The Megahit Movies

by Richard Stefanik

  SUMMARY OF THE COGNITIVE THEORY OF EMOTION

  Emotions are valenced (pro, con) reactions to: Consequences of Events Consequences for Self Consequences for Others

  Actions of Agents Self as Agent

  Others as Agent

  Aspects of Objects

  Events are appraised by desirability with reference to goals

  Actions are appraised by praiseworthiness with reference to standards

  Objects are appraised by appealingness with reference to attitudes This theory constructs a classification of distinct emotion types and provides a situational description of the conditions under which the emotion can be generated. These emotion types will be explained in greater detail in the following sections, with examples for each type drawn from scenes in the megahit movies.

  FACTORS AFFECTING THE INTENSITY OF EMOTION

  Four global variables that affect the intensity of the emotions. (1) Sense of reality: how much one believes the situation is real. (2) Proximity: how close in terms of psychological space one feels to the situation.

  (3) Unexpectedness: how sudden the event occurs and how surprised one is by the situation.

  (4) Arousal: how sensually aroused one is to the situation.

  These four factors affect all the emotions.

  EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO EVENTS

  Reactions to Events: Consequences for Self If a character is pleased about a desirable event, then the resulting emotion will be joy. If a character is displeased about an undesirable event, then the resulting feeling is distress. In general, to the extent that the character sees the event as contributing to the realization of his goals, he will tend to experience the positive emotion we call joy. Similarly, to the extent that the person sees the event as interfering with the realization of his goals, he will tend to experience the negative emotion of the kind called distress.

  Joy Emotions: pleased about a desirable event

  (emotion words: contented, cheerful, delighted, ecstatic, euphoric, feeling good, glad, happy, joyful, jubilant, pleasantly surprised, pleased) The Ghostbusters are ecstatic about surviving their battle with Gozer.

  Distress Emotions: displeased about a undesirable event

  (emotion words: depressed, distressed, displeased, dissatisfied, distraught, feeling bad, feeling uncomfortable, grief, homesick, lonely, lovesick, miserable, regret, sad, shock, uneasy, unhappy, upset)

  Dorothy is upset about the guard not allowing her to see the Wizard. Indiana Jones is miserable about the death of Marion.

  Reactions to Events: Consequences for Others If the character is pleased about an event desirable for some other character, then he will experience a happy-for emotion. If a character is pleased about an event undesirable for some other character, then he will experience a gloating emotion. If a character is displeased about an event desirable for another character, then he will have a resentment emotion. If a character is displeased about an event undesirable for another character, then he will have a sorry-for emotion.

  Happy-for Emotions: pleased about an event that is desirable for someone else (emotion words: delighted-for, happy-for, pleased-for)

  Dorothy is happy for Toto when he escapes from Elmira Gulch and also later when Toto escapes from the Wicked Witch of the West.

  Sorry-for Emotions: displeased about an event that is undesirable for someone else

  (emotion words: compassion, pity, sad-for, sympathy)

  Elliott and Michael are sorry for E.T. when he is ill. Dorothy is sorry for her Aunt Em, who she believes is sick.

  Resentment Emotions: displeased about an event presumed to be desirable for someone else

  (emotion words: envy, jealousy, resentment)

  The Joker resents Batman for getting all the publicity. The Witch resents Dorothy getting the ruby slippers.

  Gloating Emotions: pleased about an event presumed to be desirable for someone else

  (emotion words: gloating, Schadenfreude-delighting in the misfortune of others)

  The Wicked Witch gloats as she watches Dorothy’s desperation as the sand runs out of the hourglass. Belloc gloats as he orders the natives to kill Indiana Jones.

  Hope Emotions: pleased about the prospects of a desirable event (emotion words: anticipation, anticipatory excitement, excitement, expectancy, hope, hopeful)

  The Ghostbusters are excited about the hope of capturing a ghost. Dorothy and her friends hope to see the Wizard of Oz.

