Movie Analysis: “Trainwreck” — Takeaways
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.
I want to focus on three aspects of this movie which have been fundamental to making movies since the earliest days of the business. Both of these help Trainwreck overcome some weaknesses in the handling of its plot as discussed here.
First, create a compelling Protagonist and the audience will follow them through almost any sort of plot issues. With Amy’s character in Trainwreck, she takes after the movie’s title while believing she’s got a pretty bitchin’ life. That’s interesting. She’s also funny as hell which adds to her allure. Once she meets Aaron, the central question gets raised: Will Amy continue to be trapped by her father’s anti-monogamy propaganda or embrace the potential for an authentic committed relationship, while cleaning up her act along the way? I found her character compelling and was happy to follow her on your journey.
Second, set pieces. There is a quote attributed to Hollywood’s first great movie producer Irving Thalberg. He reportedly told his writers at MGM, “Give me five great scenes and I can sell that movie.” Trainwreck has several great scenes which have the effect of set pieces, given the modest scope and scale of the story universe. Some are actually set pieces such as the final scene in which Amy dances with the New York Knicks dancers. Others are small scenes, but memorable because of how the characters milk the moment such as the “talk dirty to me” scene with Steven (John Cena):
The story has more than enough memorable scenes to make it an enjoyable experience.
Finally, make the audience feel something. This is a consistent feature in Apatow movies, always some relatable emotional dynamics woven into the narrative, no matter how ribald the humor. In Trainwreck, there is the relationship between the sisters. The death of their father. And of course, the central storyline of Amy’s struggle to get her act together.
You write a script with a compelling Protagonist, memorable scenes and set pieces, and provide the reader narrative dynamics which evoke an emotional reaction, chances are that is a script which will be received favorably.
How about you? What takeaways do you have from Trainwreck?
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