Save the Cat Goes to the Movies

by Blake Snyder

  Break into Two: Dudley makes the choice to pursue Bo. He returns to the church, and on a pretense, talks to the priest who performed the ceremony. Dudley’s entered the “upside-down world” of Act Two — and mid-life crisis — and his punishment includes humoring the priest, who fancies himself a great songwriter.

  B Story: And speaking of songs, Dud needs to finish work on his, but not without getting some helpful advice from partner Robert, who is experiencing problems with his boyfriend. Can all life be solved with “patch, patch, patch” — or must true change occur? Robert will counsel both Dudley and Julie, and be their guide.

  Fun and Games: Dudley learns Bo’s dad is a dentist and goes for an office visit. He has six cavities — more evidence he’s been letting life go by. But he gets new information: Bo is on her honeymoon in Mexico. The dental work is extensive and includes pain pills. Dudley heads home and when Julie calls is unable to speak; she thinks he’s a mumbling burglar and calls the cops. By the time she gets there, a drunken Dudley has traveled to the other side of the canyon to join the orgy and is bare-bottom naked when Julie spies him from the telescope at his own house. Embarrassed, and with nowhere else to go, Dud calls his therapist — then his travel agent. He is flying to Mexico to find Bo.

  Midpoint: Having “raised the stakes” by risking the love of Julie, and being bold enough to seek out a perfect 10, Dudley arrives at the Mexican resort, still groggy from his dental work. The resort is a surreal weigh station for mid-life change. Dudley also needs to work on the song he’s been writing with Robert.

  Bad Guys Close In: The “bad guys” of truth begin to crowd Dudley. Away from L A, he meets Don the bartender (Brian Dennehy) and they discuss how the old songs are best. Later when he can’t sleep, Dud bumps into a barfly (Dee Wallace) whom he met at a party years ago and doesn’t remember. He picks her up, but can’t make love to her. The resort becomes a haunted hotel where Dudley is forced to confront his whole life. In between all this middle-age depression, Bo and her husband (that’s Flash Gordon’s Sam Jones!), the pretty newlyweds, glide by flaunting their youth.

  All Is Lost: Dudley can’t stop chasing Bo. The next day, at the beach, he experiences more pain when he attempts to walk barefoot across the hot, hot sand. Finally close enough to Bo to observe her, he begins to fantasize, running toward her on the beach in a hark back to the movies of his youth. Then Dudley gets his chance and rescues Bo’s husband, who had drifted out to sea on a surfboard, and becomes a hero by helping Bo’s better half avoid the “whiff of death.”

  Dark Night of the Soul: Thanks to Robert, Julie sees Dudley’s heroics on TV. Then in a heartfelt moment at the hotel, Dudley plays the song he composed while Brian and Dee look on. A and B stories cross as Dud’s “old-fashioned” and moving tune reveals this mid-age episode has given him deeper appreciation of life. We’ve also seen Dud’s buddy Robert lose his young boyfriend — a warning to Dudley that the same can happen to him with Julie.

  Break into Three: Dudley asks Bo to dinner. With Mr. Bo in the hospital, the hour of reckoning is at hand — as is his goal.

  Finale: After dinner, Bo takes Dud back to her room. Dudley is surprised that Bo will gladly sleep with him; she is a “modern” girl. Bo introduces Ravel’s “Bolero” as the perfect lovemaking song and, after smoking a little grass, they get naked. But Dud now realizes sex isn’t the answer — and neither is Bo.

  Final Image: Returning to LA, Dud tries Synthesis by combining what he had in Act One with what he learned. To the oboe-wooing of Ravel, he makes love to Julie. Dudley’s midlife pain is over.

  KRAMER vs. KRAMER (1979)

  Ah, the French toast scene! That is how I first became aware of the true impact of Kramer vs. Kramer. A commercial for a breakfast cereal of the era referenced the moment between Dustin Hoffman and Justin Henry (the actor who plays his son), dipping bread in a coffee cup full of egg yolks — and shells — to show the awkwardness of a father in over his head on the domestic front. When Meryl Streep up and leaves Dustin on “one of the five best days” of his life, breakfast is the least of his problems. He has entered a world of pain and begun a very real “Separation Passage.”

