I didn’t really get into Star Trek until 1994, at the tail end of The Next Generation (TNG). I was able to catch about half of the final season on TV, and then my very first Star Trek movie was Star Trek: Generations; the infamous meeting between Captain Kirk and Captain Picard. Talk about a fanboy’s dream. From there my interest really bloomed, I was able to watch all the TNG re-runs on Fox, I caught new episodes of Deep Space Nine when they aired (most of the time) and I was right there at the beginning of Voyager in 1995.

When 1996 came along and the second TNG movie (Star Trek: First Contact) was set to come out, I put it off for a while due to Jurassic Park coming out on VHS. When I finally did go see the movie it was well into November of that year and the Christmas season was in full swing. I was absolutely blown away and to this day it remains my favorite Star Trek movie. Despite being sixteen years old, I managed to find a Borg Sphere under the Christmas tree that year. But that in itself was not enough to forge this association.

No, it was something more.

See, for the longest time I was a recluse as a child, which meant most people didn’t know what to get me as gifts. Lego was usually a safe bet but I was far past what most considered the “prime” Lego building years and I think people probably felt a little strange buying Lego sets for a teenager (hint: I would have taken them happily, social norms be damned).

But what people could buy me were movies or videos. This was back when Paramount (in their infinite wisdom) began releasing individual episodes of the Original Series and TNG on VHS. Yes, you had to pay $14.95 or even sometimes $19.95 for AN EPISODE. Practically it was impossible for a company to put 22 or 24 episodes on videocassette to sell as a season ($358!!!) but people wanted their Star Trek. So what were they supposed to do?

But this was also close to the advent of DVD as a viable and persistent medium, leading to TNG being the first Star Trek show released by the season and allowing for hours and hours of binging. But I digress. The point of this was that I began receiving Star Trek episodes and movies as Christmas presents. And naturally I couldn’t wait more than a day to watch them, so an association formed that has stuck with me to this day.

So every year when Christmas starts to come around I get the urge to watch Star Trek movies. Whereas most people probably like to watch Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone (see the last post, it’s still a favorite!) or It’s a Wonderful Life I really get my nostalgic kick from the Trek library, even though they have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas story-wise. I also established a similar association with the first Star Wars movies (4-6, not the prequels) as they were always on TV in the late 80’s and early 90’s on Christmas day, but it isn’t nearly as strong.

Why is this important? Well…it isn’t really. It’s just one of those strange little quirks about me; something that has been part of my milieu. Perhaps this gives you insight to my character or perhaps this has been nothing more than a waste of your time!

Merry (Star Trek) Christmas!

After my post last year about Christmas with the Kranks went over so well I thought I’d do another plot breakdown of one of my favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone!

We won’t go into Home Alone 2 because it is essentially just a carbon copy of the first movie (which is fine, I’m not judging), but for the purposes of this article, I’ll just be sticking to the original.

And before we get started you may ask: Why Christmas movies? Because they are the only movies I watch consistently year after year, and thus are embedded in my brain. I’ve literally been studying these movies for years and didn’t even know it.

Home Alone begins innocently enough, on the eve of the big McAllister family vacation to Paris for Christmas! I wish my parents had been rich enough to fly us to Europe one year. (What do Kate and Peter McAllister DO for a living? Have you seen that house?)

Anyway, I’m getting off track. It is here in the beginning of the movie we are introduced to the setting (house), setting up the situation (vacation) and getting to know our main characters. Early on we see a police officer trying to find an adult and already we realize this is a huge family. More kids than I can count (I think the official number is 11!!). And amidst this chaos we are introduced to Kevin, who at first comes across as just another of the bratty kids (“Hang up the phone and make me, why don’t ya?”). The action doesn’t really get started until Aunt Leslie tells him to go pack his suitcase, sending Kevin into a mild panic.

Because it is here we learn that Kevin is, as his sister puts it, completely helpless. And it is very important this point is reinforced. In addition to not knowing what he’s going to do about packing, the story endears us to Kevin by showing us he’s the runt of the litter. Everyone picks on him and no one gives him a fair shot, most of all his brother Buzz. It’s a feeling we all can relate to and thus we feel a lot of empathy for Kevin. This is kicked up to eleven (ha!) when Buzz announces he’ll have to throw up some pizza if Kevin wants any and Kevin attacks him, beginning the Rube Goldberg series of events that needs to happen to make this story work.

This is where the inciting incident comes in. Or perhaps the prelude to the inciting incident. When Kevin knocks Buzz back his passport is accidentally thrown away and he’s ostracized from the family, being relegated to the third floor where he’ll sleep alone (“Fuller will pee all over me!”) and thus be ignorant to the events to come. We also learn Kevin’s desire here: to be alone. We heard it once before, and he really reinforces it here (“I hope I never see any of you jerks again!”).

In the meantime we get some good setups with the pizza guy, Buzz’s spider and a resolution (we think) with the police checking to make sure the house has all the security it needs. And lest I forget, there was a setup with Old Man Marley who shovels sidewalks at night. He is what is known as the Fake Opponent-ally. But more on him later.

And now it’s time for the real Inciting Incident: the wind storm. Without the wind breaking the branches and knocking out the power and phone, we don’t have a story. The McAllisters would have gotten up on time, been thinking clearly, and would have remembered Kevin. But fate, or perhaps Kevin’s wish, has other plans. (Aside – I like how it is ambiguous here that it might be supernatural that his wish is coming true, not just a series of coincidences). The limb falls on the power and phone lines, cutting out all the alarms for the whole house.

The family is thrown into a frenzy as they wake up, realize they are late and may miss their flights. Everyone is running around like crazy and in the chaos, Kevin is forgotten. We get one last piece of the puzzle that makes this possible: Mitch Murphy, from next door. This nosy little guy gets in the middle of everyone’s business as they’re trying to leave, causing Heather to mistake him for Kevin and count him as asked by Kate. Kate double-checks the count, Heather is snarky about it, and they’re off in a flurry.

