Day 1: Belonging Together – SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE

[Joan Butler]

These are great characters because everyone roots for a lonely single father who is trying to give his son a good Christmas. The audience also roots for an empathetic woman who understands the father.

The drama is built around Tom and Meg listening to the same radio program even though they are far apart. This builds the audience’s expectation that they will come together in the same place.

We know Meg and Tom belong together because she answers a question meant for Tom, she says, “Sure you do” at the same time as Tom, and she is so intent on listening to him that she forgets she’s driving.

Breakthrough: by doing only these 3 things the audience knew they belonged together.

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

WATCH 1ST TIME FOR:

What causes you to believe these two belong together?

– Sam obviously needs someone. He’s seems a great guy and parent.

– Annie is emotionally tuned into Sam and his son. She needs someone.

Notice any similar emotions, words, and actions.

– she gives the same answers as Sam

– she’s tearing up

– he’s also emotional, beyond concern for his motherless son.

——————

WATCH 2ND TIME FOR:

What drama is this scene built around?

– Sam’s son has called a talk radio psychologist, Sam has intervened; Annie is listening on her car radio, really tuned into their plight

What profile items (right character, traits, secret, wound, future) showed up in these two character’s words and actions?

– Sam: loving father, can’t sleep due to losing his wife, had a great marriage

– Annie: very emotional, into Sam and his son,

– seems they may be right for each other, but are worlds apart.

– future: somehow they WILL get together.

————————————-

What makes this character great from a writing perspective?

– they both have problems — he’s grieving loss of his wife and needs someone; she also seems sad and needs someone

– they are both emotional and tuned into others’ issues and problems

– he denies he needs anyone, but we know that’s not true. His son knows he needs someone.

– they are apart and that looks like the major hurdle

[Robert Kerr]

Bob Kerr – Belonging Together – Sleepless in Seattle

Watch First Time:

The two adult characters are having parallel conversations with the radio Dr. Meg’s facial expressions echo Tom’s formal question of how to address the radio Doc.

As Tom goes into his explanation of how his wife made Christmas beautiful Meg emotionally connects. The appearance that Meg is also driving because she fights insomnia comes to light when she is brought back to the reality that she is driving.

Watch second time:

What drama is this scene built around:

Tom’s character is attempting to acknowledge his son’s reaching out to the radio Doc for a connection for his father. Obviously Tom starts out by humoring his son and then allows himself to be vulnerable and this is a magnet drawing Meg’s characters attention.

What profile items show up in the two characters:

Right Character: Tom is trying to create a positive Xmas experience for his son and Meg identifies with that though she is on the other side of the country and only connected through the radio. His genuine love for his son and grief for his wife is appealing to Meg

Traits: Both characters are vulnerable, believe they are missing someone to be truly happy, awash with memories and listeni9ng to the radio Doc looking for relief

Secrets: Tom reveals his secret that his wife left a really big hole that is magnified by the Xmas season. Meg gives the impression that she is searching for a connection because she doesn’t have what she yearns for right now.

Wounds: Tom it is the reality that life is not as good and he is too proud to acknowledge that he needs someone and not just to be the mother to his son. Meg, her wound is hidden at this point.

Living Into The Future: Tom starts off the conversation very skeptical. He has a change of heart when he addresses his pain at why he isn’t sleeping. Meg, she demonstrates through facial expression and falling deep into the conversation realizing this man needs someone and she is probably in the same boat of needing someone.

The Insights and breakthroughs this time are driven by the unique vehicle of a talkj show Doc serving as the connecting point for two single people yearning for love. The breakthrough for me is the opportunity in my script to expand the relationship between the rowing coach and the main character (Fran). More depth and more drama to reveal and share.

[Mi Lock]

What makes these characters great from a writing perspective:

– First of all, even if Sam is with his son, we feel Sam and Annie are lonely souls. They both seem to be caring and loving people, kind and hopeful for a better future. They seem to have fun with the radio show as the scene progresses.

– what they say at the same time might look like a coincidence but it actually helps Annie feel close to Sam. They both seem a bit annoyed by “call me Doctor Marcia”.

– Both of them feel empathy for someone else: Sam for his son Jonah, Annie for Sam + Jonah. They actually both want to love and to be loved again. She even answers “Yes” at his place when the Dr asks if he might also need someone. By answering to that question, Annie is actually living into her future, maybe dreaming of Sam being the right one for her.

Insights/breakthroughs:

Signs that they are meant to be together/ belong to each other should appear early in the script so the audience would root for the lead characters, especially in a romcom as it creates a curiosity, a will to know more about what’s next/ what is going to happen to them from the audience.

[Ann Marie]

They are great characters from a writing perspective because they both appear lonely, which is a great starting point because it gives an arc to a story that could have a happy ending – a very relatable and pleasing ending for an audience. He has a son but his son has rang into a ‘lonely hearts’ type of radio show, so his son recognises his father’s loneliness, while she’s driving alone into the night, listening to a lonely hearts show. They are both empathetic, unselfish people, he cares deeply for his son and his need for a mother, also for his wife, who we gather has died – while she is touched when he says his wife made Christmas beautiful. -she can relate to this, by the look in her eyes. Initially she is skeptical of the show but when she mirrors his exact words and sentiment, he grabs her attention and makes her smile – they share a sense of humour, a bond in the darkness. The writing sparkles by showing these two lonely characters mirroring each others words, humour, lonely predicament and an empathetic outlook.

I particularly liked Joan’s concise insights – by doing only 3 things, we know they belong together.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by  Ann Marie.

[Wilton Blake]

First Watch:

What causes you to believe these two belong together? Annie is very empathetic, while Sam is bravely exposing himself. What causes you to believe is the fact that they seem to express similar emotions during the call.

