Day 9 Assignments

[Leanne Lucas]

Leanne’s 12 Angry Men analysis

Assumption of guilt – “Look at his record” (But his father beat him since he was 5 years old). “Slums are breeding grounds for these kind of kids” (I grew up in a slum).

Just want this over – Game doesn’t start until 8

Not caring

Prejudice – “They’re all liars” (Female witness was same ethnicity as boy accused of murder, so why believe her and not him?) “Common ignorant slob – don’t speak good English” (Doesn’t speak good English); After the old man rants, Henry Fonda says, prejudice always obscures the truth.

Not looking beneath the surface – Why would old man say something was true if it wasn’t – did he have other motives?

Assuming the evidence is not questionable – Knife was not as unusual as they thought. Burden of proof is on the prosecution.

Assuming the witnesses were accurate – Could the old man really make it to the door in 15 seconds? Did the woman wear glasses?

Assuming the defense attorney did his job – Public defender assigned to a case he doesn’t want. Did he ask enough questions, or did he ask all the questions he could have?

Assuming the case is completely logical – Would a boy shout “I’m going to kill you” when he knew neighbors could hear? Would he really kill his father over a couple of slaps?

[Patrick Malone]

PROFOUND SCREENWRITING LESSON 9 ASSIGNMENT 2

PATRICK MALONE Old Ways Challenge Chart

What I learned was to find challenges to Dennis’s old ways. I have just a few, but will discover more as I develop the story.

OLD WAYS:

Dennis denies his Comanche heritage/culture

CHALLENGES:

– When student asks him about a Comanche ceremony Dennis has no knowledge about it.

– The school is developing an Indian Studies class and ask Dennis to consider teaching it. He declines.

– When searching for Melissa and Brian in the ghost town, Mike challenges Dennis to use his Indian tracking skills. He has no such skills.

– Jennifer challenges Dennis to recall the Comanche legend concerning the Star Man. He either can’t or won’t.

– Dennis is afraid to enter the mine to confront Star Man. When he finds Brian dead and two teens are killed. Dennis is challenged to enter the mine and hopefully save his friends.

– several times Jennifer challenges Dennis to enter a trance and summon his Indian spirit. He refuses, but eventually does.

– At the end he is again challenged to accept teaching the Indian Studies course. He accepts.

[Leanne Lucas]

Leanne’s Old Ways Challenge Chart

The OLD WAY has Bess under her parent’s authority, but she CHALLENGES this authority when she tries to defy her father’s wishes and when she states that going on the voyage was not her choice.

The OLD WAY has Bess caring for her parents when they get sick, and when they die, she goes to live with the Carvers. When the Carvers die, she must CHALLENGE the old ways by living in an unusual blended family situation, although she is still under the care of a man (John Howland).

The OLD WAY has Bess believing the Native Americans are savages, but that way is CHALLENGED when she meets them for the first time and realizes they are very similar to her.

The OLD WAY has Bess accepting John’s authority in the house, but when he has to leave (against her wishes) she CHALLENGES the old way by learning how to shoot a gun to protect herself.

The OLD WAY has some of the colonists track down and kill the leaders of a local tribe when they are threatened by them, but Bess CHALLENGES that way when she states her opposition to their actions.

The OLD WAY has the colonists living under a socialist economy, but that way is CHALLENGED when the leadership decides to move to a system of individual enterprise, and Bess is the first to embrace the system.

Although Bess appears to have challenged the old ways by taking on responsibility for her safety and her provision, her new OLD WAY is CHALLENGED when all her efforts fail.

[Laura Hyler]

Laura Hyler’s 12 Angry Men Analysis 4/9/22

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of posing challenges to old ways and beliefs, and answering them in order to effect a change in the characters.

Assumption of Guilt: Based on race, the neighborhood the kid comes from, socioeconomic background. Numerous quotes that reveal the attitudes: “…these people,” “…they’ll kill for anything,” “…they always lie,” “look at his record,” and the “slums are breeding grounds for these kinds of kids.”