As the family races to the airport and barely makes it on the plane, we return to Kevin, who has just woken up to an empty house. Only he doesn’t know it is empty yet. He slowly begins to realize things are just a little too quiet for a house with fifteen people. This is the first complication.

Panic sets in and Kevin searches the house, finding no one. He goes into the basement where his fear overcomes his better judgement as he runs away from the “scary” furnace. What is important here is he checks the garage, seeing their cars are still there so he “knows” they haven’t gone to the airport. This is important because we have to know Kevin isn’t stupid. He just didn’t know about the Airport Vans transporting everyone. It’s hard to root for a stupid hero.

Reflecting on the prior evening’s events, Kevin realizes he’s gotten his wish, and that he is finally alone. And we are now firmly in the first major story beat: the Point of No Return. This is the point in the plot where the protagonist cannot turn back and must navigate this new world he’s found himself in. Kevin is entering a world with no rules, and Kate (our secondary protagonist) is on the plane headed for France.

Kevin revels in his newfound freedom, eating anything he wants, jumping on the bed, sledding in the house. Basically just being a kid. We also learn he’s proficient with Buzz’s BB gun, which will come in handy later. But then, as he’s watching a movie he was earlier told not to (Angels with Filthy Souls), we run into the second complication – his fear. This could also be described as a minor dark moment for Kevin, because with loneliness comes the loss of security, and he’s just now realizing he only has himself to rely on.

We switch back to Kate who finally remembers who she’s forgotten but they can’t get a call in because the phone lines are still down (from the wind storm!).

Now. The next sequence of events is very important. It establishes everything we need to know for the rest of the movie. We’re introduced to two home invaders: Marv and (twist!) Harry, the cop from earlier! It turns out he was just pretending to be a cop to case houses. And the only way this comes as a surprise is if you know nothing about this movie and saw zero trailers. But I appreciate the effort. It turns out Harry and Marv have their sights on Kevin’s house. And thus, we’ve reached the first pinch point: where the plot forces the protagonist to act among uncomfortable circumstances.

Nearly asleep, Kevin sees the shadows of the burglars and does what any 8-year old would do, turns on all the lights in the house and hides under the bed. This scares Harry and Marv away temporarily and as he hears them leave, Kevin breathes a sigh of relief. He realizes he’s being silly and decides to go out and confront his fear. But as soon as he leaves his house, he runs into a very imposing Old Man Marley and runs screaming back into his house, hiding under the bed once again.

The last piece of this sequence comes from Kate. Finally in France, she calls the police to go check on Kevin as the phones are still out and everyone else on their block is out of town. The police go over and knock on the door, but Kevin thinks it is Old Man Marley trying to get in to kill him, and doesn’t answer. The police assume no one is home and Kate has miscounted again, leaving Kevin truly on his own now. I do believe this plot thread should have been followed up, but it never was. Kate and the police have no more interactions, despite Peter trying to speak to someone in French from his brother’s apartment.

Obviously, this is one of those movies that would have been ruined by the existence of cell phones.

The next day, we see a change in Kevin. Whether it is from being scared out of his wits the night before, or some other unknown stimulus, he is different. He’s taking some personal responsibility for his appearance and has to go out to procure a toothbrush later in the day. This is where we see what’s special about Kevin. Where most kids would be too scared to leave their house, he does it with gusto. He has faced his fear and overcome it, showing himself to be a capable individual. We are seeing growth from his state at the beginning of the story. He’s gained self-confidence. And what all this is doing is setting us up for the second major story beat: the midpoint.

Realizing he needs money for the toothbrush, Kevin returns to Buzz’s room where he climbs on the shelves to reach the cash only for the shelves to collapse under him, releasing Buzz’s spider. It is important we’re shown the spider wasn’t killed in the crash, and in fact crawls away to explore his new surroundings.

We get a quick scene with Harry and Marv again, ransacking Mitch Murphy’s (from earlier!) home and they learn from a message on the answering machine that the McAllister’s are indeed in Paris. They make plans to rob it later that night. This is also part of the setup for the midpoint.

Kevin treks into town to the local drugstore. And in the middle of a conversation about the dentistry rating of the toothbrush itself, he comes face to face with a bloody-handed Marley again. Apparently he wasn’t as over his fear as he thought, as he runs from the store, toothbrush still in hand. This is the third complication as it leads to a chase by a different police officer for shoplifting. (Really Jimmy? You gonna call shoplifting on the kid? It’s like $2, take it out of your salary ya mook)

With some ingenuity and luck, Kevin escapes and heads back home. As he’s heading home, lamenting the fact he’s now a criminal, Harry and Marv are leaving one of his neighbors’, their van loaded with lifted goods. There is a short confrontation where they literally almost run into each other. In the aftermath, Kevin realizes he’s seen Harry before, and he’s not a cop anymore.

Harry doesn’t like how Kevin looks at him, so they decide to follow him, see where he lives. Kevin picks up on this and this is where he really shines for the first time: cleverly hiding from the burglars in a church manger scene. He realizes the crooks won’t give up and vows to prepare for their return. This is the midpoint: where the protagonist recommits to his goal, which has become protect himself in the absence of a caring family. Being alone comes with responsibilities and Kevin isn’t about to shirk them.

When the crooks return later that night, Kevin has upped the ante. Not only does he have all the lights on, he’s playing loud music and has used his ingenuity to make it look like there’s a party at the house with a clever use of mannequins and standups. Harry and Marv, confused, leave before anyone sees them and Kevin thinks he’s won. All is good.

High on his win, Kevin orders a pizza and using Angels with Dirty Souls (which he’s now become completely numb to) and manages to terrorize the pizza guy. He’s overconfident in his abilities and showing off, just because he can.

However something interesting happens that night. As he’s watching TV all alone, he pulls out a picture of his family, beginning to regret his wish. Loneliness, it seems, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

We switch back to Kate, who has managed to make it all the way back to Scranton, but she Just. Can’t. Get. To. Chicago. We see the depth of Kate’s obsession with getting back home and that she really does care about Kevin, as a mother should. This goes to a larger theme about the importance of family, but we’ll come back to that a little later. Technically this is the fourth complication, even though it doesn’t happen directly to Kevin. It affects him, he just doesn’t know it yet. A friendly Polka band leader overhears her predicament and offers to drive her on their way to Milwaukee. It will take a little longer, but she’ll get back home to her son.

