[Paige Miller]

Paige Miller – First Three Decisions

1. Profound Truth: Everyone, regardless of wealth, race, age, religion, etc., struggles to
“Find Himself.”

2. The Change: Even people whom you believe are ‘totally unlike you’ are exactly like you.

3. Entertainment Vehicle: A middle school and a Broadway theater.

4. What I learned from this: Having a profound truth as a guidepost helps you focus the action you plan.

[Paige Miller]

What I learned from this movie:

What I learned is: ‘Profound truths’ are abstractions, but concrete actions bring them to life. Was the profound truth of Groundhog Day ‘if you don’t like your life, change it? Or was it ‘you make choices and you live with them,’ or was it ‘be nice and happiness will come your way?’ The profound truth is a stew of those concepts, not one, hard-core dictate like “follow the rules.”

1. The Change: frnom arrogant, narcissist to Renaissence man.

2. Change Agent: Rita.
Transformed character: Phil Connor.

Oppression: Every day is Feb 2.

3. Audience lured by: The idea that work is the same every day as manifested by the funny, repeated, Feb. 2nd, 6 a.m. alarm clock.

4. Who changed the most: Phil Connor did.

The profound journey is: from seeing every day as the same to making every day different by his actions.

Old ways: Being sarcastic, condescending, arrogant to everyone, taking life-threatening risks, rejecting all rules.

New ways: Being helpful (changing a tire), learning new things (piano), laughing, dancing,

5. Life-changing steps: First, taking his ‘there is no tomorrow’ attitude to the extreme by driving on railroad tracks, using his knowledge of the day’s events to rob a Brink’s truck, rent a Rolls Royce, dress like a cowboy and, then, trying to woo Rita by anticipating her every move–but it fails. She sees his actions as a set-up and slaps him.

It all wears him out, and he knows he has a problem. (“I’ve come to the end of me,” he says.) He drives off a cliff, and he sits in a bathtub with a toaster.

Then, he tries a new approach–being nice. He brings coffee to his co-workers, talks to the Guy-in-the-Hallway, starts piano lessons, does ice sculpting, jokes charmingly with the Insurance Agent Ned Ryerson, and fights for the healthcare of an unhomed man (whose death upsets him).

Finally, he gives a philosophical and touching weather report, saves a kid from falling out of a tree, fixes a flat tire for three older women, buys insurance from Ned, does the Heimlich maneuver for a man, plays piano at the Groundhog Celebration and sculpts Rita’s face in ice. He has changed, and Rita sees it.

6. What changed him: having Rita reject his arrogant advances (even though he spilled his truth when he said, “What I really want is someone,” and “I want kids.”). He was hurt when she told him “this is a set-up.” He knew his game wasn’t working.

7 and 8. Profound Moments: a. “What if you were stuck in one place, every day the same, nothing matters” (And the locals say “That sums it up for me.” So funny.) And after that, “We can do anything we want!”

b. Driving with the locals and yelling the rules he breaking/broken: “Don’t drive drunk. Be nice to your sister. Stand up straight.”

c. When he realizes he is broken: “I’m at the end of me.”

d. When Rita says, “It depends on how you look at it.”

e. When he declares his love of Rita while she sleeps.

9. The payoff for the setup: He loves his job; people like him; he loves Rita, and she loves him.

10. The Profound Truth is: “Your attitude makes the difference in life. Everyone’s life has boring, repetitive parts; you have to add joy, fun, and love to it.

[Paige Miller]

Hi, Everyone, I’m Paige Miller.

I’ve written one script, and I have a script in my head that is screaming to get out. I don’t know what the plot really is yet, but I have a feeling about its ‘profound truth.’

I hope this class helps me brainstorm the comic/serious actions needed to bring the audience around to a different point of view.

I used to design software. Now I do digital marketing.

[Paige Miller]

Paige Miller, As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.