Challenge: Henry Fonda does not base his judgment this way and raises questions, which necessitates further discussions. (Not unanimous)

Just Want it Over: One guy has tickets to a ball game, and doesn’t care, others assume guilt, so they don’t care to look more deeply. Some don’t even have anything particular to do, they just want to go home and get out of the heat.

Challenge: As time progresses, the number of items called into question increase, adding to the number of “not guilty” votes.

Not caring: The last three hold outs literally do not care if they send an innocent person to the electric chair if it inconveniences them or makes them go against their entrenched biases and prejudices. Lee J. Cobb’s character has personal issues that are part of his judgment of the accused boy.

Challenge: Henry Fonda’s character is not satisfied that the prosecution proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt. He whittles away at the prosecution and testimony until others start to see the holes in the case against the defendant.

Prejudice: Revealed as in the quotes above (under assumption of guilt) and other quotes : “his type,” “you know how they are” “violence is all they know” “they don’t speak proper English”

Challenge:

Two of the jurors do not fit the other’s idea of the perfect citizen: one came from the slums, and another speaks in broken English. Lee J. Cobb says from the beginning that this generation is such as disappointment “you work so hard,” and reveals a rift between himself and his son, and that he hasn’t seen him in two years. So, in his case, he is an ageist.

Not Looking Beneath the Surface: Not questioning value of the eyewitnesses testimony, jurors not seeing where reasonable doubt is also part of their own lives. How long does it take an L train to pass by? How much noise does it make?

Challenge: Eye glasses, what did you do last night? Can you remember what movie you saw? How long did it really take the old man to get to the staircase? One thing the movie does not bring up, that I thought was an obvious challenge to the testimony was- how, exactly, can you possibly see something through a moving train windows with any degree of accuracy????

Assuming the Evidence is Not Questionable:

Believing everything that the “witnesses” said they saw. Believing that the knife that was found at the crime scene was the one owned by the son.

Challenge:

Amount of time it took the old man to get to the stairs with a limp. Whether or not the old man actually heard anything as the L train was passing through. The timing of the old man hearing a threat and a body falling and the passing of the L train, which is very loud.

Woman who claimed to see the murder through the passing L train. Was she wearing her glasses?

Angle of the knife entry from a shorter person into a taller one. Knife is a common design.

Assuming Witnesses were accurate

Challenges:

Why was one juror willing to accept the woman’s testimony when she is one of “them?” Is this gender bias? Was she wearing glasses when she was trying to sleep?

Why believe the old man was accurate in his assessment of time? Gender or age bias? The old man had a limp. He also would not have heard over the L train.

Assuming the Defense Attorney Did His Job

Challenges: Why were many of the jurors unconcerned with the lack of voracity on behalf of the defense attorney? How committed was he to defending the accused? Did he think it was a losing case? Was there no money in it for him? Did it play to his own prejudices?

Assuming the case is logical

Jurors accepting evidence and testimony without formulating questions of their own.

Challenge:

Henry Fonda’s character questioning evidence and testimony, until other jurors begin to see the holes in the case, at which point they begin to ask their own questions. It becomes apparent that many things that were accepted at face value, were full of unanswered questions, and definitely fall under “reasonable doubt.”

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Laura Hyler. Reason: Forgot to include what I learned

[Laura Hyler]

Laura Hyler’s Old Ways Challenge Chart Day 9 Part 2

What I learned from doing this assignment, is that it is difficult to show a large shift in the protagonist’s journey, as she is the same person in the end, however, more assertive. I don’t want to turn her into a super-introverted and weak person in the beginning.

Old Ways- Naomi settles for dating a guy who is not her match intellectually, socially, behaviorally.

Challenge: Naomi begins to see that there is another type of man that she would be more compatible with.

Old Ways- After the loss of her husband and subsequent dating life, Naomi is very hesitant to consider another relationship. She is reserved.

Challenge: Naomi enjoys the time she spends with Kofi. She discovers she has more in common with him than originally believed. She likes him.

Old Ways- Naomi is affected by other’s opinions. She worries that if she continues to see Kofi, how other’s thoughts, opinions, etc. will impact their relationship.

Challenge: Naomi decides that she deserves to be happy. She stands up to her sister by not giving in to her sister’s wishes and elects not to be her maid of honor.

