Movie Analysis: “Trainwreck” — Characters

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of watching movies:

To be a good screenwriter, you need to have a broad exposure to the world of film. Every movie you see is a potential reference point for your writing, everything from story concepts you generate to characters you develop to scenes you construct. Moreover people who work in the movie business constantly reference existing movies when discussing stories you write; it’s a shorthand way of getting across what they mean or envision.

But most importantly, you need to watch movies in order to ‘get’ how movie stories work. If you immerse yourself in the world of film, it’s like a Gestalt experience where you begin to grasp intuitively scene composition, story structure, character functions, dialogue and subtext, transitions and pacing, and so on.

Let me add this: It’s important to see movies as they get released so that you stay on top of the business. Decisions get made in Hollywood in large part depending upon how movies perform, so watching movies as they come out puts you in the same head space as reps, producers, execs, and buyers.

This week’s movie: Trainwreck, written by Amy Schumer.

Our schedule for discussion this week:

Monday: General Comments
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Takeaways

For those of you who have not seen the movie, do not click MORE as we will be trafficking in major spoilers. If you have seen Trainwreck, I invite you to join me in breaking down and analyzing the movie.

Here are the main characters in Trainwreck:

Amy — Amy Schumer

Kim (Amy’s sister) — Brie Larson

Gordon (Amy’s father) — Colin Quinn

Dianna (Amy’s boss) — Tilda Swinton

Aaron (Amy’s boyfriend) — Bill Hader

LeBron (Aaron’s friend) — LeBron James

Let me take a crack at this ‘lineup’ in terms of primary character archetypes:

Protagonist: Amy

Nemesis: Gordon

Attractor: Aaron

Mentor: Kim

Trickster: Dianna, LeBron

I think these work.

Nemesis: Gordon lays down the edict — “Monogamy isn’t realistic” — branding Amy with foundational doubts about the very potential for sustained monogamous relationships. The fact she has strong positive feelings for her father (unlike her sister), cutting him slack time and time again, makes her eventual break from fear of monogamy even that much more difficult. This is her main struggle — to embrace the possibility of falling in love with Aaron and a possible committed relationship — and it is wrapped up in Amy’s relationship with her father.

Attractor: Aaron. Enough said.

Mentor: Kim represents the type of life Amy could be aspiring to — husband, kids. Beyond providing that constant visual reinforcement throughout the story, Kim also literally gives Amy several pieces of advice along the way, and has a clear take on their father which pierces through Amy’s more idealized take on the man and his take on monogamy.

Trickster: Dianna represents what Amy aspires to in terms of career success. She also represents where Amy might end up if she (Amy) doesn’t change, a lifestyle with no room for authentic human interactions

Re LeBron: There is one scene with LeBron and Amy (intervention) and the interchange is one where LB is protective of Aaron, dubious re Amy. Earlier LeBron is supportive of Aaron entering a relationship with Amy. Enemy. Ally. Even the way LeBron interacts with Aaron — splitting bill for lunch, then realizing he ‘forgot’ to bring his wallet; playing one-on-one basketball and using his superior skills to spike Aaron — all of that has the trappings of a Trickster.

The main thing is each of the characters is tied to Amy’s psychological journey as she moves from the stigma of her father’s negative attitude toward monogamy to a place where Amy can, in fact, accept the idea she is in love and Aaron is in love with her, and that relationship could be a longstanding one.

How do you interpret the characters in Trainwreck?

I look forward to any thoughts you may have.

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