Jojo Wilson
Forum Replies Created
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My problem with this scene may be clearer if I provide an analogy. Skylar does not mention that she is thinking about moving to California. She tells Will that she is going and wants him to come along.
If she really loves him, why isn’t he a part of the decision-making process to go to California? She seems ready to throw Will in the back of a U-Haul trailer, like he was a piece of furniture.
Consider this analogy. Skylar is a different person. She has been wounded by men many times in the past who claimed they loved her only to get her into bed and then dumped her.
Along comes a different Will who is falling in love with her. He tries to seduce her and when she wants to wait to make sure that he really loves her, he says, “You’d do it if you loved me.”
It’s the same thing. Skylar’s love is not real. Otherwise, she would include Will in the decision making. She didn’t.
That’s why I want a better conflict.
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When I first saw this movie , I liked it tremendously. Upon dissection of this scene, I am not as impressed with it.
Above are some excellent analyses, but I have a different viewpoint. Skylar needs to approach this more slowly and give Will a chance to warm up to her proposal.
By boxing Will into a corner, she forces a bad ending. She’s not a trained counselor and her actions create a messy situation. Had she given Will some space and time, I believe he would have warmed up to the proposal.
By forcing the issue, she destroys their budding love. He has some serious problems and he can’t deal with them well in such a short time.
Drama between two wounded people is just painful, since none of it is necessary. I would rather see a better constructed conflict. This is a lot like watching two juveniles upset with each other.
My breakthrough on this scene is to make sure the material can withstand dissection and the test of time. Remember, this is the first screenplay from Ben and Matt, fresh out of college.
“It’s only my opinion.”
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Most of the items have been well covered above. But two points seem worthy of note.
First, we are being snowed by the scriptwriters. No one, photographic memory or not, could have that strong of a grasp of the subject of American history. There are just too many textbooks, scholarly articles, etc. So we should just take it as a metaphor and suspend disbelief. The point is that Will is extraordinarily gifted. There are better ways of showing this, however.
Second, why the Harvard bar? As we will learn later, Chuckie wants Will to make something of himself. This is a sneaky way to introduce Will to Harvard. And it evolves from there.
By the way, the screenwriters are Matt and Ben. I believe shortly after they left Harvard was the development timeframe. Good way to start in Hollywood, apparently.