Old Ways- allows people to say offensive things to her without reacting.

Challenge: Naomi decides to stand up for herself by not allowing people to influence her decisions. The cost to her personally is too great now.

[Sherri Coffee]

Sherri D. Coffee – 12 Angry Men Analysis

What I learned doing this assignment was to really examine beliefs that lead the viewer to assume a position or a story outcome. The challenges create the steps of the transformational journey. A very effective way to layer the journey.

Assumption of guilt: The one juror challenges guild by stating that “sending a boy to die is not easy”.

Just want this over: Challenge -no one can convict unless actually sure.

Not caring: Challenge – “I can’t understand why you are so convinced?”

Prejudice: Challenge – when the man says the boy has not has an easy life.

Not looking beneath the surface: Challenge: questioning the boys relationship to his father.

Assuming the evidence is not questionable: Challenge- taking each step of the presented facts and questioning and/or verifying the story.

Assuming the witnesses were accurate: Challenge – old mans motivation and recreating his evidence. Also the women across the street.

Assuming the Defense Attorney did his job? Challenge – did he? Question motivation.

Assuming the case is completely logical: Challenge – is it?

[Sherri Coffee]

Sherri D. Coffee – Old Ways challenge Chart

Old ways: Kathryn assumes her education has prepared her for success in lobby firm.

She is challenged when forming a coalition has nothing to do with her education.

Old ways: Kathryn assumes that politicians will care about women health issues.

She is challenged when she presents her facts, and they want to know what groups support.

Old ways: Kathryn assumes a female leader will be concerned with women health issue due to past media statements.

She is challenged when she is questioned on the issue and asked bluntly about why support.

Old ways: Kathryn tries to build a coalition to support issue with face-to-face meetings and group dinners.

She is challenged by the time constraint. She needs a cohesive coalition fast.

Old ways: Kathryn believes that politicians care about health issues.

She is challenged when they really care about how much the issue will cost.

Old ways: Kathryn believes once the politicians see the coalition behind the issue, they will support.

She is challenged when the politicians object to some of her coalition groups due to other advocacy issues. They do not consider her issue to be a single issue.

Old ways: Political systems plays by the rules and requires lobbyists to have a record.

Kathryn has no record with the political system and does not understand. She asks why and challenges the “way it’s always been done”.

[Lisandro Boccacci]

Lisandro Boccacci’s 12 Angry Men’s Analysis

I went off the ones that were listed, unfortunately, I couldn’t find a copy and I could only find the ones that show the clips, so for times sake im going off the ones listed in the email.

Assumption of guilt – So the main guy who is firmly going to hold his guilty verdict already assumes the worst because of everything presented in the court, he also has personal experience in life and just makes the assumption that anyone and everyone from the slums is guilty and would be found guilty because it makes sense to him.

Just want this over – People don’t want to be there and that’s made clear, and every time there is something thrown into question, which withholds some from watching a game for example and that puts a real cramp in their own day…

Not caring – The majority are quick to believe the current information, its satisfying enough for most of them to go back to their lives, which is what they care more about… they don’t care enough … to the point that they don’t care if an innocent boy goes to jail… a boy like that will eventually be there anyway..

Prejudice – they’ve already got their mind up about certain people because of how they speak, or how they come off, maybe not as intelligent, “prejudice always obscures the truth.” for sure a really great line that challenges the current perspective.

Not looking beneath the surface – just like everything that was presented in the trail, all the clues and evidence point to guilty, but its all very surface. as the movie shows as each thing gets questioned, the time it took the knife, the motives, etc, when they really dig deep, they start to find what makes more sense.

