Save the Cat Goes to the Movies (27 page)

B Story:
The question of whether Laura can be trusted or not is at the heart of this case, and her interest in Brendan a reflection of the power of possession. Like all tough detectives, Brendan needs love, too. This “love story” is where the theme of this movie will be discussed, and where Brendan will seek solace.

Midpoint:
Laura saves Brendan when he’s in a tough spot as A and B stories cross in “false victory.” And the victory is enhanced when Laura tells Brendan what’s at the core of the mystery (and one of the clues): a missing “brick” of heroin. At school, after fending off a knife-wielding thug, Brendan dips into the “dark side” when he joins The Pin, posing as a snitch to gain The Pin’s trust and learn more about Emily’s death.

Bad Guys Close In:
Brendan is brought into The Pin’s world, and the “stakes are raised.” Assistant Vice Principal Trueman shows up at Brendan’s class, asking about Emily; Brendan is now a suspect in her disappearance. When he learns “poor Frisco” died by using poisoned
heroin, Brendan knows the crime is about more than just drugs. At The Pin’s house, he finds a brick of heroin and learns from Tug that one was stolen and replaced with a tainted substitute. Everyone suspects Emily. Now Brendan does, too. Brendan accepts Dode’s invite to a meeting with The Pin and Tug, then gets the biggest shock yet when Dode reveals Emily was pregnant.

All Is Lost:
At the sewage pipe, Dode is about to tell The Pin he thinks Brendan killed Emily. But Brendan is saved when Tug kills Dode before he says a word — because it was Tug who killed Emily, and he thinks Dode was about to turn him over. “Worse off than when this movie started,” and complicit in not just one death but two, Brendan experiences the “whiff of death.”

Dark Night of the Soul:
Brendan learns Tug thought Emily’s baby was his; that’s why he killed her. Brendan knows all now, except for one key piece: Who told Tug it was his baby? To find solace, Brendan seeks out Laura who comforts him, but an idle remark makes him realize she played a part in Emily’s death, too.

Break into Three:
A and B stories cross as we return to the theme of possession: Laura tries to keep Brendan from going to the final confrontation between Tug and The Pin, but Brendan breaks from her influence and heads to the face-off.

Finale:
The showdown turns violent as Tug and The Pin kill each other. Brendan escapes before the police arrive. Emily’s body is found in Tug’s car, and he is blamed. Laura is the only one of the group who’s gotten off scot-free. Or has she?

Final Image:
Brendan puts the case together: Laura did it. She manipulated everyone, and told Tug about Emily knowing he would kill her. It was all done to keep control. But we also learn the horrible truth: The baby was Brendan’s. He turns Laura in to the cops, but is in no mood to celebrate. The “dark turn” he needed to take to solve the mystery has tainted him for good.

The “Fool Triumphant” comes in all shapes and sizes. In
Legally Blonde,
Reese Witherspoon brings
da pink
to Harvard Yard — along with values of fidelity, truth, and perms — that will help this “fish out of water” win big.

The tale of the Village Idiot is a tradition going back to ancient times. Whether an actual knuckle-dragging dimwit or a savant whose skills are disguised, being disregarded is the power of this character — and the secret of his success.

Crafty Greek protags like Ulysses often play the fool. Puck in
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
delights us with hijinks and wisdom. And the “jester” is a stock character in the King’s court. These are heroes famous for come-from-behind victories, for while those around them don’t know a wise man or woman when they see one, we do!

And that’s what makes the “Fool Triumphant.”

The key ingredient in setting up the “fool as hero” story is giving him an establishment to stand against. And while he does not set out to do anything but live his life, it’s usually the establishment that’s exposed as the
real
fool in the equation. Have no fear, our unlikely hero won’t become a part of the system — or want to! The fool will lead no revolution, upend no government, nor promote himself or even a cause, but his presence reminds us that an individual can still make a difference. The fool is that side of us that knows the truth of what we speak, but may be unable to convince others. He represents our fondest hope: That even on our most idiotic day, we’re making sense …

…and maybe everybody should cut us a damn break!

The latitude of the FT tale can be found in many such circumstances. The “Undercover Fool” purposely assumes the identity of someone else, often disguised as the opposite sex
(Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire);
the “Political Fool” is a clown in the king’s court who others mistake as a sage
(Being There, Dave);
and the “Sex Fool” (The
40-Year-Old Virgin, The Guru)
is one who seems to be a lothario — but
who actually needs help. This genre also includes the “fish out of water” tale where an unappreciated
piscis ex aqua
crawls up to dry land where she will find her true place
(Legally Blonde)
, and where her skills suddenly have new impact. These “fresh start” stories reveal that back home the locals we grew up with are unsure what we’re capable of, but with a bit of luck — and a bus ticket out of town — we can finally show how great we are. Such is the curse and the blessing of being considered a fool, the out-of-the-blue, didn’t-expect-it, not-paid-attention-to person we all love and root for.

