Go Into The Story at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival: January 26

Notes, reflections, and screenwriting takeaways from Park City, Utah.

Three movies on Day 3. My first screening of the day was at The Eccles Center: Wendy, screenplay by Benh Zeitlin, Eliza Zeitlin, directed by Benh Zeitlin.

Plot: Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.

If you are a fan of Beasts of the Southern Wild, you will likely resonate with Wendy for this retelling of the Peter Pan story has strikingly similar aesthetic and thematic sensibilities to Zeitlin’s previous film. Visually arresting, even stunning at times, the story feels like something Hayao Miyazaki could have constructed. For example, Wendy doesn’t have a traditional Nemesis character, a trait often found in Miyazaki films. Likewise, as Miyazaki films don’t hew to the conventional Hollywood approach to screenplay structure, so, too, Wendy. Yes, there are aspects of Three Act Structure and the Hero’s Journey in evidence in the movie, but — another example — there is no physicalized opposition to Wendy and her brother companions, Douglas and James, until 40 minutes into the movie.

I will need to watch Wendy again to consider the mythic underpinnings of the story, although a clear central theme emerges: A child can awaken to the realization that old age is not a curse, but an extension of a youth’s journey, an adventure in its own right.

Here is a trailer for Wendy:

Screenwriting Takeaway: A supposed screenwriting ‘rule’ is to avoid voice-over narration, however Wendy is yet another example of its use in film, but handled well.

The second movie of the day which screened at The Ray Theater was The Climb, written by Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, directed by Michael Angelo Covino.

Plot: The Climb is about a tumultuous but enduring relationship between two men across many years of laughter, heartbreak and rage. It is also the story of real-life best friends who turn their profound connection into a rich, humane and frequently uproarious film about the boundaries (or lack thereof) in all close friendships.

This movie is clever in its approach to storytelling — divided up into several chapters, long single take scenes, lots of set-ups and payoffs — has a lot of heart — the benefits and travails of friendship — but most of all, it’s funny. Really funny. Here is the movie trailer:

My favorite movie of this year’s festival.

Interestingly, the screening I attended was simulcast in 10 cities around North America, something Sundance is exploring. A great idea to bring a taste of the Sundance Film Festival to people unable to attend.

Screenwriting Takeaway: Writers can bring a fresh spin to conventional subject matter by taking an unconventional approach to the narrative.

The final movie of the day and my last film of the festival played at The Eccles Center. Downhill screenplay by Jesse Armstrong and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, original screenplay by Ruben Östlund.

Plot: Barely escaping an avalanche during a family ski vacation in the Alps, a married couple is thrown into disarray as they are forced to reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other.

A movie which features several strong comedic scenes and moments, Downhill succeeds primarily because of the performances of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as the married couple Billie and Pete. They bring depth to their roles as the Inciting Incident — an avalanche — serves as a call to adventure for them to take an inward journey into their marriage and who each of them is as an individual. At one point, a sexy ski instructor point blank asks Billie, “Who is Billie?”

That said, it feels like the movie has been cut down — its run time is 86 minutes — and Act Three feels especially truncated.

Still its an enjoyable ride and Dreyfus is a joy to watch in her role as a woman who suddenly sees her husband — and by extension her Self — in a new light.

Here is the movie trailer:

Screenwriting Takeaway: Explore the locale of your story as a character with its own unique personality and opportunities for scenes and set pieces.

Go Into The Story at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival: January 24

Go Into The Story at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival: January 25