[Paul Badu]

Paul Badu’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is creating anchor points at either end of the story arc has the potential for making mapping the transformation (the gradient) easier and more effective. Also, creating the logline isn’t as easy as it first seemed.

1. My logline for the transformational journey.

A young man, who abandoned his childhood dream believing he could never attain it, discovers the alternative path he had chosen in life has put that dream within his reach and prepared him to seize it.

2. What I see as the Old Ways.

Has little confidence in himself and his abilities

Focuses on his limitations

See obstacles as road blocks

Only sees his past failures

Sees himself as a victim of circumstances

Listens to and believes those who would say he’s a loser

Aims low expecting to fail

3. What I see as the New Ways.

Has developed confidence in himself and his abilities

Focuses on his strengths

Sees obstacles as stepping stones to achieving his goals.

Recognizes and appreciates his successes

Sees himself as capable of choosing his own future

Listens to and believes those who would say he’s a winner

Aims high so that even falling short would be success

[Paul Badu]

Paul Badu’s First Three Decisions

ASSIGNMENT:

What I learned doing this assignment is it is not enough to have a story worth telling, but it is necessary to design the telling in such a way that the audience is both moved and entertained.

What is your profound truth?

No one is an accident; each of us is here for a purpose.

What is the change your movie will cause with an audience?

Inspire each one to recognize their importance/value and encourage them to seek to discover and fulfill their own unique purpose.

What is your Entertainment Vehicle that you will tell this story through?

The Embellished As-It-Happened Conflict (inspired by a true story).

[Paul Badu]

What is the CHANGE this movie is about? What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?

The change this movie is about is the power that we each have to change the outcomes our lives produce. A power that is often not recognized by the individual and a power that does not come from what we do, but from who we see ourselves as being. Phil’s journey takes him from a place where he knows about people to a place where he actually knows (and is known by) people; from a place where his true identity is not known to himself or others to a place where he can know himself and others can also. A place where his profession of “love” is challenged as inauthentic to a place where it is accepted without question.

Lead characters:

Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?

The change agent is the unnamed “higher power” that causes him to relive groundhog day. This is the right “character” since the construct of this story requires a supernatural power to essentially supersede the usual course of time. A twist on deus ex machina from resolving a conflict to creating it.

Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?

Phil is the transformable character as the persona he initially projects is not who he really is and, since he apparently has no idea of who he actually is, he can be transformed by a profound journey of discovery.

What is the Oppression?

In some ways, Phil himself is the opposition. Once he gets over the initial shock of realizing that groundhog day will be repeating itself, he experiments with ways to exploit the situation to his advantage before settling on the seduction of Rita as a worthy project. Once he realizes that his continuing chances of success are no longer increasing but decreasing, he becomes bitter and rebels against the possibilities to discover himself inherent in repeating the day by attempting suicide. In other ways, it is the repeating day itself that provides the opposition.

How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?

I believe that all of us, at one time or another, have wondered what would happen if we had the opportunity to relive a particular day. It might be a pleasant one that we would like to enjoy again or one that was so unpleasant we wish we could change how it ended. The basic premise of this story (the repeating day) invites us to vicariously experience how that might turn out as we go along with Phil on his journey.

Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of being.” Identify their old way: Identify their new way at the conclusion:

The old Phil is a self-centered, insensitive, insincere person who, although he may know a lot about other people, has very little respect or concern for them, as reflected in a sarcastic and hurtful sense of humor. Although he doesn’t really know himself, he doesn’t like himself, and is focused on using/exploiting others to fill the needs he cannot identify and to distract himself from the emptiness of his life. He appears to lack personal values.

The new Phil is a sincere person who is other-centered, who is capable of knowing other people and is caring and sensitive towards them. He has discovered who he is and has found ways to meet his own needs without using other people. He has filled his life with the things that are important to him and are consistent with the values he has chosen for himself.

To a certain extent, both Rita and Larry appear to change, particularly in regard to how they interact with Phil. However, they and all the other characters only exist for the same one day. There can be no profound change in them, only a revelation of their character as it exists on that day in response to different stimulus. Phil on the other hand, is seen over the course of numerous days and his character grows and develops in response to different albeit the same days.

