Week 2 Day 2: Characterization Scene — WHEN HARRY MET SALLY

[Mary Albanese]

Scene Mastery, Week _2_ Day 3 CHARACTERIZATION
Expressing who character is through decisions, actions, dialogue.
GENERIC ACTIONS OR DIALOGUE is NOT characterizing your character
Give us a unique experience of who they are thru actions/dialogue.

Watch WHEN HARRY MET SALLY scene first time for:
Basic Scene Components, which are:
Scene Arc – They are friends who never dated, dealing with his latest breakup. They are arguing about if a man can tell if a woman is faking it. They both think they are right. Sally decides to PROVE she is right by faking it right in the café. Making a public scene, as EVERYBODY stops to watch. We think they are disapproving, but the nearby women is actually envious.
Situation – Friends who never dated have chemistry, mostly expressed through arguing. Smarmy Sally will do ANYTHING to prove her point.
Conflict – Who is right? You can discuss it forever. But Sally decides to demonstrate how right she is. And does.
Moving story along – Defeated, he smiles after her demonstration. He likes her, even when she wins the argument. They have good chemistry. Although they are not dating, we know they BELONG together.
Ent. Value – Entertaining to see Meg Ryan fake it. Actually, this was not written into the script, she ad-libbed that scene.
Setups/payoffs. Who is right? The only way to win an argument is not talk but proof. And that’s what she did. His smile shows he realizes she is right. Women do have a power men just can’t match.

2nd time:
What makes it great?
The argument is if a man can tell a woman’s faking or not. They debate this back and forth up to the scene’s midpoint. Then Meg Ryan stops debating and DEMONSTRATES for the second half of the scene. She’s so successful (everybody stops to watch) that she proves her point.
HOW does each character speak/act from their unique profile? Sally is a bossy know-it-all woman. Harry is a calm self-assured man afraid of commitment. They work as friends because he doesn’t really want a relationship, he only wants sex. And will put up with a relationship if it gives him sex. While she is someone who wants a relationship and will put up with sex to get it.
Sally’s ego MUST prove her point. She is so tired of being bounced by men like Harry that she is insistent on winning this argument so she DEMONSTRATES a fake-out in public with the abandon of someone who MUST win the argument.
As for Harry, when her demonstration begins, he goes from concern, to annoyance that she’s doing this to prove her point, to discomfort at being watched by everyone in the café. To finally, with his nod and smile, agreeing that she has proved her point. He is confident enough to admit when he’s wrong. And he is amused by her fussy need to go this far to win her argument. He’s not horrified by her over-the-top behavior, he thinks it is funny, and kind of cute.
In other words, these two are PERFECT for each other. He doesn’t mind her need to win, and she doesn’t mind his “annoying” man-being-always-right confidence, as long as he can concede when he’s bested.
Their dialogue and actions in this scene stem from these specific profiles, that are perfectly and uniquely suited for each other. And the fun of the film is watching their egos battle it until they finally realize it.

[Karen Haas]

When Harry Met Sally
What I learned: the entertainment value of this scene alone makes this a movie a classic… . This scene shows Sally’s character— that she will go to the extreme to prove her point when necessary… it also shows that Harry is a pretty good sport not to get too upset with her behavior in public, and ultimately agreeing that she’s made her point. They are well suited for each other.

Basic scene components —
Scene arc, Restaurant conversation regarding Harry’s opinion of his effect on women
situation, Difference of opinion regarding whether any woman has ever faked it with Harry,
conflict, Sally fakes an orgasm in the restaurant, somewhat embarrassing Harry but he rolls with it pretty well, imho
entertainment value, the expressions of the workers and other diners keep this scene funny.
Moving the story forward, this scene shows that Sally is not to be trifled with… and she will prove her point no matter what
Setup/payoffs: They are in a restaurant, another diner says the iconic line, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
What makes this scene great?· It’s a great scene because Meg Ryan really goes for it, she doesn’t hold back and the embarrassment of Harry is fun to watch. It also proves her point that women can be pretty good at faking it.
How does each character speak and act from their unique character profiles? It not only shows the personality of each character, the affronted Sally and the way too sure of himself Harry characters but it also shows a couple who is pretty at ease with each other if they will talk and act this way with each other— the ultimate aim of the rom com is getting these two together and this scene does that in miniature, proving they are perfect for each other…
Unique character action and dialogue. I had not seen a character fake an orgasm so well in public before and the diner’s line afterwards is a classic.

[Michael Williamsen]

It almost seems to me like a rooster protecting his ruffled feathers as the hen he is after shows she is worth his efforts as they parade around the mating dance.

[Michael Williamsen]

Here is a scene i just came up for a coming of age script. set in mid 1950’s San Francisco. Joe Dimaggio recently married Marilyn Monroe bringing her back to his childhood home. All the neighbors flaunt themselves hoping befriend the couple. Louie is the main characthers’ father, wants nothing to do with the notoriety of the couple. Conflict between Joe and Louie has been building in the subtext.
Joe and Louie arrive at the same time at the front door of the Five and Dime. Joe steps in front of Louie.
LOUIE
So. Does wearing 3 World Series rings, rich, and married to a movie star make you better than everyone else?
Joe Turns to face Louie.
JOE
The Brooklyn Dodgers, never set foot in a World Series, does wearing their hat make you a loser?
Chests puff out. Fists clenched.
LOUIE
It makes me a faithful fan, proud of my family heritage.
Joe pulls off his cap and examines it.

JOE
I’d trade it all to have a son. This Yankee’s cap, I wear because it was free.
A HOWL of LAUGHTER comes from the back of the store. Both men crack a smile.
JEAN SEBASTIANI
Coffee on me – for the poor boys!
Joe slaps Louie’s back, Louie places his hand on Joe’s shoulder. They saunter up to counter as Jean pours three cups of coffee.
JOE
That little bottle on the shelf behind you, I’ll take that too.
LOUIE
Joe. You don’t drink. Everyone knows that.
JOE
Marilyn Left me.

Joe and Louie arrive at the same time at the front door of the Five and Dime. Joe steps in front of Louie.
LOUIE
So. Does wearing 3 World Series rings, rich, and married to a movie star make you better than everyone else?
Joe Turns to face Louie.
JOE
The Brooklyn Dodgers, never set foot in a World Series, does wearing their hat make you a loser?
Chests puff out. Fists clenched.
LOUIE
It makes me a faithful fan, proud of my family heritage.
Joe pulls off his cap and examines it.

JOE
I’d trade it all to have a son. This Yankee’s cap, I wear because it was free.
A HOWL of LAUGHTER comes from the back of the store. Both men crack a smile.
JEAN SEBASTIANI
Coffee on me – for the poor boys!
Joe slaps Louie’s back, Louie places his hand on Joe’s shoulder. They saunter up to counter as Jean pours three cups of coffee.
JOE
That little bottle on the shelf behind you, I’ll take that too.
LOUIE
Joe. You don’t drink. Everyone knows that.
JOE
Marilyn Left me.