Assuming the evidence is not questionable – one moment with the knife… the group argued that the knife is too unique and that the idea of a coincidence happening was unbelievable until the fonda character pulls out a knife and throws down on the table demonstrating with 6 bucks and a walk around the block where the kid lived and he was able to find a knife , just like the murder weapon,

Assuming the witnesses were accurate – one of the things that comes into question is the dots left on a the top portion of a person’s nose, those marks appear when you wear glasses for a long time and take em off, resulting on the dots, and so that puts into question did the old lady really see what she saw…

Assuming the defense attorney did his job – Interesting how people of high positions or assumed authority, we give them credit thinking they did everything that they did.. but in the room, the fonda character starts to walk and count the 15 seconds, a mention is made, “dont you think the attorneys would of went over that” something like that, indicating that everything has been looked at by the professionals because that’s there job

Assuming the case is completely logical –There’s a moment of heated discussion where one of the men yells at the other man who is testing the perspective of the kid being gulty… he pushes the man until he shouts at the other, “im going to kill you” says it out of anger, and the other men have to hold the angered man back…

in which in turn the other man says.. i know you said it but you didn’t mean it… which in turn really puts in question… anyone who gets angered and says im going to kill you doesn’t mean that that proves guilt. human nature to say things like that when one is pushed to extreme anger.

[Lisandro Boccacci]

Lisandro Boccacci’s – Old Ways challenge Chart

Old ways: Ten year old Silas Scruggs, assumes the great life he has on the farm will last forever. — because of how peaceful the farmland is where they are at, he doesnt have anything to really worry about other than being a kid, having fun and going to his parents when he needed food and be taken care of. He is also a mama ‘s boy, not ragging on it, but thats what the situation has created, and because he is sheltered with his mother and father… he has also created a natural way of being shy , and passive and not really having the will power to get himself out of trouble because he never really had to, he was never put in a life and death situation where he had to handle it on his own and his parents know this when they get forced out of their farmland and onward to Oklahoma, they had to make sure they keep him safe.

He is challenged when US soldiers force them off their land .

Old ways: The Boy assumes that his parents have all the answers and when they don’t, he gets very sad, cries, but he also gets very angry, at his parents for not having answers this time around, angered at his father for being a coward for not fighting back to keep their farmland.. the boy doesn’t understand that there was nothing that he could do, that he father is doing his best to keep them alive even if it meant leaving their farmland … he is so mad that he ignores his parents to the point that it puts his own life in danger because when his mother told him to take the water they had, he was to upset and stubborn to get out of his mood so he didn’t want to take anything from his parents. but then the water and food they have gets stolen from one of their friends , out of desperation turns on the family, the family that’s been good and generous to this friend. so with the water and food stolen the boy is out of luck when he grows hungry and thirsty enough to snap out of this mood and go to his parents.

He is challenged when they cant provide food and water for the boy…he is on his own…

Old ways: he whines and begs, bargains… to no end… its situation he can t control and just cry his way back home…

The boy is challenged, forced to seek help else where , other than his parents, he is going to have to overcome his fears, shyness, …

Old ways: The boy really tries, and is even surprised that he did it… but its not enough to he resolves to quitting… he always quits when things get tough… (will have to show that early on, as a set up)

He is challenged by being pushed to the limit… literally all fails and … the the weather provides rain for the boy…enough for him to drink. .but he really had to dig in deep to go for the water. .and get over his dying thirst.

.

Old ways: would of chosen to go back after his parents…

<font face=”inherit”>He is challenged with a </font>decision<font face=”inherit”>.. to make… on his own, and he has to be smart… or else it could be a fatal for him…if he choses the wrong path… he chooses to cut through a </font>forestry<font face=”inherit”> area to try and collect more water and its a short cut… if he makes it out alive..</font>

old way: choses fear…

challenge… he is up in a tree with an angry wild boar down below.. he has to climb down and fight it in order to get back to the ferry in time to catch up with his family.

Old ways: He would of given into his emotions, his anger, give in to getting his revenge back… he wants to kill the soldiers that did this to them…

the challenge… the soldiers that moved them out of their homes.. where ambushed by revenge seeking Cherokees.,, it cost them their lives and left the soldier hurt, wounded, or dead… they have to carried across on the ferry to seek real medical attention… fastest way… but the thing is they have to share the ferry with the Cherokees… its a very complicated situation and people are scared to get on the same boat for fear of the same thing happening… and something happens that makes everyone stop in there tracks and pay attention…the mother is trying to set a good example for her son…doesn’t want him to go down that path of anger.. so she start healing and helping the injured soldiers. everyone is baffled at first… but her leading the example… other women join in… and soon… everyone is helping everyone… there’s no fight.. the son.. the boy full of rage and revenge.. drops his knife… and helps a soldier out…

What i learned doing this assignment was seeing how the old ways and challenges really fit perfectly with the structure for the main characters that we assigned as the transformable character and the change agent characters… it really solidifies the structure, locks it in, frames it perfectly.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Lisandro Boccacci.

