Week 4 Day 4: Uncomfortable Moment – MEET THE PARENTS

[Susan]

Meet the Parents Uncomfortable Moments

Watch 1st time for:
How many ways is this character made uncomfortable?
Gregg is made uncomfortable 1st by just seeing all the stuff that his father in law has in his little nook of spy craft at night while he is in his pajamas. Then his father in law shows up demanding what he is doing there (at least he has a robe over his pajamas), and he wants to know if he found anything interesting? He says he notices Gregg looking at the antique polygraph machine. Then decides for Greg that Greg has found something interesting and he’ll show him what it is by putting the cuff on. Gregg declines, but his future FIL gets pushy. Then he says why not you’ve got nothing to hide (Gregg does). Then he puts the lie detector cuff on Gregg and starts testing him with more and more uncomfortable questions! 1St – Gregg sees stuff that makes him think and is uncomfortable, 2nd – his father in law show up which is uncomfortable for him to just be with him, 3rd – his father in law starts questioning him about his whereabouts, 4th his father in law says it’s OK he is there (which Gregg knows is BS) 5th his father in law starts questioning him about what he sees there with continuing intensity, 6th – Gregg’s father in law puts the cuff on him, 7th FIL says nothing to worry about because you’re not a liar right putting Gregg in a very difficult position since he is hiding something? 8th FIL starts questioning Gregg with more and more intensity, and about more delicate matters (including sexual) each question making him more and more uncomfortable.

How does this put him in a weak position?
Gregg is in his FIL’s personal space and should not be there. He is in only his pjs while his future FIL at least has a robe. He feels like he can’t leave and just refuse the lie detector because his FIL is a bit crazy and he is sort of terrified of him and doesn’t want to get hurt, or in any way disturb his relationship with his fiance or her family before the wedding, Gregg is hiding something that he (and his fiance) doesn’t want his FIL to know. Were the pjs written into the script or was that direction? Think about putting how character’s are dressed e.g. if they are dressed suitably for the situation, if one is more upscale than other into the script.

Watch 2nd time for:
What drama is this scene built around?
The drama is built around Gregg needing to hide something and his future FIL trying to find out what it is.

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

Gregg Focker:
Right Character: Gregg is the right character because he is afraid of his FIL, he is not a good liar, he has something to hide, and he loves he fiance.
Traits: Good natured, determined/committed, snoop, suspicious, Adores fiance, Naive.
Secret: Hiding things about himself and his fiance from her father.
Wound: He was made fun of a lot.
Future: The scene shows the continuing duel between Gregg and Jack in this film and the sequels.

Future FIL Jack Burnes:
Right Character: The future FIL
Traits: Suspicious, Spy, Manipulative, Dictatorial, Loves his family, Controlling
Secret: He is spying on Gregg
Wound: He’s retired and it hurts
Future: The scene shows the continuing duel between Gregg and Jack in this film and the sequels.

Daily Focus – Searching for Breakthroughs:

What makes this character great from a writing perspective.

Gregg:
He is so naive compared to everything else that is going on with Jack and the script in general that he is constantly being tested and has to wise up.
Part of why Gregg’s character is so good is the actor, his facial and other bodily expressions, tones of voice etc.. Some of this may have been written into the script, but who knows if you don’t read the script. Otherwise it is acting and direction – so good idea to write some into the script because you never know who will be in it.

Future FIL Jack:
He is a retired spy who just can’t help himself to continue spying. He has to be in control all the time of everyone’s lives, he is looking for a reason to get his daughter and Gregg to break up. So Jack has to keep on doing his dastardly deeds and pushing Gregg to his limits throughout this film and the sequels.

Rethink or create a scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite that scene/character.
Check scene of Violetta and Boldo in MCSRM when she is questioning him to see if she can make him even more uncomfortable, and he can be dressed even more uncomfortably (he already has breakfast all over himself).
Scene in IPCT Flashback with GG and X where she is berating him, intensify and make him even more uncomfortable (she’s a master manipulator anyway).