The next morning Kevin readies himself again. He’s the master of his domain. This living alone stuff is easy once you get over your fears, which he has done successfully, or so he thinks. He’s lulled himself into a false sense of security, but not so much it has made him reckless. He has to venture out again because he’s running low on supplies. He’s taking even more personal responsibility. Outwitting the local cashier, he purchases all the supplies he’ll need for a few more days, carting them back home. Later we see Kevin doing laundry right beside the once-scary furnace, his fear no longer getting the best of him. Further evidence of his growth and change.

Meanwhile, Harry is frustrated. They’ve been watching the house all day and from what he can tell, no one is there. He sends Marv to check out the house, which is the lead up to the fifth complication for Kevin. Marv makes his presence known while Kevin is doing dishes, but Kevin is prepared. Not reckless. He plays Angels with Dirty Souls again, this time letting it run as the two characters argue. Marv hears them and thinks he’s walked into something bad. Using fireworks he found in Buzz’s room, Kevin lights them in a pot when the characters on screen begin shooting, causing Marv to run from the house just as the Pizza boy did.

And it’s almost enough to scare them away. But Harry is clever too, and he doesn’t want to be fingered for a job if there’s a dead body around. So they decide to wait and see who the killer is. Kevin has navigated this complication he thinks, but Harry has other plans. When Kevin goes out to cut down a tree for the living room, Harry realizes what is going on. The plot is moving quicker now and we’re moving directly into the second pinch point.

Harry looks in the window on Kevin and despite Kevin’s last-ditch effort to convince him he’s not alone, Harry realizes the truth. He and Marv decide to come back about nine o’clock, which Kevin overhears. His fear is back worse than ever now as he knows there is no way to avoid this confrontation.

Now we’re headed into the third major story beat: Darkest night. Kevin, at a loss, decides to visit the village Santa. He barely makes it on time but manages to ask for only one thing: his family back. He’s realized what he had and what is truly important. Wishing them gone was a mistake, he sees that now and in doing so, has reached true emotional maturity (for the purposes of this story at least). On the way home he hears the choir singing in the church and stops in to listen. It is unclear to me what his motivations are at doing this: maybe he’s just feeling lonely and wants to be in the company of others. Maybe this was an annual McAllister Christmas Eve tradition. Whatever the reason, Kevin is shocked to see Old Man Marley again when he sits down.

We learn, at the same time Kevin does, that Marley is not the serial killer Buzz made him out to be. Marley introduces himself and Kevin learns that all the rumors about him aren’t true, and that he’s actually a very nice person. This is because he is the fake-opponent ally (remember?). Someone who is set up to be the opponent but is an ally in disguise. But Marley has a problem of his own: he’s estranged from his son. Using what he’s learned about fear, Kevin suggests he call his son and let the chips fall where they may. (“At least you’ll know, then you don’t have to be afraid anymore”). Marley also gives Kevin some advice about how to navigate his own family, which Kevin takes to heart.

Leaving the Church, Kevin hears the bells toll eight, which means he’s only got an hour before the crooks return! We are now heading firmly into the climax! Kevin has emerged from Darkest Night knowing what must be done to protect his home, to protect his family in a sense. Because if they don’t have the home to come back to, can they come back at all?

Now there are generally six parts of the climax, and Kevin moves through them all.

Stage 1: Preparing for Battle Using his ingenuity, Kevin has devised a house full of traps that would drive any sane man mad. In this sense Kevin has a bit of a superpower – he can predict his enemy’s movements and reactions, and thus set up the perfect trap for them. (“This is my house, I have to defend it.”)

Stage 2: Taking the fight to the enemy As soon as he’s finished setting up and sitting down for dinner, the clock strikes 9. Kevin grabs his BB gun and sets himself up at the back door, where he knows they’ll come. Here, he is fully resolved to finish this. (“This is it, don’t get scared now.”)

Stage 3: First Contact The war begins as Kevin shoots both Harry and Marv, setting off a series of events where they try to breach his stronghold. Eventually they do, but on Kevin’s terms. He’s got them right where he wants them.

Stage 4: War of Attrition Kevin manages to stay one step ahead of them, right up until the point after he calls the cops from his (now working!) phone. Marv jumps over one of his traps, barely grabbing Kevin’s leg. And it is here we see the deus ex machina or in this case deus ab aranea (god from the spider) as Buzz’s tarantula is just in reach and Kevin places it on Marv’s face, allowing him to escape. It is a bit of a lazy out but it’s done in such an entertaining way that I can’t fault it.

Stage 5: Mano a mano Fed up with getting played, Harry decides not to take it anymore. When Kevin runs away from the house, trying to lead them back into the Murphy’s cellar so he can escape (also when Kevin called the cops, he specified Murphy’s house, not his own as he rightly didn’t want the cops questioning why a child was home alone), Harry isn’t about to fall for it again. He has other plans.

Stage 6: From the ashes Kevin’s plan has fallen apart, Harry and Marv surprise him by going through the other side of the house, trapping him in the kitchen. With aims to do everything to Kevin that he did to them, things look bleak. And we get a second deus ex machina in the form of Old Man Marley who comes in and saves Kevin at the last second by knocking both crooks out with a snow shovel. Unfortunately we are given no information as to how Marley knows to rescue Kevin and this is probably the film’s one true fault. A last-minute save without explanation. But there is good plotting here, because if Kevin hadn’t befriended Marley in the church, he would not have survived his ordeal. So in a way, Kevin was the master of his own fate, though we’re left hanging as to exactly how.

Regardless, Marley helps Kevin home (and presumably helps him clean up) without another word and Kevin watches from the window as the cops arrive and Harry and Marv are arrested for Burglary.

So now we’ve had the external climax. But what about the internal one?