[Sherwen Moore]

Sherwen Moore –Assignment 9 Part 1

I learned it is very important to show an audience how some people think and how equally important it is to look at challenges as a result of that mindset. How can a different way of thinking affect you? What happens if you are right or wrong and it affects someone’s lifestyle?

12 Angry Men

Old Ways: 12 white men deciding the fate of someone different than them. Challenge: Go beyond the typical way white men judge others in a court of law and society in general. To act like a ‘jury among your peers’

Old Ways: Judging the defendant and not analyzing all the evidence. Challenge: Not to think so quickly because you feel this case is not complicated and the evidence seems so obvious because ‘this is how those people act’.

Old Ways: Quick to draw a conclusion Challenge: Think what if it was you being accused and the jurors were different than you. Be empathetic

Old Ways: Proving your point with the evidence. Challenge: Be open to the evidence having a different angle to it even though it may not initially look that way.

Old Ways: Peer Pressure Challenge: Have courage to be different and stick with your intuition if you don’t agree with what looks like the obvious.

Old Ways: Need to be convinced the person, different than you, is innocent. Challenge: Not to be afraid to hear yourself talk and deal with your prejudices even when it doesn’t make sense.

Old Ways: Stubborn because you think you are right. Challenge: Release your ego. It seems that the older we get the more this becomes a problem.

Old Ways: Thinking time is being wasted. Challenge: Not to have other priorities more important than someone else’s life.

[Sherwen Moore]

Sherwen Moore Assignment 9 Part 2

I learned that this exercise forces me to look at the old ways my story is embedded in and how that helps us look at how this movie moves forward.

Old Ways: White privilege and civil rights don’t mix. Challenge: Al quit his job with the FBI but yearns to make a difference in his community. He writes a grant to create his own job working with inner city youth. <s></s>

Old Ways: Gullible rookie “in the hood” Challenge: Mark must understand how he fits in working with Tom and enforcing the law.

Old Ways: Disrespect the people you protect. Challenge: Mark and Tom learn the hard way that the relationship is strained with Tyrone because Tom doesn’t consider him an equal.

Old Ways: Law enforcing stereotypes. Challenge: Mark, as a hostage tells Al that sometimes bad times make good things happen.

Old Ways: Arrogance +injustice= racism in law enforcement Challenge: Police response to Mark being held hostage is a concern if he is bad for business.

Old Ways: Drug dealing and poor people. Challenge: Al opens up information that medical doctors are involved in illegal trade of medicinal marijuana.

Old Ways: Educating our poor youth and making minimal progress. Challenge: Al encourages all youth to question everything for the sake of their growth.

[Patrick Malone]

PATRICK MALONE 12 ANGRY MEN ANALYSIS

What I learned was to recognize the Old Ways and challenges to them.

ASSUMPTION OF GUILT

Some jurors’ comments:

– “It’s an open and shut case.”

– “A kid kills his father just like that.”

– “We’re trying to put a guilty man in the chair where he belongs.”

– “The kid is a dangerous killer; you can see it.”

At the start, Henry Fonda is the only one of the 12 jurors who considers the boy may be innocent. He challengers many of the other’s old ways. As the night progresses other jurors start to believe the boy maybe innocent and they start to challenge the old ways.

JUST WANT THIS OVER

– “We can get out of here pretty quick.”

– “I happen to have tickets to that ballgame tonight.”

– “We can do it (discuss the case) for five minutes.”

Challenge: “Let’s take an hour. The ballgame doesn’t start ‘till eight.”

– “We’ll be here all night.”

Challenge: “It’s only one night. A boy might die.”

NOT CARING

– The advertising executive is more interested in showing a design he created for a cereal box than considering the case.