  As such, writer-director Robert Benton’s adaptation of Avery Corman’s novel is about those sudden jolts in life when a brick hits us when we least expect it, hurled by the person we least expect it from. One day he’s got a family; the next day he’s a single dad.

  The side effect for Dustin is his change from a self-centered, status-conscience go-getter in the ad game, to a caring, real, and much more in-touch human being — one who, by movie’s end, can make French toast like a master. He didn’t know it when he began this life episode, and it certainly doesn’t feel good along the way, but by the end he’s a better man for his wife’s having left him. And ultimately, that is what a good ROP tale is all about.

  ROP Type: Separation Passage

  ROP Cousins: Divorce American Style, Blume in Love, An Unmarried Woman, Modern Romance, The War of the Roses, The Break-Up, The First Wives Club, Bye Bye Love, Stepmom, Dinner with Friends

  KRAMER vs. KRAMER

  Screenplay by Robert Benton

  Based on the novel by Avery Corman

  Opening Image: A middle-class apartment in New York City. A sweet domestic moment. Or is it? Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) has something on her mind as she tucks her son Billy (Justin Henry) into bed.

  Set-Up: Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is an ad man at work late. The boss gives Dustin the big account. Dustin’s thrilled. Mixed in are scenes of Meryl packing. A collision of these two people — one happy at work, one sad at home — is coming fast. Yet the set-up is so universal, we immediately understand the conflict.

  Catalyst: Dustin arrives home with his great news, only to be told by Meryl she’s leaving him and her son: “He’s better off without me.” Dustin tries to stop her, but Meryl’s out the door.

  Theme Stated: With Meryl gone at Minute 9, Dustin whines on the shoulder of neighbor Margaret Phelps (Jane Alexander). “Can’t you understand what she’s done to me?” he asks. Jane deadpans: “She loused up one of the five best days of your life.” The exchange sets the table for Dustin’s journey. He will learn that love means being able to put someone else’s needs before your own.

  Debate: Is Meryl really gone? At Minute 12, Billy wakes up asking where his mother is. Dustin is frantic and a little scary as he tries to cook french toast “just like Mom.” At work, Dustin makes the mistake of confiding in his boss, who has second thoughts about his decision to recommend Dustin for the big account. Dustin tells him not to worry. Then at Minute 22, he gets a letter from Meryl, confirming that she isn’t coming back.

  Break into Two: Dustin sweeps the apartment clean of photos, clothes, and memorabilia of his marriage. Boldly stepping into the “upside-down world” of Act Two, he doesn’t yet understand how very different his life will be. We also begin to see Dustin devote less time to work in order to take care of Billy.

  B Story: The “love story” between Dustin and Billy is where Dustin will slowly give up his selfish ways and learn to put another’s needs ahead of his own. He is helped also by his neighbor, Jane. Divorced after her husband left, she will mentor Dustin as he and Billy make a life for themselves — and help him understand why Meryl was unhappy.

  Fun and Games: Dustin and Billy are equally at sea without Meryl. At first Billy is cold. He misses his mom, blames his dad, and misbehaves in every way to test him. But the two Kramers work out a routine of surviving the basic moments of life. They both read at the dinner table — in silence at first — and we get a running joke of the men scampering in and out of the bathroom to pee. Yet there are challenges: Billy throws a fit when Dustin picks him up late from a birthday party, and when Billy defies his dad by eating ice cream without permission, we see how much the lack of a woman in their lives affects them. Dustin seems to be juggling family and business okay, until he brings home a date from work — and Billy catches her naked in the hallway. It’s
a clear indication that Dustin’s selfish behavior is resulting in “the wrong way.”

  Midpoint: By mid-movie, routine has turned into a pleasant life. Father and son have not only survived, they’ve gotten closer. With the midpoint “false victory” of Dustin teaching Billy to ride a bike, all’s well. Even an accident that sends Billy to the hospital has a “happy” ending. A and B stories cross as Jane tells Dustin he’s doing a good job. But as sure as Godzilla heads straight for Tokyo, we know trouble’s coming, and at Minute 52, Meryl calls. Thinking she wants to reconcile, Dustin meets her at a cafe. Then she drops the bomb and “raises the stakes.” Even though she hasn’t seen or talked to Billy since the day she left, she wants custody.