Because this entire time there have been two different plots: external and internal. The external is Kevin’s struggle against the crooks. His internal is his struggle against first his fear but more importantly his complex relationship with his family. And this comes into alignment the following morning.

Kate, having ridden with the Polka band all night, finally makes it home Christmas morning. She enters the house expecting to find it a wreck, but instead it is completely clean, everything in its place. The sign of someone who has taken responsibility for himself. A complete contrast to the child she left behind. When Kevin appears, she makes a heartfelt apology and they embrace, Kevin having realized the value of his family. Though I do think he should have offered an apology here as well, he’s also an eight-year-old kid who was abandoned so I’ll cut him a little slack. And thus we’ve entered the final beat of the story: resolution.

The rest of Kevin’s family comes home and is in awe at his self-sufficiency and Kevin makes no mention of what happened with Harry and Marv. Defeating them was the price he had to pay to get his family back, and that’s all he cares about.

As the film ends, Kevin walks to the window to see Old Man Marley reconnecting with his family as well, Kevin’s advice having worked. The last plot point to be resolved is a humorous one, when Buzz sees the destruction Kevin caused to his room. Apparently Kevin’s clean-up efforts didn’t extend that far.

Structurally, this movie is solid as a rock. And perhaps that is why it is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Sure there is a bit of nostalgia there as well, but in preparing this article, I was amazed at how sound the plot is from beginning to end. There is a reason good movies have really solid plots: because they work. And unlike Christmas with the Kranks, which fails at the 75%-mark, Home Alone delivers a satisfying ending that sings. All the setups are paid off and all the threads are tied up.

You couldn’t ask for a better example of a structurally sound movie in my opinion.

Thanks for taking this journey with me, I hope you enjoyed it!

A little over a week ago I received some bad news in a couple of ways. First I was rejected by an agent who I thought was sure to at least ask me for more pages on a query as it hit everything on her MSWL. Second I found out I did not get into the DFW Write Club Contest, something I expected was almost a given. These two events happened less than twelve hours apart and it put me in a bit of a funk. Why wouldn’t it? It appeared to me that the premise for my novel was fine as it was what the agent wanted, but I assumed the writing itself must have been bad. Why else would she reject? And as for the contest, I automatically decided people didn’t like my story. At least not enough to vote it into the first round.

The truth of the matter is I don’t know the actual facts behind these events. I don’t know why the agent didn’t want my particular manuscript or why not enough of the judges thought my story should go into the pile. That doesn’t mean they weren’t worthy or good. It just means they weren’t chosen. The point is I automatically assumed the worst. I thought that I was not only a bad writer, but I had wasted the last three years of my life doing something I wasn’t improving on. Because I didn’t know the facts, I wanted to make it emotional. I wanted to make it personal. Because if I could make it personal, maybe I would be pitiable, and maybe then the universe would give me a break.

But life isn’t like that. The universe isn’t balanced on a set of giant scales, waiting for a perceived injustice so it can dole out a helping of good luck. And taking it personally only hinders me from continuing to improve. It doesn’t even matter why I was rejected. What matters is I persevere. So I sat down and I wrote 1500 words that day. It was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do, but I knew if I didn’t, I could potentially fall off the horse and take weeks to get back on. I’ve done that before and I don’t want to go back there. I also happened upon a set of new resources I hadn’t been using before: Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, The Anatomy of Story by John Truby, and author Chris Fox and his series of Youtube videos. Within three days of exploring each of these resources, my mindset had completely changed.

I used Psycho-Cybernetics for my mental health, The Anatomy of Story to develop my craft, and I’ve been watching Chris Fox’s videos for motivation. These three things combined have created some kind of revelation in me. And though I’m still exploring it, I know it worked because I managed to write almost 15,000 words in less than six days. I’ve never had that kind of productivity. Not only that, but I rewrote the first chapter of my current work I am querying and I managed a short story for my local writer’s group within the same time frame. IN ADDITION, I have completely changed how I look at writing. I used to look at it as a craft where I wrote one book a year, polished it, got it absolutely perfect and then waited for an agent to sign me. But I’m not so sure that’s my path anymore. I see this level of productivity in myself and I love it. I really enjoy writing and creating and I don’t think one or even two books a year will be enough. So my goals are shifting. And I feel better about not only myself, but my future and my success as well.

Maybe my low point happened at exactly the right time. Maybe I would have found all these things regardless of what happened. I don’t know. But for the first time I feel like I am in control, instead of allowing someone else to take the reins. And that in itself is worth more than I could have ever imagined.

You may ask yourself: why does a writer spend his time reviewing and deconstructing movies? For me, they are a more familiar form of media, and easier for me to wrap my head around as they tend to be much, much shorter than books. But I find the lessons learned can be applied across mediums. Perhaps one day I’ll get around to deconstructing books. But until then, films it is.

Groundhog Day has been called one of the most spiritual non-spiritual movies ever committed to celluloid. Released in 1993, this movie has fascinated me ever since I saw it in theaters. When I was young it was because I had a thing (and still do) for time travel or time-related stories. And while this doesn’t fall under a traditional time travel story, it definitely explores the weight of time, and how that pressure affects us when we are confronted with it.

A quick recap for those who may not have seen it: Phil Connors is a cynical, arrogant Pittsburg weather man assigned to cover the Groundhog Day festival year after year. He has higher ambitions, and he thinks stepping on people is the fastest way to get to the top. Unfortunately, during his most recent outing to the small town of Punxsutawney, he is summarily trapped by a blizzard and cannot leave after the festivities are over. When he wakes up the next morning, it turns out he’s reliving the same day–Groundhog Day–over again. As it becomes clear to Phil and the audience there is no escape from this time loop, Punxsutawney or even the groundhog himself (also named Phil), Phil must navigate his new existence in the best way he can.

I could go into how perfect this movie is cast, or what a great comedy it is, or any other number of subjects; but I want to keep my analysis firmly on the story and themes of this movie, so that is where I will concentrate.