– Another is more interested in getting to the ballgame.

– Ed Begley wants to tell jokes.

– Two men play Xs and Os.

Challenge: Henry rips up their game.

– “I got three garages going to pot so let’s get out of here.”

– The baseball juror changes his vote to not guilty just to get things over with.

Challenge: The foreign juror reprimands him saying the that’s not a good reason. He must vote with his conscience.

PREJUDICE

– “Children from slums are potential menaces to society.”

Challenge: “I lived in a slum all my life.”

– “He don’t even speak good English.”

Challenge: “He doesn’t speak good English.”

– Ed Bagley goes on a prejudice rant.

Challenge: “Prejudice always obscurest he truth.”

– “I’ve lived among them all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. You know that they’re born liars.”

Challenge: “Only an ignorant man can believe that.”

NOT LOOKING BENEATH THE SURFACE

– Henry talks about the boy’s unfortunate rough background

Challenge: Ed Bagley “We don’t owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn’t he?”

– “I just think he’s guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word go. Nobody proved otherwise.”

Challenge: “Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof’s on the prosecution.”

ASSUMING THE EVIDENCE IS NOT QUESTIONALBE

– the switchblade knife is rare and unusual

Challenge: Henry produces one exactly like it. He bought it 2 blocks from the boy’s home.

ASSUMING THE WITNESSES WERE ACURATE

-The woman on the other side of the El tracks claims she heard the yelling, looked up from her bed and saw the boy stab his father.

Challenge: Henry proves the woman needs glasses and would not have worn them to bed.

– The old man who lived above the murder scene claimed to recognize the boy’s voice yell, “I’m going to kill you.”

Challenge: Henry points out the El train would drown out the yell.

– The old man also claimed he left his apartment and saw the boy run down the stairs seconds after the father hit the floor.

Challenge: Henry proves the old man could not have walked fast enough to see the boy as he has a bad limp.

ASSUMING THE DEFENCE ATTORNEY DID HIS JOB

The jurors do not question the evidence or defense attorney’s procedure.

The Challenges:

“The defense counsel let too many things go by.”

“It’s also possible for a lawyer to be just plain stupid. Isn’t it?”

“I’d of asked for another lawyer I think.”

ASSUMING THE CASE IS COMPLETELY LOGICAL

Some of the jurors present the ‘facts’ of the case. They can’t be disputed.

Challenge: Henry shows the possible weaknesses of the facts.

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Patrick Malone.

[Edward Brown]

<div>Edward Brown 12 man chart</div>

I learned actually using chart help nderstand graphically summery of relevant points

I also leaned the chart we were asked to fill in can not be downloaded here

Edward Brown old ways vs challenges

I learned charts help think but can not be down loaded

[Brenda Riolo]

Brenda’s 12 Angry Men Analysis

What I learned doing this assignment is that the writer had the Henry Fonda character never said anyone was wrong, and instead just laid out the things that he had doubts about and then he had the other jurors discuss them. In the process of discussing them, the doubts came out about the evidence presented in court and the reason why the jurors had voted that way. For a few of the jurors, they voted Guilty because of their own prejudices or emotional issues in their own lives. I liked the way the way the writer ended the movie since they didn’t beat you over the head with the point of the movie. The movie asked the audience to decide along with the jurors whether the kid was guilty so the audience could decide for themselves if the men in the jury were right to doubt the evidence presented to them.

Prejudice “They are born liars” – Challenge one of the jurors starts ranting about the kid’s race and the other jurors stand up and won’t listen to him; the juror who said complained about the boy’s grammar is corrected for this grammar by another juror for his grammar

Assumption of guilt – “slums are breeding grounds for children” Challenge – one of the jurors grew up in a slum-like environment

Assuming the witnesses were accurate the woman’s testimony – Challenge “You don’t believe him, but you believe the woman” “do people always tell the truth”, how could the old man hear the boy yell with the loud train going by? One of the jurors said how the old man be confused, and then he shows he’s confused by all the evidence by repeating the wrong evidence, how could the woman have seen the boy without her glasses

Assuming the evidence is not questionable – the knife – Challenge – The questioning juror went to the boy’s neighborhood and bought the same knife”;

Not looking beneath the surface Challenge -the questioning juror showed that even not under stress one of the jurors couldn’t remember what movie he had seen and who was in it.