  Fear Emotions: displeased about the prospects of an undesirable event (emotion words: apprehensive, anxious, cowering, dread, fear, fright, nervous, petrified, scared, terrified)

  The Lion cowers in fear before the Wizard of Oz. The Ghostbusters run in fear from the ghost in the library.

  Satisfaction Emotions: pleased about the confirmation of the prospect of a desirable event

  (emotion words: gratification, hopes-realized, satisfaction)

  Venkman is satisfied that Dana will finally have dinner with him. Indiana Jones is gratified that he will be able to search for the Ark of the Covenant.

  Fears-Confirmed Emotions: displeased about the confirmation of the prospect of an undesirable event (emotion words: worst fears realized) Elliott watches E.T. die. Dorothy loses Toto to Elmira Gulch in the Wizard of Oz. In Ghostbusters, the grid explodes after the power is shut off and all of the ghosts escape.

  Relief Emotions: pleased about the disconfirmation of the prospect of an undesirable event (emotion words: relief )

  Belloc and Marion are both relieved they were not tortured by the sadistic Nazi.

  Disappointment Emotions: displeased about the disconfirmation of the prospect of a desirable event (emotion words: despair, disappointment, frustration, dashed-hopes, heartbroken)

  Vicki Vale is disappointed when she discovers that Bruce Wayne lied to her about having to go out of town. Dorothy is disappointed by the reaction of the Wizard when she brings him the broomstick.

  EMOTIONAL REACTION TO THE ACTIONS OF CHARACTERS If a character is appraising his own actions, he will approve of his own praiseworthy actions (resulting in pride) and disapprove of his own blameworthy actions (resulting in shame). If a character is appraising another character’s actions, then he will either approve of the other character’s praiseworthy action (resulting in admiration), or disapprove of the other character’s blameworthy action (resulting in reproach). Emotional reactions of members in the audience to the behavior of characters in the story will also be based on their values and the praiseworthy or blameworthy actions of the characters.

  Pride Emotions : approving of one’s own praiseworthy action Elliot is proud of helping E.T. get home. The Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man are proud of receiving the symbols of achievement from the Wizard.

  Self-Reproach Emotions : disapproving of one’s own blameworthy action (emotion words: embarrassment, feeling guilty, self-blame, shame) The Scarecrow is ashamed that he is a failure at frightening crows. Appreciation Emotions: approving of someone else’s praiseworthy action (emotion words: admiration, appreciation, awe, esteem, respect) The New York community appreciates the Ghostbusters’ efforts to save the world from Gozer. The Mayor of Gotham appreciates Batman’s efforts to defeat the Joker.

  Reproach Emotions : disapproving of someone else’s blameworthy action (emotion words: appalled, contempt, despise, disdain, indignation) Dean Yaegar despises Venkmen’s para-psychological research. Dorothy expresses indignation at the Wizard’s refusal to keep his promise after she returns with the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West.

  Gratitude Emotions : approving of someone else’s praiseworthy action and being pleased about the related desirable event

  (emotion words: appreciation, feeling indebted, thankful)

  The Rebel community expresses their gratitude to Luke Skywalker for destroying the Death Star.

  Anger Emotions : disapproving of blameworthy action and being displeased about the related undesirable event

  (emotion words: annoyance, exasperation, fury, incensed, livi
d, offended) Elliott is angry with the doctors, who are examining E.T.

  Gratification Emotions : approving of one’s own praiseworthy action and being pleased about the related desirable event

  (emotion words: pleased-with-oneself, self-satisfaction)

  The Joker is pleased with himself about allowing the Gotham Anniversary Celebration to occur. Elmira Gulch is smug about getting Toto.

  Remorse Emotions : disapproving of one’s own blameworthy action being and displeased about the related undesirable event

  (emotion words: penitence, remorse, self-anger)

  Indiana Jones feels remorse because he believes he caused the death of Marion. Stantz expresses sincere remorse at destroying the chandelier in the ballroom.

  EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO OBJECTS Objects that cause pleasant feelings, joy, pleasure, or comfort are liked. Objects that cause pain, unpleasant feelings, fear or discomfort are disliked. These likes and dislikes are built upon our attitudes.