I watched this movie twice last night. Once just as the movie, and the second time with the director’s commentary by Harold Ramis. Both viewings turned out to be eye-opening as I saw the movie in such a different light. They say that film is forever we are the ones that change around them. In this case this is absolutely true. So lets work through the story beats here and see if this movie really measures up structurally.

The story begins in Pittsburg, with Phil and crew headed out to Punxsutawney. This is our inciting incident: leaving the city to cover the festival. Upon arriving, they film their story and try to leave, only to be stuck in the town due to a freak blizzard. When Phil wakes up the next day, he realizes he’s living the same day again. You would think this marks the Point of No Return (the point at when the protagonist has firmly entered the story and cannot go back to his old life), but I disagree. I think the PoNR comes on the third loop through, because in the second day you can almost see Phil doesn’t really believe it himself. He thinks it is some sort of practical joke. But when the third day hits and it is STILL Groundhog Day, Phil loses it. As Harold Ramis says, everything turns into shorthand. We don’t need to see the interactions with all the people he’s met because we’ve seen it all twice before, and so has Phil. THIS is the Point of No Return, the realization that his life will never be the same again.

Once confronted with this realization, Phil begins questioning what he should do. Initially depressed, a conversation with some barflies leads to the conclusion that his life is now consequence free. And to a point, that is true. All physical acts are consequence free. But as we will soon see, his mental state is not so lucky. Phil engages in acts of public destruction of property and when he wakes up the following morning, he’s right back in bed again instead of a jail cell. If there was ever any remaining doubt about his situation, this final act has solidified his new reality. He can get away with anything he wants. And for a person like Phil Connors, arrogant, greedy, rude and superior, it feeds into the worst aspects of himself. If we are to look at this story as a mirror for the human condition, we find that this is Phil entering his adolescent phase. He’s a reckless teenager, thinking himself invincible and unable to be harmed in any way. He steals, lies, and manipulates everyone to get what he wants. But it isn’t enough.

As we move into Act 2 of the movie Phil has become bored with “the easy stuff”. He wants the big prize: Rita, his producer. Whom he only just met before they left Pittsburg to cover the festival. In an attempt to woo her, Phil uses a trial-and-error process to learn what she likes and doesn’t like (sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist), hoping he can put on enough of a show to get her to fall for him. But Rita is too clever, and sees through his attempts every time. I feel like this is particularly clever, because even though these attempts have worked with other women, they won’t work with her because she sees he is only fooling himself. He thinks he loves her, and he may in some way, but he is still the same person underneath, and without real change, he will never get what he wants.

After numerous attempts (and I use the term numerous loosely here because even though it is never stated in the film, I tend to think he spends close to a year working on impressing Rita) Phil falls into a depression. The monotony is getting to him and he’s losing any hope of showing Rita how he truly feels. This is evident in the scene where he’s watching Jeopardy, chugging Jack Daniels. He’s building himself up for suicide, and we can see he is lost inside. Nothing matters anymore, despite everyone being very impressed with all his knowledge. It is nothing more than a parlor trick. He reaches full blown nihilism.

In our human lifespan comparison, I liken this stage to a mid-life crisis. Stuck in the same mundane, repetitive, unfulfilling tasks day after day. This is where I really think the message of this movie resonates with people the most. Everyone can relate to that feeling, and the hopelessness that comes along with it.

Finally, Phil has lost so much of himself nothing matters anymore. He’s willing to do anything to break this curse of an existence, no matter what. Death is better than this endless day. Oddly, on his first attempt, he takes Phil the groundhog with him, as if he believes that killing them both will break the cycle. But of course it doesn’t work. He wakes up right back in his bed. And after each suicide, his attempts only grow more desperate. What I find interesting about this section of the movie is that other than groundhog Phil, human Phil doesn’t endanger the lives of anyone else when he’s trying to kill himself. Just like he never killed or raped or hurt anyone while he was indulging in his fantasies. He isn’t a bad person at his core, and I think his hopelessness in these scenes humanize him.

Once Phil realizes he cannot die, at least in the traditional sense, we find ourselves at the halfway point of the movie. Also known as Re-Dedication. Phil literally has no other choice but to look at life differently, or else be resigned to an eternity of killing himself, but that has already gotten old. It is at this point where we start to see some real change in Phil. It is subtle at first. He seeks solace with Rita again, however this time, instead of attempting to trick her, he is honest with her, and befriends her. And by finally getting to know her better, he realizes she responds to kindness, generosity, and the truth. But where we really see the change in Phil is the following morning, after he wakes up alone yet again. This is the true point of Re-Dedication. We can see it in his body language. He is determined to be a better person.

It is at this point I will mention that I have discovered in the original script Phil was supposed to endure the loop for ten thousand years. Ten. Thousand. Years. This isn’t just an arbitrary number; its origins are rooted in Buddhism. I’m not an expert, but the idea is that it takes ten thousand years of practice for a soul to evolve to its next level. Now I always thought this was insane. Someone wouldn’t be able to come back from that, they wouldn’t be able to function in any day other than that day anymore. I believe Harold Ramis said they pulled back on that to make it more like thirty or forty years, which I find much more reasonable. And yet still, a very, very long time. I haven’t even been alive for forty years, I have a hard time imagining repeating the same day for that long. But that’s the point. This movie is supposed to make you feel the weight of time bearing down on you, as it does Phil. And I believe it succeeds. In less than two hours, we experience a lifetime.

Phil dedicates himself to self-improvement as we move closer to the third act of the movie. He learns to play piano (something that would take ten years by itself), how to ice sculpt, and how to speak french. He is dedicating himself to becoming a better person, and armed with nothing but time he is in the perfect position to do so. He finally stops seeing the loop as a trap, but as an opportunity to grow. Things are going better. Phil is becoming the person we want him to be. But time isn’t done with him yet.

In an attempt to better himself (and others), he sees a homeless man on the streets at night and takes him to the hospital. Unfortunately the old man dies that evening, setting us up for our final thematic beat before the climax: Darkest Night. Each day Phil tries again and again to save the old man, and each day he fails. No matter what he does, no matter what steps he takes, the old man dies at exactly the same time each day. And this is Phil’s final lesson: that he is not, in fact, a god as he purported to Rita earlier in the movie. He is mortal like the rest of us, and there are limits to what he can and can’t do. And he gets it. He’s finally in the right mindset to understand. In some ways I think this is the most important scene in the movie, because it keeps him humble. It keeps him human. We see he is not supernatural in any way.