Second Watch:

What drama is this scene built around? The drama is built around the son’s belief that his father needs a new wife.

What profile items (right character, traits, secret, wound, future) showed up in these two characters’ words and actions? The wound they are mourning is the death of the wife. The son seems to be healing faster than the father.

What I Learned:

It could be nice to have a similar scene. I could have two characters display some behavior or emotion that suggests they should be together. I’m still on the fence about having there be a romance though.

[Liz JANZEN]

Insights…

There are 2 triangles in this scene. The first one is Sam, his son Jonah and Dr. Marsha. It sets the future for the second triangle: Sam, Jonah and Annie. This scene is also an example of living into their future.

Second insight: there’s almost no dialogue employed in introducing Annie into the second triangle beside the one key line when both she and Sam react together (magically!) at the same time and in the same way to something Dr. Marsha says. The rest is conveyed by Annie’s visual reactions which indicate a growing interest in Sam and Jonah because of what she’s hearing.

Breakthrough for me: I have a scene in a script for which I need to reconsider how to convey attraction between two characters when one of the characters is resisting it.

[Patrick Malone]

Week 2 Day 1: Belonging Together – SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE

1st Viewing:

• What causes you to believe these two belong together?

They are both lonely and are wanting/needing someone to love. Sam says as much to Dr. Marsha. At the start of the call Annie is smiling and taking it in lightly. She seems cynical. But as Sam explains the loss of his wife, Annie becomes more series and thoughtful. She seems sympathetic and empathetic.

• Notice any similar emotions, words, and actions.

When Dr. Marsha says that she doesn’t want to invade Sam’s privacy, both he and Annie respond “Sure you do.”

When Dr. Marsha suggests Sam needs someone Annie answers “Yes.” for both Sam and for herself.

Annie’s expression changes from smiling to thoughtful and concerned.

2nd viewing:

• What drama is this scene built around?

It is built around Sam exposing his lonely situation, missing his wife, and the reactions of Annie listening in. The presence of Sam’s son adds to the drama.

• What profile items (right character, traits, secret, wound, future) showed up in these two character’s words and actions?

Right Characters: both alone, needing someone to love

Traits: both are emotional, caring

Secret: What happened to Annie to put her here?

Wound: Sam misses his wife. Annie’s wound is implied – loneliness.

Future: it is implied that Sam and Annie will somehow meet.

[Donna Stockwell]

Insights
relationship – Annie & Sam – Annie feels for Sam being put on the spot by the doctor; and they are living their future (of belonging together) in this phone call, with their agreement and simultaneous responses (dialog and actions) to the doctor’s questions and comments.
relationship – Jonah & Sam – Sam loves his son very much, and understands he needs to put his own life aside to help his son get through the heartache of losing his mother
relationship – Dr. & Sam – Sam is reluctant to answer the doctors questions, but opens up when he understands he is doing this to help his son although still with hesitation and reluctancy
relationship – Dr & Annie — the trust and loyalty that Annie listens to the show and mixed feelings of the questions that the Dr asks of Sam

Annie is tuned in by radio and by heart to hear and start to need Sam. And revolving around Christmas, this movie makes special connections of the heart as if they are both asking Santa (the radio psychiatrist) how to fill the space in their lives, and she is leading both of them to each other (their answer to their future happiness).
Right Character – Sam is a loving father who puts his son’s needs ahead of himself, and trying to make this Christmas special for his sad son; coincidentally, his son is doing the same. Annie yearns for some happiness in her life and wants to give her love.
Traits – vulnerable, memories that cannot be recreated, hope everyday to find answers to fill the pain of losing a close loved one. Annie reaches out in hope that Sam and his son be happy. All three seem to be loving, caring, hopeful characters.
Secrets – Sam doesn’t know how to make Christmas special for his son since he always relied on his wife.
Wounds – Sam and Jonah are hurt and feel empty and lost without a loving woman in their lives. Annie is alone in her car driving, originally perhaps to nowhere.
Living into their future – Annie may be driving to her future, and connecting on a “radio frequency” with Sam and Jonah foreshadowing the meeting and connection in their future.

[Elizabeth Koenig]

Learned: when you’re behind, a good clip and some guidance can get you back in the ring…

What causes you to believe these two belong together?

Similar emotions: both are lonely/pining for connection with another adult. Both care about kids (Annie reacts to the therapist’s concern about Jonah with visual empathy, and also as Sam talks about the pain for both father and son of Christmas without his wife). Both are a bit put off by the pretentiousness of “Dr. Marsha.” Words: they think/understand the world similarly, saying the same words “Oh, sure you do—” mean to invade his privacy. Annie (who knows how much she needs someone to deeply connect with) answers for Sam that he needs someone as much as Jonah does. Actions: Annie was so engaged with Sam and Jonah during the call that she has to ‘sigh’ and ‘shake’ herself back to her own reality at the end.

What drama is this scene built around? The ‘fall-out’ of Jonah’s concern for his father, and the letter he’s written to a radio therapist in his search for help.

Profile items: right character: Annie’s belief in ‘meant to be’ allows her to consider a man all the way across the country. Sam’s committed enough to his son that he’d consider a woman Jonah picks out. Traits: both romantic/intimate “she made everything beautiful,” and Annie visually empathizing with that; Sam is hesitant and Annie willing to jump right in even if she’s engaged to someone else—provides conflict. Wound: Annie’s with the wrong guy; Sam’s lost the wife he loves.

Characters are great from a writing perspective: they’re both committed to kids, Annie’s belief in destiny and capacity for tremendous empathy allows her to be thoroughly comfortable dating a grieving guy with a son. Annie’s ability to play and be impulsive can catapult them over the hurdles.