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Lecture 11:Lecture 11:The Three Traditional LossesThe Three Traditional Losses

Professor Christopher Bradley

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo

Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• The Midpoint

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Alien (1979) Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon

In this LessonIn this Lesson

• What things happen to tell your protagonist that the problem is much worse than he or she ever imagined?

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• In this lesson, we’ll be looking at some examples of the first two events (of three) that do this.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo

Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Two Bad ThingsTwo Bad Things

4Lesson 11: Part I

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo

Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Two Bad ThingsTwo Bad Things

• Almost immediately after the midpoint, things start to fall apart for your protagonist.

• The Antagonist returns, more powerful than ever.

• The Protagonist faces his or her greatest fear (a greater fear than the one faced before the midpoint) and FAILS.

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Two Bad ThingsTwo Bad Things• With each loss, there is more determination.

There’s no going back now!• The story moves from what the protagonist

wants to what the protagonist needs.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo

Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Two Bad ThingsTwo Bad Things• Even though your protagonist thought he or

she had changed as much as they ever possibly could, a change that looks impossible is needed.

• The goal becomes larger than the original goal. It’s now about honor, justice, nobility, loyalty, true love.

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Two Bad ThingsTwo Bad Things

• It is in these scenes that the protagonist seizes his or her destiny.

• After these two failures, your protagonist reaches THE BIG PIT (which we’ll be discussing in the next lecture). At that point, just when things look like they can’t possibly get worse, they DO.

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Example 1: Example 1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest• McMurphy’s goal was to

lead a successful rebellion against the monstrously controlling Nurse Ratched and then escape.

• He succeeds, but didn’t anticipate the consequences.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by

Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Example 1: Example 1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

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• He can’t leave the men to her revenge. Something bigger is being asked of him.

• In the scenes following, McMurphy has a chance to escape but lets it pass, truly seizing his destiny as the savior of these men.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)Screenplay by

Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

Example 2: Example 2: Singin’ in the RainSingin’ in the Rain

• Don Lockwood’s goal is to transition successfully from a silent film actor to an actor in talking pictures.

• He succeeds, but something larger is needed. He has to save Kathy’s career as well.

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Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Screenplay by

Adolph Green and Betty Comden Suggested by the song Singin’ in the Rain

by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown

AssignmentsAssignments

12Lesson 11: Part II

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Screenplay by Adolph Green and Betty Comden Suggested by the song Singin’ in the Rain

by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown

• Write the next 7-8 pages of your screenplay, taking your protagonist from bad to worse, illustrating the depth of the change needed, the scope and seeming-impossibility of the challenge.

WritingWriting

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E-Board PostE-Board Post

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• Give supportive feedback to at least one of your fellow writers on their next 15 pages.

End of Lecture 11End of Lecture 11

Next Lecture: The Big Pit

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman

Based on the novel by Ken Kesey