The very next scene we see Phil quoting Chekhov in his address to his viewers. It is a long way from the sarcastic prima donna from the beginning of the film. Rita is so touched by his speech she asks if he would like to go for coffee and he politely declines. An earlier version of Phil would have taken her up immediately, but he knows it isn’t about her anymore. It is about helping as many people as he can, and the man has a busy schedule. And this is part of the brilliance of their attraction: rather than chase after her and pretend to be something he is not, he has turned himself into someone she wants to pursue, by his actions and his behaviors. By letting go of his pursuit, he has unwittingly become much more attractive.

Phil saves a kid from breaking his leg, fixes a spare tire for a group of old ladies, saves the Groundhog president from choking on a piece of steak and in a deleted scene, saves a little girl and her dog from being hit by a car. We can also assume he is doing many other good deeds throughout the day. He has fully become “Good Phil”. I tend to believe the largest segment of time took place between his realization he needed to be better, or the halfway point in the movie, and this point. I think he spent decades becoming a better Phil.

Back at our metaphor, Phil has entered the age of wisdom, something that usually only comes with great age. He is now wise beyond years, and sees that his life can only improve in the service of others. There is nothing to be had by being greedy, narcissistic, or cruel. In the climax of the film, Rita “wins” Phil in a bachelor auction by spending every penny she has in her checkbook. She has seen so much good in him, she sacrifices all her money in order to be with him. I found this so incredibly sweet. She isn’t concerned with the consequences, she just knows this is important. And in the final scene of this day, Phil carves her face into an ice sculpture as a token of his love. He says: “No matter what happens tomorrow, I am happy today, because I love you.” And you can see he really believes it. It doesn’t matter if he spends all of eternity in this loop, he now sees each day as a gift and an opportunity to improve the lives of those around him. He has become truly enlightened.

The following day when the clock ticks six am, Phil wakes up beside Rita, having finally moved on to February 3rd. What I find so endearing about this scene is Phil asks Rita what he can do for her that day. He has become truly selfless. And his reward is he finally gets to move on. In our metaphor, this would represent death. Not death as we traditionally think about it, but instead the graduation of a mortal consciousness to an immortal one–moving on beyond this physical world. But only after great turmoil and change.

One of the final (but not THE final) shots is the camera panning over the clock which now says 6:01, representing the weight of time has been lifted from Phil. I personally think that should have been the last shot of the movie, but it is still a comedy and ends with a more comedic bent of Phil declaring they should live in Punxsutawney, the town he once hated.

Story-wise, this movie hits all the points and hits them perfectly. Phil’s journey is expertly crafted, and the movie soars as a result. I read that the original screenplay had the movie begin in the middle, with Phil going around and accurately predicting everything that was happening. And while this would have been a fun gimmick, I think it was wise to start the story in the beginning, so we could see the full transformation of his character. Seeing where he came from was very important to understand just how much he changed over the course of this story.

Personally I love the theme of self-improvement through service to others, which is what I take away most from this film. But I understand Buddhists, Judeo-Christians, and Jews find this story speaks to them in their own ways. And each of those is valid. There is no one right answer, only to say the themes of this movie are strong and consistent. And by weaving them seamlessly the story becomes much stronger. This is something I endure to do in my own stories, and if I can only do half as well as this twenty-five year old movie, I will have succeeded.

Thanks for sticking with me. I know that was a long one.

Every Christmas season we watch the same group of movies at our house. It is fun, it’s familiar, it’s tradition. And my wife loves Christmas with the Kranks. When it was first released in 2004 I thought it was cute but nothing special. And I more or less dismissed it. But after watching it year after year for what has been thirteen years now, I can’t help but analyze and pick it apart, like I do with anything I’m exposed to over and over again.

I can’t just watch a movie to enjoy it, I want to understand it, innately. I want to get all the deeper themes, to figure out what makes the story unique. In a way, I almost feel like a literary agent at times  (I’m sorry, that is an insult to Lit Agents; I know your jobs are incredibly difficult and shouldn’t be compared to a man sitting on his couch watching a movie). And what I have discovered after years and years of watching this movie is it fundamentally doesn’t work on a storytelling level.

Allow me to explain.

Currently, I am deep in the study of story structure: what makes a story, how they work, and how to identify their parts in existing media. I firmly believe a solid structure is the difference between a mediocre story and a truly great one. And each story, no matter what it is, has the same essential elements. But the problem is Christmas with the Kranks violates some of these elements, and the story suffers as a result. So lets go through the beats and hopefully you’ll see what I mean. Spoilers Ahead.

The story begins with Luther and Nora Krank watching their daughter, Blair, leave for the Peace Corps on Thanksgiving. This is the inciting incident of the story – the initial act which kick-starts the action. As a result, Luther, depressed without his daughter around for the first time in 23 years, decides he and Nora would be better off taking a cruise and skipping the entire holiday. After some discussion with Nora, and realizing they will save money this way, the pact is made. Okay, this is around the quarter mark in the movie and what is typically known as the point of no return. Also it is sometimes called the key plot point. After this, the character’s lives will no longer be the same. Okay, so far, so good. We have our inciting incident and our key plot point. Things are going well.

Soon, the ramifications of Luther’s decision begin to catch up with him. His neighbors begin to resent him for not participating in their community events, and various acquaintances who depend on money from holiday sales openly mock him and Nora. Probably the most prominent is Vic Frohmeyer, the “ward boss” of the neighborhood and overt spokesman for the neighbors. This is the first pinch point for Luther and Nora. Christmas is pushing back against them and they have to work even harder to avoid it. Again, this is right in line with a solid story progression.

