: I do not avoid her!

PADRAIC: You hide behind walls if she's coming up the road!

SIOBHAN gives an embarrassed laugh as PADRAIC exits. She sits back down.

SIOBHAN: 'Hide behind walls'.

SIOBHAN tries to smile, but MRS. MCCORMICK just stares at her, smoking. they sit in awkward silence.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The Siohban part impressed me because there is a lot of emotional juggling for the actress to do, though it may not look like it on the page.

Banshees of Inisherin (2022)(June 29, 2021)
by Martin McDonagh

TODAY'S NUGGET: Dr. No (1962) - "The pictures are so much funnier than my books."

[Quick Summary: After henchmen kill and steal at MI-6's Jamaican HQ, MI-6 sends 007 to investigate a plan to interfere with American missiles.]

I was interested what Richard Maibaum said in an interview:

I met Ian Fleming several times while he was still alive, but I did not speak to him about screenwriting. He didn't seem very interested. He didn't have script approval, but as a matter of courtesy we gave him the scripts to read. He would make minimal notes in the margin, in very tiny handwriting, that usually dealt with questions of protocol - what Bond called M in the office as opposed to what he called him at their club, things like that.

He did say to me once, "The pictures are so much funnier than my books." He was a little bemused and a little obtuse about it, I thought, because he really didn't understand that we were trying to make them funnier. That was the thing we changed most about the books as far as the pictures were concerned. We made Bond more humorous, throwing away those one-liners that are now obligatory in Bond films. [my emphasis]

A good example is the first introduction below to Bond in this first film:
- The introduction to Bond starts with ..."a MAN holding the back has his back to the CAMERA" and we do not see his face until the moment below.
-  The writers took time to set up the spy world, so Bond doesn't appear until p. 10.
- Note this scene is amusing, but the writers also hid some character work in it (Bond is observant, chivalrous, polite, flirty).
- Also, note the dialogue's humor comes mostly from the subtext underneath.

INT. GAMING ROOM. TOP STAKES TABLE. MED. SHOT. NIGHT

... SYLVIA (glancing across at him enigmatically): Suivi....

BOND looks at her, frankly surprised this time.  His eyes drop to her small pile of chips.

SYLVIA: The house will cover the difference.

BOND glances at the CROUPIER, who nods almost imperceptibly. Again BOND (whom we have still not seen front-view) deals.

SYLVIA: Carte.

BOND gives her another card. It is five. BOND's cards are turned. he has two kings. He takes another. It is a seven. The CROUPIER rakes the chips over to him again. 

BOND deliberately breaks the tension by taking out his cigarette case and offering it to SYLVIA.  [This deliberate, subtle move puts Bond back in charge. Good character stuff.]

BOND: I admire your courage, Miss....?

SYLVIA (taking a cigarette): Trench....Sylvia Trench...

He lights her cigarette.

SYLVIA: And I admire your luck, Mr....?

BOND (as he brings the lighter up to his own cigarette, and for the first time we see his face): Bond....James Bond.

Their eyes meet, appraisingly. Then a man comes up behind BOND bends down to whisper something. BOND listens attentively, nods, rises.

BOND (to croupier): Afraid I'll have to pass the shoe. Andree. (to SYLVIA) Forgive me...an urgent matter.

He gets up - she gets up and joins him.

SYLVIA: Too bad. Just as it was getting interesting. [She flirts first, testing the waters.]

BOND (amused by her obvious pass): Do you play anything else but Chemin de Fer? [He picks up the gauntlet.]

SYLVIA: Golf occasionally.

BOND: How about a game tomorrow. (slight pause) and dinner afterwards? [He's not just talking about a game and dinner. Good subtext.]

SYLVIA: Its tempting. May I let you know in the morning? [Playing hard to get.]

BOND (taking a card from his pocket and handing it to her): Fine....Here's my card....give me a call... [He makes a move, but gives her a choice.]

He smiles, moves away. SYLVIA watches him go thoughtfully. 

SYLVIA (to herself): Maybe I will.... [She's impressed.]

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  A lot of the humor is in the witty dialogue but also in the subtext. 

Dr. No (1962)(5th draft, 8/1/62)
by Richard Maibaum, Wolf Mankowitz, and J.M. Harwood
From the novel by Ian Fleming

TODAY'S NUGGET: Gloria (1980) - The Flow in the Space Between Actors (Subtext)

[Quick Summary: After a neighbor is murdered in a mob hit, Gloria traipses around NYC trying to keep the neighbor's 8 y.o. son safe.]

I always thought John Cassavetes' scripts were well written and emotional, but not particularly illuminating for me.  

That is, until this one, which truly is "written to be acted, not read." 

On the page, there's not a lot of action.  However, in the space BETWEEN the actors,  the energy flows back and forth like a constantly revolving hourglass.

In the scene below:
- This aha! moment takes us from the end of act two into act three. 
- Gloria has housed, fed, defended this kid against the mob for about 48 hrs.
- The kid and she have bonded a little, but she's ill-equipped to be a parent. He just wants the world to be ok again, to go home to a family that does not exist.
- Notice how this conflict and distrust flows back and forth in subtext.