The rule of the fool is simple, and the Fool Triumphant template has three very definite conventions: (1) a “fool,” the overlooked man or woman who is often naive about his own powers; (2) an “establishment” that the fool either rises to challenge or is sent in to engage, as in most “fish out of water” stories; and (3) a “transmutation” that is offered the fool by circumstances that seem divine. Often this includes a “name change” — a beat seen in quite a few of these tales.

So let’s examine these elements. I mean, you’re here, why not?

The most important feature of the “fool” in literature is that he must be disregarded at first — and his being unaware of what he’s missing is the preposterous starting point for all: Reese Wither-spoon in
Legally Blonde
, Peter Sellers in
Being There
, Dustin Hoffman in
Tootsie
, Geoffrey Rush in
Shine
, and even Tom Hulce in
Amadeus
all share this underdog quality — and being overlooked is both their disadvantage and their greatest power. For whatever reason, these sad sacks are deemed less-than or discounted entirely. And even though they know they have what it takes, or at least have the pure chutzpah not to care, no one else takes them seriously or considers them a threat at first. Well … almost no one.

For every fool there is often a character described as the
Insider
, and he and the fool are a matched set in many an FT tale. This is the “jealous brother” who “gets it,” who knows the fool has magic powers, sometimes ones that — in the beginning — threaten him. These are the “smart guys” who often pay for their insight by
getting the karmic backlash from trying to compete with the fool: Salieri in
Amadeus
, Lieutenant Dan in
Forrest Gump
, and Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) in the old
Pink Panther
movies. This is also the difference between a Fool Triumphant story and a “Superhero” tale (Chapter 10); in the latter, the hero
knows
he’s special and also knows the cost that being “special” will entail — that is, in fact, what makes him a Superhero. But in a Fool Triumphant story, only the Insider really knows, and that information both gnaws at and inspires him to thwart the fool wherever he can.

The “establishment” we send the fool to confront, or one that he finds himself opposing, makes the fool stand out. Yet when they finally square off face-to-face, it’s usually the establishment that blinks. This is why so many “fish out of water” tales — the “fish,” meaning the fool, and “out of water,” meaning where he lands — present such a scary predicament. We fear for the FT hero, and assume he will flail and die. Often these stories are of the “Country Mouse Goes to the City” variety, where the bumpkin finds himself amid city slickers who berate him.

The combinations of these fish tales are amazingly varied — yet have the same rules. Isn’t Reese Witherspoon as the fabulous Elle Woods the least likely to do well at Harvard Law? And isn’t Goldie Hawn in
Private Benjamin
the same character, just wearing a khaki color scheme instead of pink? If there’s one thing these newcomers all have in common, it’s that the more the establishment makes fun of them, the more likely they will get the last laugh. The establishment’s traditions, one-track mindset, and ignorance of its need to change makes the quick-to-grow-legs fish likely to win. And the victory is sweet for us too, for we confront those who doubt us all day long.

And isn’t
that
a drag?

Finally, the “transmutation” that occurs for the hero goes beyond the usual. All stories are about transformation — how many times do I have to say it? — but in the FT tale, there may be a new persona born in the process. Part of this story tradition is a
fool assumes a new name
moment, as when Robin Williams
becomes “Mrs. Doubtfire” (thanks to a newspaper headline), and Chance the gardener becomes “Chauncy Gardner” in
Being There.
There is also a beat in many a “fish out of water” story when the fool changes his mission once he arrives on dry land, e.g., in
Legally Blonde
, Elle Woods gives up on her fiancé mid-journey to become a great lawyer. Disguised too long, and overlooked by all, it’s time for her to emerge. In many ways that is who the fool
really
is: a butterfly misidentified as a caterpillar far too long.

The FT is one story we cavemen love because we have all been there — sent off to a new school, or another cave, and told to fit in, only to be reminded that what we brought with us really does have value.

We identify!

So maybe we’re not so foolish as writers to come up with an FT that has never been done before. Try it. Maybe you will prove that
you
are no fool!

A place to send him? A disguise for him to wear? A lesson for the group to learn from
le cretin?
Be smart:

1. A “fool” whose innocence is his strength and whose gentle manner makes him likely to be ignored — by all but a jealous “Insider” who knows too well.
   
2. An “establishment,” the people or group a fool comes up against, either within his midst, or after being sent to a new place in which he does not fit — at first. Either way, the mismatch promises fireworks!
   
3. A “transmutation” in which the fool becomes someone or something new, often including a “name change” that’s taken on either by accident or as a disguise.
   

From the variety of movies using the FT template, it shows even we fool-like screenwriters can one day rule!