Despite constant push back from the neighborhood, friends, co-workers and even the Church, Luther and Nora stand their ground. This is about the mid-point of the movie and constitutes re-dedication on part of the hero(s). For me this wasn’t as clear as it could be, but I don’t find it a big violation either. It works as intended.

Unfortunately for Luther (not so much Nora), Christmas Eve morning arrives and they receive a call from Blair, who is coming home for Christmas! With her new fiance in tow! Oh no! To me, this feels like the second pinch point for the movie, which will move us towards Darkest Night (more on that in a minute). Christmas has finally had enough and is going to force Luther and Nora to celebrate no matter what. Still good. But then things start to go off the rails.

Luther and Nora begin to scramble to throw something together at the last minute. They have to have their annual Christmas party, but without anyone to attend or any food to eat, what will Blair think? They can’t disappoint her. Nora tries to get her signature Hickory Honey Ham from the store only to be thwarted (twice!) and ends up with smoked trout instead. Luther is nearly arrested searching for a tree and in the midst of putting up the holiday decorations on the roof, falls off, almost killing himself if not for a lucky bit of rope wrapped around his foot.

The police come, the fire department cuts him down, and Luther and Nora sit in the ambulance, defeated. There is no hope. This is what is known as Darkest Night. Roughly 75% of the way through the movie, this moment represents the hero(s) reaching the bottom, and wanting to give up. It is the moment in which most stories hinge, where the protagonist will rise up to face their challenge. And this is where this movie runs into its problems.

Instead of looking inside himself at this moment and realizing he never should have tried to “skip Christmas”, and be willing to apologize and ask for help, Luther stays seated on the ambulance while Vic begins directing everyone to help out, for Blair’s sake if not Luther’s. Nora is very appreciative, but Luther continues to sulk. And this is the problem. Because, later in the movie, Luther finally gets it. But it takes a botched toast in front of his daughter, and not one but TWO attempts to give a gift to his cranky neighbor for him to finally let go of the cruise and do something for someone else.

The biggest problem this movie has is the climax is lost because Luther doesn’t rise to the occasion when he should. And this is why this movie has always felt off to me. Darkest night should pave the way to the climax, because it gives us a satisfying resolution. I think if Luther had risen up in the ambulance, apologized, and asked his neighbors for help then, it would have given us a much more cohesive and rounded story. Instead we have this weird build-up to a speech in which again he doesn’t thank anyone and really fails as the hero of this story.

I’ve never read the original John Grisham book from which this movie is adapted, but I wonder if it faces the same structural problems. Somehow I doubt it. This feels like a last-minute executive re-write based on some misguided focus group data. It just doesn’t work for the story. I think there is a similar (but not nearly so egregious) issue in The Santa Clause, another Tim Allen classic. But that’s another post.

So there you go. About 75% of this movie works. The final 25% does not, at least not for me as someone studying these things. But my wife, who has no reason to know story structure completely enjoys the film. And maybe now that I have written all these thoughts down in this extra-long post, it won’t bother me so much next year.

But I doubt it.

Happy Holidays!!!

For the first time in my writing career, I rewrote one of my novels from scratch. And it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever written. Apart from being confusing with prior versions, I had such a difficult time getting the story out once I was done I shoved it away and didn’t want to look at it for months. And typically what I would have done was start on another project immediately. But that didn’t happen. I’ve gotten to the point where I have four novels I’ve completed for which have done no better than a couple of requests for pages and I felt like perhaps I should revisit one of them first before starting anything else new. But instead I retreated into my hobbies, a little too far I suspect. It’s like snuggling deep within a heavy blanket on a cold day, you get so comfortable it hurts to come out. But it is what I must do. If I ever hope to achieve my goals, I have to go out into the cold, and do the job that needs doing.

So here we go. One foot out, and maybe it isn’t as cold out there as I thought.

“Jesus, Frank. What are we going to do? They’re right behind us!”

Frank glanced back, their pursuers hadn’t yet entered the tunnel. Good, they had a few minutes to set a trap. His green hair rustled in the wind.

“Okay, we’ll have to surprise them. They can’t think we’ve stopped running. Crouch down behind those crates over there.”

“And what about you?” Charles asked.

“I’ve got a secret weapon. We get them trapped in here and they’re dead, both of them.”

“Whatever you say man,” Charlie squeaked and ducked behind the crates.

Frank surveyed the area. The tunnel entrance was twenty meters ahead of them. The exit five behind. If he timed this right he’d catch those bastards off-guard and their troubles would be over, for a little while anyway.

Footsteps and a distinct clang, clang came from the front of the tunnel. They were almost here.

“Frank, get down! Hurry up man, those commie clowns are coming!”

“I’ve got them.” Frank ducked behind his crate and yanked the little red bulb off his nose. The one that once-upon a time would have been made of foam and inspired children to laugh. But there were no more children. And instead of foam it was a tightly-packed plastic container of C4. Nose in one hand, lighter in the other. Ready.

They appeared around the corner. Faces pale as snow with their own little red bulbs on their noses, and dressed all in red with their long shoes flopping as they walked. One holding the sickle. The other holding the hammer. Both of them clanging on the concrete as the Commie Clowns made their way down the tunnel.

“I’ve got them dead to rights,” Frank whispered. Charlie hunkered down. “Brace yourself.”

Frank lit the nose and tossed it to his Russian counterparts, the ball landing between them.

“Бомбить!”

The world exploded.

When he tried to attack me with chopsticks, I couldn’t help but defend myself. I grabbed my fork, blocking his parry and forcing his weapon of choice to the side. He grunted in pain, as if I’d cut him deeply, but I knew better. It was a defense mechanism; he was trying to make me feel sorry for him.

Instead, I grabbed a second weapon: my spoon.

He regrouped, coming at me full force yet again and I barely had time to throw up my defenses, the clang of wood on metal as his stick met the curved edge of the spoon, throwing his balance and giving me the edge for once. But he wasn’t as stupid as I thought, and he’d split the chopsticks between his two hands, and I didn’t see the second one hurtling toward me like an arrow until it was too late.

It impaled me and I had no choice but to break it off, I’d dig the rest of it out later. He was on the ground and I was bleeding, but I still had the upper hand. As it were.