Not caring – no one cares about this trial- Challenge “doing the secret ballot”, one of the jurors talked about a fair trial is one of best things about democracy and that’s why he wanted to emigrate to America.

Assuming the defense attorney did his job = Challenge – the defense attorney was appointed, one of the jurors said you could tell the defense attorney didn’t care about his client

Assuming the case is completely logical the boy was caught coming back to the apartment, how the boy stabbed his father- Challenge – Why did the boy come back to his apartment if he was guilty? The angle of the knife was wrong if the boy was using a switchblade knife

Just want this over – some of he jurors kept saying this over and over again – Challenge – the Henry Fonda character doesn’t want to send a kid to this death without discussion, and other jurors start to agree.

[Brenda Riolo]

Brenda’s Old Ways Challenge Chart

What I learned doing this assignment is I have a general idea of how the old ways are challenged, but I still need to flesh out the details for the story. I want to make sure that the mother character does not make the child feel wrong for her behavior or the emotions, the way the Henry Fonda character did in the “12 Angry Men” script. I want the mother to never say “you shouldn’t be feeling that wat” to the child, and treat the child like an adult. All other jurors in the movie made assumptions about why characters said the things they did and voiced them out loud to make them feel wrong about the way they voted. The Henry Fonda character never did that. He treated each juror as an adult who was entitled to their feelings, and insisted only that they discuss the evidence in the trial.

Old Ways

1. The child character is lonely and depressed.

2. The child character thinks her mother doesn’t love her.

3. The mother is always away on treasure hunting trips.

4. The child character feels damaged and broken inside and out.

5. The child character does not feel a part of her mother’s life.

6. The child acts and treats her mother cruelly sometimes.

7. The child does not have long to live.

Challenge for the Old Ways

Old Way # 1 – The child character finds herself happier some of the time, with the depression lifting.

Old Way # 2 – The child character comes to realize that her mother loves her through their treasure hunt.

Old Way # 3 – The mother gives up her next trip to spend time with her daughter.

Old Way # 4 – The child character begins to see their feeling as normal given her illness, and not because she’s broken and damaged.

Old Way # 5 – With the treasure hunt, the child realizes her mother knows everything about her and has been keeping tabs on her while she’s away.

Old Way # 6 – The child offers to help the mother out with the planning, and doesn’t always put her down.

Old Way # 7 – The child lives longer than anyone expected.

[Linda Anderson]

Linda Anderson’s Old Ways Challenge Chart

What I learned doing this assignment is showing the challenges to the lead character’s beliefs makes it work that he faces a crisis of faith in his situation.

Old: Tanji uses scripture quotes to fit any occasion.

New: Lineup of 20 standing rifles in Mortuary Tent takes Tanji over the edge and there’s no scripture quote that fits this.

Old: He used to be able to pull rank or be superior to do what he wants as a military chaplain lieutenant.

New: Ray is his same rank. Tanji can’t boss him around. Major overrides his plan to get the 20 soldiers’ effects on the convoy that is leaving Camp Wolf right away.

Old: He has been immersed in his religious beliefs and his father’s teachings that only the saved go to heaven.

New: He must pray for and memorialize soldiers of all faiths. No chaplain of their faith is there to do it.

Adiba is showing him love transcends rigid beliefs.

Old: He regularly caves in to what his father wants him to do.

New: Being a military chaplain in a war zone is challenging him to answer a higher calling and find his own service and purpose vs. taking over his father’s ministry at home.

Old: He isn’t confident or easy with showing emotion or giving comfort.

New: The sight of effects for the 20 fallen soldiers makes him angry enough to fire Mario’s rifle in a moment of rage.

He must accept Adiba’s help with writing compassionate letters to soldiers’ loved ones.

When Mario threatens suicide he must come through with empathy or they will all die.

Old: He would never consider a relationship with a non-Christian.

New: He falls in love with Adiba, a devout Muslim.