-
Nadine Weathersby Finds the Essence
What I learned is that there is more depth to great writing and it all starts with getting to the essence of what you want to write.
Script I choose: “Afterlife”
Scene 1 Location: Paul’s bedroom
Logline: Anna is unresponsive to Paul’s attempt at love making feeling empty for some unknown reason. Her internal struggle with accepting love is blocking her.
Essence: Anna is depressed and unhappy with her relationship with Paul and her life as a whole. She feels emptiness so much she has to take medication to cope.
Scene 2 Location: Mortuary Viewing Room
Logline: Anna views a dead body with apprehension.
Essence: She fears death and the sight of it. It provokes anxiety as she seems to come to grips with her own mortality.
Scene 3 Location: Restaurant
Logline: Paul has a wonderful surprise for Anna, who’s too fearful of the news he’s about to share about his promotion in Chicago.
Scene 4 location: Anna and her Mother’s home
Logline: Paul with flowers in hand, discovers Anna’s not home. Anna’s Mother tells him she died in a car accident.
Essence: Anna’s Mother’s anger surfaces as she blames Paul. She wants him to know that it’s his fault that her daughter drove recklessly and had her deadly crash. She is also fearful of her welfare because Anna supported her financially.
Scene 5 Location: Mortuary
Logline: After this horrific car accident Anna wakes up to find the funeral director, Eliot Deacon preparing her body for her funeral. Anna is forced to face her fear of death.
Essence: Anna is confused despite the funeral director’s attempts to assure she is dead. Anna feels very much alive. She can’t accept her death because she knows she is still talking a breathing.
My selection for the most profound essence:
The Restaurant scene #3, it’s sets up the reason she’s so angry and drives so recklessly.
– Are you ready to order?
– Yes.
We’ll have the duck, please.
– Paul.
– You always have the duck here.
I don’t always have the duck.
– I’ll have the duck.
– Yes, ma’am.
The duck’s very good.
Listen, let’s…
come here.
Let’s try not to fight
tonight, okay?
– Okay.
– Okay.
What are we drinking?
Oh yes, all right.
It’s good.
And it has a very
expensive-looking label.
What’s the special occasion?
There’s something I really
need to talk to you about.
About us. I’ve been offered
a transfer to head office
in Chicago.
It’s gonna mean a lot more work,
of course a lot of responsibility
and a lot of changes,
but it’s an incredible opportunity
and I’d be crazy to turn it down.
So I’m thinking maybe
it’s time for us to…
– You’re leaving me.
– What?
You could have told me this morning.
You didn’t have to buy me off
– with this expensive dinner.
– Anna, wait.
– No.
– You told me everything
– was gonna be okay.
– Don’t be ridiculous.
– Anna, you’ve got it all wrong.
– I’m not being ridiculous.
Jesus Christ, can we get through
one meal without arguing?
– No. No.
– Please, just one meal!
Apparently we can’t.
Apparently I’m not capable of that.
Maybe you aren’t.
I’m beginning to wonder.
– F*ck you.
– Please, everyone’s watching.
– Don’t do this.
– F*ck you!
You’re… you’re crazy.
You’re just like your goddamn mother.
I am nothing like my mother.
You know,
I’m not running after you, Anna.
Good!
Shit.
F*ck.
Anna, Anna!
Anna, come on.
Please open the door.
I don’t want to hear it.
I want you to come.
I want you to come to…
Don’t do this.
Anna! Hey hey hey.
Anna, I want you to come to…
I want you to come to Chicago.
Anna, Anna… God damn it!
Please don’t go.
Shit.
Essence: Paul wants to anchor peace in the relationship, propose and invite Anna to join him in Chicago, but Anna’s fear of not being worthy of love and her abandonment issues surface to the point that she only hears that he’s promoted to a Chicago job and assumes he is dumping her. Her fear of rejection looms so large she doesn’t let him finish a sentence, becomes argumentative, then storms out.
-
0 Replies
Sorry, there were no replies found.
Log in to reply.