“How dare you?” I yelled at him. “You don’t deserve to use the mighty sticks of chop. Only those who earn the right through patience and skill may use them. And you have neither.”

I brought my fork down on his remaining stick, breaking it in half and he yelled in horror, his connection to this world gone.

“Now, never return to this realm,” I said, covering my wound.

“One day, Dionysus. One day I will claim my rightful place as the master of all cutlery!” He yelled, fading away into the ether.

I glanced around. Food strewn everywhere. Blood on the ground. And two broken chopsticks. I had stopped him for now. But next time my utensils might not be enough. Next time, it would be war.

**Edit. I went back and finished the story after mulling it over a bit. So at least now it is finished, if not polished.**

I’d always been wary of the crooked house, sitting there across cul-de-sac, perpetually empty. Everyone who moved in never stayed for more than a few weeks, and yet the bank kept on trying to sell, refusing to demolish the building. Dad said it was because “they’re a bunch of stingy bastards” but I’m not supposed to repeat that.

I’d tried exploring it once, opening the rusty chain-link fence and actually stepping foot on the dirt lawn, but Jennifer caught me before I could make it much more than a few feet inside and yelled to Mama.

“Abagail Margarite Terbilcox! You DO NOT go in that yard, how many times do I have to tell you?”

“Sorry mama.”

“You’re gonna be sorry. Get your butt in here for dinner.”

I could have killed Jennifer for snitching. Ever since Mama has been watching me like a hawk, saying if she finds out I went over there she’d tan my hide. But I don’t really believe it, she’s never laid a hand on me. Plus, it only makes me want to go over there more. I want to look inside its crooked door, explore its crooked rooms. Maybe there’re even some crooked ghosts inside.

Today’s the day. Mama’s off shopping and Jennifer is at her friend Kiersten’s house. Kiersten with the stupid yellow bows in her hair, I don’t get what Jennifer sees in her. But no time to think about that now. Now’s my chance.

I creep across the street, trying my hardest not to look guilty of anything. You never know, one of the neighbors might see me and report back. But it’s all clear. The gate is latched like normal. A quick flick of the wrist and it swings open, creaking all the way. I glance around again just to be sure, then bolt up the sidewalk to the front door. Once I’m on the porch I’ll be safe, no one can see me from there.

It is way too dusty up here. And the boards creak with every step. Front door. Here we go. I try the handle.

There’s nothing inside, the whole house is empty. I try the light switch. Nothing. No wonder all those families moved out, the house is older than dirt. But I’m not about to waste a chance to explore.

Nothing in the kitchen.

Nothing in the living room.

Nothing in the backyard.

Maybe I’ll have better luck upstairs. At least I can choose my room. I could bring some of my stuff over here, hang out when Jennifer gets too annoying or Mom starts yelling.

Top of the stairs, there are four rooms. One ends up being a bathroom. The other three are bedrooms. And the one I want has a great view of our house across the street. Yep, this is gonna be my room.

Twenty minutes later I’m back in my own yard and no one is the wiser. I can’t help but give the crooked house a couple of looks every now and again, keeping the window to my room in view. I just love looking at it. It is such a pretty old house.

Mom comes home with Jennifer from Kiersten’s.

“Abby, you hungry honey?”

“Yep.” I head inside; my stomach is rumbling like crazy. I worked pretty hard today.

“Stop right there, young lady.”

I freeze. The young lady is never a good sign.

“Did you go in that house across the street?”

How could she know? Did one of the neighbors call her? Wasn’t I careful enough? I turn and face her without answering.

“Oh Abby,” Mom says, seeing my face.

“You’re in trou-blllle,” Jennifer teases, giggling. I shoot her the evil eye.

“Jenny, in the house right now,” Mom orders. She stares me down. “Let me see your neck.”

I scrunch up my face. My neck? She moves closer and rubs two fingers behind my hair, right where it hits my shoulders.

“Dammit.”

“What’s wrong Mama?” Now she’s frightening me. What is she doing?

“Abby. Oh, Abby. I wish you’d listened.”

“Mama, I’m scared, what’s going on?”

She turns around and pulls her own hair up, revealing a black symbol etched into her skin at the base of her neck. It looks like two triangles connected by a circle. I feel behind my hair. There’s something there that wasn’t there before.

“I made the same mistake when I was your age. I explored the crooked house too.” She says. “And now I can’t get rid of it.”

“Wh—what do you mean?”

“Wherever I go, wherever we move, one always follows. And now one will follow you too.”

I don’t understand. Follow me? How can a house follow me?

Mama glances back at the old house. “They use us like diseases use mosquitoes. It’s how they multiply.”

My heart is hammering in my chest and I swear now the house is smiling at me.

And the window to my room is winking.

Save

And here is my result after ten minutes (unedited):

I felt normal until the life began oozing out of me at an alarming rate. I glance to my left. A box half full of rocks sits on the dirt ground. I have no one else to blame; it was my choices that led me here, no one else. The sun burns my face, the wind dries my throat. Above me stands a dark silhouette, huffing and puffing as if he had just finished running a race.

Floyd. Son of a bitch.

I should have known I couldn’t trust him. He’d been too easygoing about the whole thing, too willing to jump on board and ride shotgun. I should have chosen my friends better. No, I should have chosen my enemies better.

My throat hitches as I try to curse his name.

“What’s wrong Ethan? Cat got your tongue?” He laughs and it sounds like a brain-damaged frog hiccuping. I want to reach up and rip that tongue from his mouth but my arms are restrained, not that I’d have the energy to lift them anyway. I am dying, and it is taking an absurdly long time.

“Bet you wish you’d checked the back of the truck now, huh? Them rocks is heavy.” Sandpaper. His voice is sandpaper against my ears and I just want it to be over so I don’t have to listen to his stupid voice anymore. I close my eyes, hoping my brain will take the cue and finally shut down so we can get on with it already, but my body clings to life, intent on prolonging this torture as long as possible.

____________________________________________

Big thanks to SolHom for the prompt, that was fun!