  Bad Guys Close In: The titular part of the story, the trial of Kramer vs. Kramer, begins as Dustin’s lawyer (Howard Duff) tells him they have to play hardball. This would be the worst time for Dustin to get fired but perfect for the BGCI section of any script, so he’s let go by the agency. Without a job, he’s at risk of losing Billy for sure — now his first concern. We have a great scene when Dustin looks for work at Christmas time. His “one time only offer” of taking a pay cut gets the attention of a potential boss, even during a Christmas party, and Dustin gets the gig.

  All Is Lost: Dustin prepares for court but there is a wrinkle: He learns Meryl has the legal right to see Billy. Will Dustin be “worse off than when this movie started” and lose them both?

  Dark Night of the Soul: In Central Park at Minute 71, Dustin lets Billy go. He watches Billy run happily into his mother’s arms.

  Break into Three: At Minute 72, the trial begins — and it’s rough. Meryl is questioned and we learn she has boyfriend. A and B stories cross as Jane takes the stand on Dustin’s behalf.

  Finale: Finally getting to tell his side, Dustin argues for “men’s rights,” but really talks about what he’s learned in the B story. “I’m not a perfect parent, but I’m there. We’ve built a life together.” Despite this plea, Meryl wins. At home, in a flip of the earlier scene, Dustin and Billy make French toast like pros.

  Final Image: Meryl arrives to pick up her son and surprises Dustin, telling him Billy can stay. From page 1 to this touching finale, we’ve seen an amazing transformation for all the Kramers. But none has changed more than Dustin, who has gone from selfish to selfless and learned the true meaning of family.

  ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)

  Here’s a great example of a whole movie plot leading to a single dramatic moment. When a bereft Timothy Hutton tracks down therapist Judd Hirsch to unburden his pain, it is the release we’ve been waiting for, the quivering climax of a wrenching and effectively told “Death Passage.”

  And I cry like a sorority girl every time I see it.

  When we begin director Robert Redford’s translation of Judith Guest’s best-selling novel, all seems swell. The middle class world Tim’s parents, Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, inhabit seems immune from pain. Despite the lovely setting and safety of the environs, there is an elephant in the living room — and the pressure of needing to talk about it begins from scene one and builds to its inevitable conclusion.

  The pachyderm in question involves an accident that took the life of older brother Buck, the favorite son, a boating tragedy Tim survived. In order to recover, Tim will have to see a much larger truth — and accept it. He will be forced to go from one who believes mothers love all their children, to someone who can forgive his own for being unable to. By doing so, Tim will force others to see the truth, and upend the family forever. My hero, screenwriter Alvin Sargent, won an Oscar® for this script — and no wonder. As Rites of Passage go, none is more powerful than this well-told tale.

  ROP Type: Death Passage

  ROP Cousins: All That Jazz, My Life, Dying Young, Wit, The Sweet Herefter, You Can Count on Me, Ponette, The Doctor, The Accidental Tourist, One True Thing

  ORDINARY PEOPLE

  Screenplay by Alvin Sargent

  Based on the novel by Judith Guest

  Opening Image: Beautiful homes, fall leaves. And in a church, a choir sings. Among its members: teenagers Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) and Jeannine Pratt (Elizabeth McGovern). Tim looks tired.

  Set-Up: Meet Tim’s upscale parents, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) and Calvin (Donald Sutherland). Everything seems normal. So why is Tim having nightmares? One morning over breakfast, Tim is asked if he called “that doctor” yet and we wonder what the tension is and why Mary is so distant. We are catching a family post-trauma. Though it is not revealed until later, they have recently lost their older son Buck, after which younger son Tim tried to off himself. He has just returned from a psychiatric hospital, agreeing that if he isn’t feeling better, he’ll seek help.

  Theme Stated: “You okay?” Donald asks Tim over pancakes. It is a question that will become a running litmus test, and our theme.