  “Appealingness is rooted in attitudes that are dispositional likes and dislikes. These dispositions are associated with representations of or categories of objects—one may feel disposed to like dogs and to dislike snakes. Momentary liking (or disliking) thus often derives from how one categorizes an object and what one’s disposition is toward objects in that category, as well as from characteristics of the individual object itself.” — Ortony, The Cognitive Structure of Emotions

  Liking Emotions

  (emotion words: adore, attracted-to, like, love) Marion likes the monkey in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dorothy loves Toto in Wizard of Oz.

  Disliking Emotions

  (emotion words: aversion, detest, disgust, dislike, hate, loathe) Indiana Jones hates snakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Marion is disgusted by the dead bodies she bumps into while in the Well-of-Souls. The Scarecrow loathes fire in Wizard of Oz.

  DIALOGUE & EMOTION “Drama is action. What drama is not is a bunch of characters sitting around talking, twiddling their thumbs, doing nothing.” —Richard Walter, Screenwriting

  “The writer who wants to learn how to use dialogue in the motion picture should try to make his story understandable without the spoken word.” —Eugene Vale, The Technique of Screen and Television Writing

  Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 book has some good points to make about writing dialogue in screenplays. “Never write dialogue that only a few people will understand…Be simple, but not simplistic.” Don’t try to make your characters speak above or below their education level. Don’t have a janitor speak like someone with a Ph.D. in English Literature, or your scientist speak like the junkman. Also, of course, there is a reason to play them out of type or for humor. For example, the intellectual who is unemployed and now waiting on tables, or the lower-class working man studying at night school in an effort to improve his status in life. As Lew Hunter says, “let your characters be your characters.” The speech patterns should flow naturally from their personalities.

  Hunter also recommends that writers avoid “snappy sayings and witty patter” if it is a substitute for weak story lines, conflict, or lack of tension between the characters. But, if your story is about a group of schoolboys competing in “The Best Oscar Wilde Imitation Writing Contest,” then being “witty” is essential for them to be in the scene. The best advice is to use language that is appropriate to the character and the situation.

  “Good dialogue is dialogue that illuminates what the characters are not saying” and “less is more” are other pieces of advice offered by Hunter. Never say the obvious. Never have characters describe actions in the scene that the audience can see. Have what the characters say be an expression of their feelings and reactions to what is occurring around them, not a description of what is happening to them. To write descriptions is to write dialogue that is “on-the-nose.” Hunter also recommends that one should not write dialogue in which people discuss their past and memories. “In movies, it’s a bore, and a snore.” Also, avoid writing dialects. This is really the domain of the actor and director, not the screenwriter, who should be concerned with action and story design.

  Some characters will talk around a problem, rather than dealing with it directly. This is a way of avoiding having to confront something that is emotionally difficult. But here the language reflects the psychology of the character, rather than describing the events of the scene.

  One book that is dedicated just to the topic of writing dialogue is Tom Chiarella’s Writing Dialogue. In this book, the author focuses on methods “to create memorable voices and fictional conversations that cackle with wit, tension and nuance.”

  Chiarella discusses the use of misdirection in dialogue in which the characters are not dealing directly with what each are saying. This form of dialogue appears “realistic” to the audience. Some forms of misdirection are changing the subject; directing the dialogue “offstage”; answering questions and answers that aren’t quite answers but sounds like them; allowing characters to speak to themselves and for themselves; and carrying on more than one conversation at the same time.

  Chiarella believes that “There is no secret, except to learn how to trust the language you hear, to learn to hear the people around you and to expose yourself to as many voices (and techniques) as possible.” The voice of a character is the idioms he selects and the metaphors he uses in conversation. The pace and rhythm of the dialogue is a function of the character in conflict with other characters in a situation.

  “when I speak of the energy and direction of a story, I am referring to its tone and emotion (energy) and tension (direction). Writers craft, or shape, patterns of energy and direction in dialogue. In many ways these become the signatures of their dialogue, the things that make the voices of the characters recognizable and sustainable…what your characters says is directed by the needs of the story.”

