We had an interesting week of Daily Dialogues exploring the theme of break-ups [suggested by Teddy Pasternak]. In fact, we got a ton of suggestions, some of which failed to make the final cut due not to their quality, but the limit of seven posts in seven days. Here are the other suggestions [I think I got them all]:
9 1/2 Weeks – Robert Grant
Almost Famous – Teddy Pasternak
American Psycho – Chris Schipper
Boogie Nights – The Bark Bites Back
Brick – adem
Closer – Chris H
Jerry Maguire – Matt Himes, Jeff Kirschner
Lady and the Tramp – veeeeee
The Philadelphia Story – Phil
War of the Roses – Judith Graves
The Social Network – Teddy Pasternak
Strangers With Candy – Doug
Then David with several worthy ones: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Annie Hall.
In honor of all your great suggestions, we have to provide this bonus, perhaps the greatest cinematic break-up of all time:
Such a classic moment!
But now we’re onto another week, so what shall our theme be? Remember, it should be something with at least 7 notable movie examples. And if there’s an angle about it we can explore in terms of writing dialogue, all the better.
See you in comments for your suggestions for next week’s Daily Dialogue them!
And thanks everyone for your contributions, this week and all the other weeks!
Deathbed scenes.
Telling someone off.
Computer chats (no spoken dialogue, typing only).
Marriage proposals.
How about written messages from one character to another? Whether it’s read by a character or V.O.’ed by the character writing, they can be pretty good.
I can’t find the clip, but Harry’s (Ralph Finnes) telegram V.O. to Ken in In Bruges is pretty fantastic and tells you everything you need to know about Harry almost a full hour before he even appears in the film.
My favorite movie…ever! (Course GWTW is close)
Suggestion with Valentine’s Day (Massacre) approaching…hmmmm.
Perhaps gangster movie romance scenes?
The Godfather, Good Fellas, and a grapefruit in the puss from Jimmy “Oooo you dirty rat” Cagney….
I was going to do another yin/yang thing and in contrast to Break-ups suggest Meet-ups – any first meeting of two characters, but maybe that would work better the following week and do it all with romantic films in honor of Valentine’s Day. Cute meet overload! There are a gazillion examples of this.
I watched 50/50 the other day and the scene where Adam first meets his therapist is terrific:
http://movieclips.com/dtg3j-5050-movie-doogie-howser/
INT. KATIE’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
The office is small, cold and emotionless – with stacks of psychology books and files strewn about. An attractive young woman, KATIE (24), sits behind a desk reading a file while she eats a rather messy sandwich. Katie takes her job very seriously, but has not quite mastered the art of speaking without sounding like a rigid grad student. Katie looks up as she takes a bite of her sandwich.
KATIE: (mouth full of food) Can I help you?
ADAM: I have an appointment with Dr. McRae.
Katie puts down the sandwich, rises from her seat and puts her hand out to shake Adam’s.
KATIE: Please call me Katie.
ADAM: (confused) You’re Dr. McRae?
KATIE: Katie McRae. You were expecting someone else?
Katie wraps up her sandwich and puts the rest away.
ADAM: Aren’t you supposed to be like sixty-five and wear earth-toned sweaters?
KATIE: (slightly defensive) Why? Did someone say that’s what I look like?
ADAM: No, no, no. I was just expecting someone older.
KATIE: Sorry to disappoint you.
ADAM: So, how old are you?
KATIE: Twenty-four.
ADAM: Twenty-four? What are you like Doogie Howser?
KATIE: Who?
ADAM: Doogie Howser…
Off Katie’s blank look.
ADAM: (CONT’D) …The teenage doctor.
KATIE: Does he work here?
I like this idea.. perhaps maybe even pickup lines?
I’d love to see endings, if it hasn’t been done. Movie clips has a whole section.
Or, since it’s the week of Valentine’s Day, Shakespeare in film:
Questions from Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
The morning after from Romeo + Juliet
Mutual dislike from Much Ado About Nothing
Killed by hate from West Side Story
My f-ng hand is falling off! from Scotland, PA
To be or not to be…not to be from The Last Action Hero
I hate the way I don’t hate you from 10 Things I Hate About You
I meant, nearly. Since it’s nearly the week etc…
I feel like this has most likely already been done but closing statements/court scenes. I am thinking of the scene from Time to Kill in particular which I think was a great one.
Death threats – A character tells another character that they will be coming for them in some form or another
This has been done in several interesting ways throughout movies. Things coming to mind immediately are No Country for Old Men (Llewellyn, thinking he’s calling Carson, actually gets Anton Chigurh, who tells him ‘You know how this is going to end’) and Dirty Harry (‘You gotta ask yourself a question, ‘Do I feel lucky?’, well do ya, punk.’)
How about a theme of “they stole my line”, where a character’s words are put into use by another either in a new context or to add emphasis (justify) the original intent.
Here’s an example: http://youtu.be/gs3gxpUonSw?t=43s
Or the payoff of this: http://youtu.be/fzMQEZLjZlk?t=1m45s
Or the set-up, payoff of this: http://youtu.be/n61nZNycfBI?t=39s
I’m not sure I can think of 7 examples, but movies that quote lines from classic movies, either as an explicit reference or implicitly, where those lines are spoken in a different context.
Wow, some great suggestions. I definitely think we can do something with Teddy and Saint’s suggestion for Valentine’s week: Meet-ups or declarations of love [I remember once we did a theme on saying I love you without saying "I love you"].
We have done some of the suggestions before [courtroom speeches, death scenes, endings], and I’m not at all averse to doing those again. But one that we haven’t done that grabbed me was death threats. That strikes me as an intriguing thing to compare, what are some different, effective ways that characters convey to other characters, they are coming after them.
Does that sound like a plan for this week? Then the meet-up / romantic something or others for Valentine’s week?
Sounds like a plan. Death threats are fun. Like this one, Michael Douglas has had enough of psycho Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction:
“You tell my wife, I’ll kill you.”
http://movieclips.com/ZCPT-fatal-attraction-movie-not-going-to-be-ignored/
I wouldn’t say it’s a great movie, a great popcorn muncher maybe, but TAKEN (2008) did have a great death threat….
Bryan: I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.
Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seRhXyoNrGI&feature=related
Meetings sounds great.
I’m digging the death threats theme. Next week meetings. Should be a fun two weeks!