  Catalyst: When Tim doesn’t eat the pancakes Mom made, Mary takes them away brusquely and dumps them. Her harsh attitude prompts Tim to call the therapist.

  Debate: That night, Tim’s terrifying dreams reveal a boating accident and a storm. Tim meets the therapist, Dr. Tyrone C. Berger (Judd Hirsch), the next day. Tim tries to be honest: “I don’t like this,” he tells Judd. Can Tim commit to therapy?

  Break into Two: Still resisting, Tim works out a schedule with Judd. At school, Tim is on the swim team, trying to emulate his swim-star brother, and has a crush on Elizabeth. But both routes offer the “wrong way” — at least for now.

  B Story: Through Tim’s sessions with Judd, he will accept what happened and be healed. Their relationship is the “love story” of the film. Tim can only work with Judd a few hours a week, and must cut into his swim-team practice time to do so, but what he learns in Judd’s office will be applied in the world as he gets stronger.

  Fun and Games: Though their relationship is awkward at first, Judd gains Tim’s trust. “Aren’t I supposed to feel better?” Tim asks at one point. “Not necessarily,” Judd answers — proof positive that Judd speaks the truth. The “promise of the premise” also includes small moments of the very intense kind: Tim reconnects with Karen (Dinah Manoff) from the hospital; she too tried to kill herself. Dinah did not stay in therapy and, unlike Tim, seems fine. Yet it is the interactions between Tim and his mother that are the most wrenching. When their uncomfortable conversation in the garden after school one day is interrupted by a phone call, Mary is asked what she’s doing and responds: “I’m not doing anything.” The “Fun and Games” end with the famous Christmas photo scene where Tim loudly refuses to take a picture with Mary. The therapy is working; Tim is at last coming alive — even if his emotion is anger.

  Midpoint: Through Judd’s encouragement, “false victories” now begin: Tim talks to Elizabeth, quits Buck’s swim team without telling his parents, and starts to stand up for himself. And when he is “okay” enough for Elizabeth to agree to go out with him, Tim heads home singing “Hallelujah.” But feeling “okay” is about to be challenged. Threatened by how Tim is changing due to his sessions with Judd, Mary confronts Tim about quitting the team, accusing him of lying and embarrassing her — on purpose.

  Bad Guys Close In: The crack in the family begins when Tim tells Judd: “I think I just figured something out.” The conflict expands as Donald also meets with Judd. When Donald reports this to Mary, looking for approval, she is instead appalled. The truth is starting to dawn on Donald, too. As for Tim, his date with Elizabeth shows how not “okay” he is when they go to McDonalds and Tim can’t handle some boisterous kids whom Elizabeth jokes with. Maybe Tim is not getting better, after all. And later after a swim meet, when a pal makes a remark about Elizabeth, Tim overreacts and pummels him. “You’re crazy,” the friend yells.

  All Is Lost: After the fight, Tim calls Dinah and learns she killed herself, even though she was “feeling fine.” The “whiff of death” includes Tim thinking he could have saved her from suicide.

  Dark Night of the Soul: Instead of following suit, Tim run
s through the streets in panic and phones his doctor. Judd, unlike any therapist we know, meets Tim at his office. And now it all spills out. In flashback we see the night of the accident, the storm, Buck’s death — and the one thing Tim did wrong: He didn’t drown. “I hung on. I stayed with the boat,” he cries. Tim now realizes his sin was being stronger than his “perfect” brother. A and B stories cross as Tim accepts what happened — thanks to Judd.

  Break into Three: Next morning, Tim waits at Elizabeth’s house. “Have you eaten?” she asks. In a reversal of the earlier pancake scene, Tim is now ready for nourishment. Elizabeth ushers him inside — and back into the world.

  Finale: On vacation, Donald and Mary fight about Tim, with Donald standing up to her. The dynamics are changing. When the couple returns, a reinvigorated Tim hugs his mother, who stiffens — not knowing how to hug back. Later, Mary finds Donald sobbing in the middle of the night. “Do you really love me?” he asks. “I feel the way I’ve always felt about you,” Mary says. Now he has his answer. Donald tells Mary: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what we’ve been playing at.”