A Hollywood Script Consultant

AN UNLIKELY RESOURCE—KID FLICKS

BY JUDY KELLEM

Much of the feedback we are constantly giving writers is for them to increase those key components of theatricality: conflict, jeopardy, obstacles, angst and eventfulness (i.e.: CJOAE). One would be surprised at how often these crucial elements are in short supply – even in the strongest scripts we’ve read. Sometimes it comes down to the writers’ personal sensibilities – they are shy or uncomfortable with any drama in real life and this gets projected onto the page. Others don’t realize how much hardship can be heaped on before a story starts to read as “over the top”. But when one considers that most folks go to films and plays to freely feel their most human emotions – to shed passionate tears for the highs and lows of existence, or revel in the wicked behavior of a delicious bad guy, or reel with a beloved hero as s/he makes colossal mistakes – then as a writer, it is easier to understand why copious amounts of CJOAE are so essential to great story- telling.

No person will teach you this faster than a child. Spend an hour in dramatic play with any kid and listen to how much peril befalls Barbie and G.I. Joe alike.

So it is no wonder that in our current age of high-tech animation and ultra-sophisticated programming for young people, a writer can learn a ton from viewing children’s films.

Believe it or not, many of the kid films out there today are not only stellar examples of great storytelling, but downright stronger films than much of what’s being peddled to adult audiences.

Take for example, RANGO – the plot follows both the personal survival of a heroic chameleon who gets lost in the desert and the survival of a desert town that’s run out of water, while the story tracks the existential arc of the hero, who has always been “lost” inside – he has no idea who he really is and struggles to embrace a true identity. These three trajectories are dramatized with immense humor, social commentary, rich characterization and a relentless stream of CJOAE.

Other examples are “road trip” films of recent like, BOLT and FINDING NEMO. In BOLT, a dog that has grown up on a television set as a “super” canine, mistakenly gets released into the real world. He has no survival skills, has no idea how to “be a dog” and must come to terms with the realization that there is nothing “super” about him. He takes a road trip cross-country with a well-seasoned alley cat and trailer-park-raised hamster. The myriad high-stake obstacles they encounter along the way, as well as the deeply layered friendship they forge, while the dog grapples with his future and who he is, make for a first rate script.

So too, FINDING NEMO, where an over-protective father fish loses his young son and must traverse the oceans of the world to find him, is marked by ongoing difficulty on the plot and story levels, for both father and son. The father faces sharks, killer jelly fish and bizarre creatures of the deepest sea, while the son floats trapped in an aquarium, encountering his own, very vital and colorful experience rife with impending danger. Both father and son must battle their environments while same time growing as individuals: the father slowly learns to overcome his exaggerated fears, gaining some faith in life and much needed confidence overall, as the son realizes he’s not as helpless and victimized as his overprotective father raised him to feel. They are mutually empowered by their perilous situations and are at last reunited, into a much happier and healthier relationship.

Other big budget, Hollywood movies like SHARK TALES, PRINCESS AND THE FROG and KUNG FU PANDA 2, as well as outright works of art like SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO, by genius/maestro Japanese film maker, Hayao Miyazaki (whose films are in a class of their own) - are other top-notch examples of excellent storytelling brimming with drama.

It may feel strange to sit down to a kid movie in order to help oneself improve as a writer, but we strongly recommend you try it. Really listen to the dialogue; really deconstruct the film as it runs. See how the plot and story build; keep track of how much time passes before the stakes are raised even higher on the hero. Be aware of how each character struggles along in his or her own specific arc within the overall, main tale. You will certainly learn something and hopefully be entertained – even moved - as you do.

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