EXT. BROADWAY & 157TH ST. DAY. (EARLY A.M.)

A CAR comes SCREECHING down the street. GLORIA freezes. She can't move. PHIL looks up at her. 

PHIL: What's the matter?

GLORIA: Nothing.

PHIL: Tell me what it is. You got a pain? Was it the car? Did it scare you? [He's grown up a little & thinks about her.]

GLORIA looks up at PHIL.

GLORIA: I'm not doing the right thing. I should be sending you to a Boarding School. [Her a-ha! moment.]

PHIL: You mean an orphanage. [He's skeptical she cares.]

GLORIA: I mean, a Boarding School, you stupid, little twerp. [Not particularly patient.]

PHIL: Wrong. I'm with you. They're looking for both of us, remember? If they kill you, they kill me, right? Gloria, let me be honest with you. I'm crazy about you. Do I have a chance?  [He's asking for reassurance that she can't give.]

GLORIA: No.

PHIL: Okay. Anyway, you're not Spanish like me. You're not my mother. You're not my father. You're not anybody to me. You're not enough for me. Okay, Gloria? [He's acting older than his years.]

GLORIA doesn't answer.

PHIL (continues): So, I'm going to go find family and some new friends and a girlfriend, too. You're a nice girl, Gloria, but you're not for me.  [He will solve his own problems, naively.]

GLORIA: Okay, fine. [She does not know what to feel or do.]

PHIL (points at her eyes): You have no soul.   [He thinks he's got it under control.]

GLORIA: Okay, fine.  [She knows he does not, but does not want to argue.]

PHIL: You have nothing. But, you're very nice. [He rejects her, thinking he's wise.]

GLORIA: Okay. I'm going to be (turns, looks) at that bar across the street. I'm going to have a drink. If you want to join me, you can. If you want to run away, that's your problem. [She lets him make his own decisions, even if wrong...and he will.]

PHIL (waves): No. I've done my best to like you. I'm sorry. Goodbye Chiquita. Goodbye sucker.

GLORIA turns without regarding him again, crosses the street and enters a Bar.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  Subtext adds a different energy in the flow and space between actors. 

Gloria, aka One Summer Night (1980)(5th draft, 7/3/79)
by John Cassavetes 

TODAY'S NUGGET: Midnight Run (1988) - Intricate Setup-Payoffs in an Excellent Action-Comedy-Thriller

[Quick Summary: A stubborn former-cop-turned-bounty-hunter has to transport an equally stubborn, bail jumping accountant from NY to LA.]

I think the rousing success of this film was due to:
- 50% casting (an unlikely, equal pairing of De Niro* and Grodin) and
- 50% a strong script (two strong characters, motives, chemistry, conflict, irony).

The script is a fun and looks so easy.  However, on a closer examination, I am impressed at the high level of difficulty, as it is quite intricate.** 

First, every scene has great subtext and is doing double or triple duty. 

Second, every scene is dependent on other scenes for context, for setups and payoffs - whether it is the next scene, the previous, or even twenty scenes later.

For example, the scenes below is funny, but funnier if you know the context:
- Bail bondsman sent Walsh (protagonist) to pick up Bouchet, a bail jumper.
- Bail bondsman also sent Dorfler in case Walsh failed.
- Walsh got to Bouchet first, but Dorfler took the quarry into his car.
- Walsh outwitted Dorfler, and took Bouchet and Dorfler's car.
- Notice this scene reveals character (revenge on the unjust) and is also a payoff.

EXT. L.A. COUNTY JAIL PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Walsh drives down the street, slowing Dorfler's car outside of the L.A. County Jail parking lot. He pulls in. Part way.

INT. DORFLER'S CAR - NIGHT

Bouchet looks at Walsh.

WALSH: Open your door.

Bouchet, confused, opens the car door. Walsh does the same with his car door. Then he BACKS UP quickly.

EXT. L.A. COUNTY JAIL PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Both doors are RIPPED off the car by the two pillars at the entrance. Then, Walsh swings Dorfler's car into the parking lot through the exit. The tires EXPLODE as Walsh proceeds the wrong way over the metal teeth tha tblock incoming traffic. Walsh keeps moving and SLAMS into a brick wall, CRUNCHING the front end. Then Walsh puts it in reverse and ROARS into the parking spot he targets, CRUNCHING the rear end of the car against another brick wall.

INT. DORFLER'S CAR - NIGHT

Walsh looks at Bouchet.

WALSH: We get out here.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This script is a reminder that nothing this intricate and impeccable exists without a lot of hard work.

Midnight Run (1988)(7/31/87 draft)
by George Gallo

* "Here he proves to have comic timing of the best sort - the kind that allows dramatic scenes to develop amusing undertones while still working seriously on the surface. It's one thing to go openly for a laugh. It's harder to do what he does and allow the nature of the character to get the laughs, while the character himself never seems to be trying to be funny."

**In an interview with director Martin Brest, he said that the "script was intricate in structure that it required the two to come onto the Paramount lot on the weekend when no one was around and spread out eight folding tables in their garden area to chart out every scene. ("George actually said, "I can't take the pressure," Brest laughed,)"