What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?

He initially chooses to see the occasion of the repeating day as an opportunity for him to take his exploitation of others to a new level and finally settles on seducing Rita as a project worthy of his efforts. Initially he appears to be making progress toward his objective until finally he gets as close as he is going to get. He tells her he loves her, she challenges that telling him he doesn’t know her and that he only loves himself, to which he defends himself by admitting that he does even like himself.

Since the day is repeating, this exchange doesn’t affect Rita (it never happened for her), but it profoundly impacts Phil, perhaps because he has realized that he doesn’t deserve her. From this point on, his efforts towards seducing Rita become less successful each day. In despair, Phil begins, unsuccessfully, to use each day as a chance to end it all.

The turning point comes when, in desperation, Phil becomes real with Rita about what is going on for him, suggesting that he might be a god. Instead of seeing her as a prize to be won, he enlists her as an ally to help him find a solution to the problem of the never ending day. Later that night, although she is asleep at the time, Phil becomes vulnerable to her, sharing the feelings that he has for her and expressing admiration for the rare kind of person he sees her as being, one who is so nice to people.

This night with Rita also takes Phil to another level. As he is perhaps becoming more aware of the person he wants to be, he is becoming aware of and caring about other people, as illustrated by his growing concern and intervention in the life of the old man. On his journey to self-discovery, he realizes that he has a desire to be able to play music and he seeks out a teacher. Finally, although at her request he has opportunity to spend time with Rita, he has higher priorities that involve coming to the aid of others apparently simply for the sake of making a difference in their lives. It appears as if he has come to a place of being satisfied with being himself.

How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?

Initially, all of the adaptations that Phil makes to the repeating day would seem be designed to distract him from considering that there may be a bigger purpose behind it all. However, as each different tact he takes proves to be meaningless and without satisfaction, he is driven to end it all. This is the famous rock-bottom that is spoken of in addiction circles. Actually, this is below rock-bottom since his suicide attempts are doomed to fail.

In desperation, Phil is driven to seek out an ally, inviting Rita with his supposition that he may be a god. Without any ulterior motive, he is reaching out to another to help him make sense of his experience and, perhaps, find a way to resolve it. He has, of necessity, finally become authentic with another human being. That night he acknowledges to himself (since she is asleep) that he not only “loves” her, but that he admires who she is and that he sees himself as not being on the same level. Perhaps it is this realization that causes him to start to become aware of others and their needs and to consider the ways he can make a difference.

What are the most profound moments of the movie?

Phil’s realization of the futility of living as if there were no tomorrow. Rita’s rejection of Phil machinations as a demonstration of his love. Phil’s declaration that he didn’t like himself. Phil becoming authentic with Rita about his dilemma. Phil becoming invested in the life of the old man. Phil passing on time with Rita to serve others. Phil spending the night with Rita without having sex and that becomes the start of a new day (and new life) for him. This time, when he tells Rita he loves her, she accepts it as real. Something has changed and it is Phil.

What are the most profound lines of the movie?

He’s a half-empty kind of guy.

What if there were no tomorrows?

You make choices and you live with them.

How can you love me? You don’t even know me.

I don’t even like myself.

Maybe it’s not a curse. It just depends on how you see it.

How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?

For the first two acts, Phil sought to gain the acceptance of Rita and others to make himself feel better but he never found satisfaction. There are several hints that Phil doesn’t know himself, including the use of the song, “You Don’t Know Me.” By the time the movie ends, it would appear that Phil has finally found himself. The things he is doing are because he enjoys doing them, He is not trying to prove anything to anybody. Earlier in the film he admiringly walks past a row of ice sculptures, after his change of focus, he has learned how to create them. His contentment with himself and his life opens the door for his desire for a healthy relationship with Rita to be realized.

What is the Profound Truth of this movie?

That who we appear to be (to others and ourselves) may not be who we are, but it is knowing and being who we are that is the key to attaining the satisfaction and fulfilment we desire from life.