  Chiarella asserts that, “The way people speak defines who they are,” but I would argue that, “the way people are defines the way they speak.” The writer should focus on the emotional state of the character in the moment of the scene. They move and react to actions of other characters and events that happen. “Speaking” is just another body and emotional reaction to stimuli. It is the utterance of sounds that often do nothing more than express the feelings of the character, although sometimes also to express a thought, intention,or desire. But it is the underlying emotion, intention, and desire that are of primary interest to the audience.

  Chiarella does state that, “when writing dialogue, you should begin with character. What does each character want? Determining this should allow some sense of pace and rhythm. Examine tension next. What is holding these people together or keeping them apart? Then look at setting. What’s brought them to the same place? Where are they?”

  Often silence is the best response for a character in a situation. Sometimes it is best to use silence over words. But fill the silence with a gesture: dramatic gesture, particular gesture, and incidental gesture. A writer should learn how to communicate using non-verbal body language and write that for your character’s behavior.

  Each character has a unique speech pattern. There are many non-sequiturs in conversations, and people very often talk past each other. Most people are not very good listeners and often talk at, rather than to, their partners. People speak in half phrases, characters sound different, and realistic dialogue is jumpy. Speeches usually are not longer than three continuous lines. If they are longer than this, the audience will begin to lose interest. Most films avoid long speeches unless they are in exposition scenes.

  Characters don’t always tell the truth, and definitely not the whole truth. They will hold back many things. Most of the time people lie for social reasons; to keep the peace and minimize problems. It is only in moments of anger and pain that the whole truth is usually expressed. It is important to realize that it is a character’s mood and emotion that precede his action; words are just a means to express these feelings.

  With mounting action, sentences become
shorter and simpler. The characters don’t need to talk about what will be visually displayed within the scene action. Most of the megahit films minimize the use of dialogue, and most of the images do not consist of just talking heads. The actions of a character reveal him, not just his words.

  Joel Kupperman, in his book, Character, states that “any scientific study of the psychology of character is most revealing if it focuses not on what people say, but on what they do. Furthermore, what a person does in commonplace situations may be much less indicative of character than what he or she does when severely tempted or pressed.”

  The best dialogue is that which goes against, or is contrary to, the action of the scene. Dialogue or statements uttered by the characters, but are contradicted by their body movements and actions, create the most dramatic and emotionally effective scenes. Much more can be said with gestures and the techniques of non-verbal communication than with words. In realistic situations, most people never say what they really feel. Powerful scenes reflect this truth.

  HUMOR RELEASE THE TENSION AND MAKE THEM LAUGH

  Emotion & Humor

  Theories of Humor

  Humorous Dialogue

  Humorous Situations

  Humorous Characters

  Humor in the Megahit Movies EMOTION & HUMOR “Somehow laughter is connected with emotions—we laugh with glee, with scorn, with giddiness, etc. ...Laughter often involves major physiological disturbances. There is an interpretation of breathing and the loss of muscle tone; in heavy laughter there may be a loss of muscle control.”

  —John Morreall, Taking Laughter Seriously

  In Argument of Laughter, D.H. Monro discusses the relationship of laughter to the instincts: Normally, when an instinct is stirred, it finds its outlet in the cognative activity appropriate to the instinct. Laughter occurs when this activity is, for some reason, checked. The stirring of the instinct means the organism has been, physically and psychically, mobilized for action. Laughter is, on the contrary, a demobilization of forces. Normally this occurs gradually in the course of the activity toward which the instinct is striving. But when this activity is prevented, the release is sudden and explosive...the change must be sudden, and must swing from one viewpoint to its direct opposite. A systematic, logical examination of the object, involving a continuous change of ground, is not enough; there must be a direct and violent opposition...Further, the opposition must be complete. If you shift your viewpoint to another, only slightly opposed to the first, the laughter is not whole-hearted.