Script Analysis: “Enough Said” — Scene By Scene Breakdown
Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:
Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:
After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.
For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.
The value of this exercise:
- We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
- By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
- A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.
Today: Enough Said (2013). You may download the script here.
Written by Nicole Holofcener.
IMDb plot summary: A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she’s interested in learns he’s her new friend’s ex-husband.
Enough Said
Scene-by-Scene Breakdown
By Ali Coad
GoIntoTheStory.com
Pages 1–2: EVA visits various massage clients, carrying with her a very large and cumbersome table. One man has horrible breath, another woman talks too loudly, another watches her struggle up a flight of stairs without offering to help.
Pages 2: Eva’s 18-year-old daughter ELLEN watches Eva get ready to go to a party. We learn that Ellen is leaving for college soon.
Page 3: Eva rides with her best friend SARAH and Sarah’s husband WILL to the party.
Sarah talks about firing her cleaner.
Pages 4–7: At the party. Eva meets MARIANNE, a poet; they hit it off.
Later in the evening, Eva also meets ALBERT. They also hit it off. They bond over the fact that they both have kids leaving for college in the fall and that only unattractive people have attended the party.
Page 8: Eva, Sarah and Will drive home from the party.
Page 9: Eva walks into her house after the party. She checks in on her sleeping daughter.
Page 9: Eva drives Ellen and Ellen’s friend CHLOE to school the next morning.
Eva calls out a student for littering.
Pages 10–12: Eva carries her massage table into Marianne’s house. Eva loves Marianne’s house — it’s creative and spacious and perfect. Marianne asks Eva to take off her shoes upon entering.
Eva massages Marianne.
Eva and Marianne chat about their dating life. They’re both divorced, they talk about their exes. They agree to meet again soon.
Pages 12–13: Eva video chats with Sarah about Marianne’s enviable life.
Sarah tells Eva that Albert, the man she met at the party, wants Eva’s number.
Pages 13–18: Eva and Albert wait in line at a tragically hip restaurant. They chat comfortably. He’s funny and so is she. Inside the restaurant, they haven’t run out of things to say. They bond over the very loud music and very dim lights. They talk about their divorces, about how Albert’s a slob, about Eva’s lovely hands, about Albert’s particular guacamole habit, and about how Albert’s ex and Eva both love the Container Store.
Pages 18 -20: Albert and Eva get some frozen yogurt. They make each other laugh. The show each other pictures of their daughters.
Pages 20–21: In the car in front of Eva’s house, Albert tries to kiss Eva goodnight, she leans back.
Pages 21–22: Eva enters her house and plops down next to her daughter Ellen and Ellen’s friend Chloe. Eva tells Chloe that she should have sex with her boyfriend if she wants to. Ellen is embarrassed by her mother’s obtrusive behavior.
Pages 22–24: Eva watches Ellen and Chloe try on dresses for prom. Ellen is the typical teenager and doesn’t share much with Eva despite Eva wanting to know everything. Chloe’s mother, DEBBIE, comes out of the dressing room wearing the exact same dress as Chloe. They fight.
Pages 24–25: Eva has finished massaging Marianne and they discuss their dating lives. Eva mentions Albert, how she likes him, but she never actually says his name.
Pages 25–29: Eva brings a bottle of champagne to Albert’s neglected one-story house. He’s wearing pajamas. They enjoy brunch. They discuss their daughters, how they don’t want them to go to college, how they need hobbies. At one point, she accidentally sees his penis; he’s embarrassed, makes a quick joke, and they quickly move on.
Pages 29–32: They’ve taken the date outside. Again, they discuss their divorces. Albert’s ex just stopped caring about him and the marriage. She pulls out the weeds in his yard. She takes off her shoes, she rubs a blister; he’s grossed out by her feet but gets her a Band-Aid anyway. They talk about her massage business. They kiss for the first time.
Pages 32: Albert and Eva lay in bed after having sex. They cuddle.
Pages 33–35: Eva helps Sarah rearrange her furniture. Sarah’s excited for Eva’s new man. Sarah’s maid CATHY enters the room, picking up; Sarah still hasn’t fired her… well she did, but then Cathy started crying and Sarah immediately hired her back. Will isn’t happy with Sarah.
Pages 35–37: Morning. Eva and Albert lay in Eva’s bed half awake. They’re getting to know each other better. Chloe interrupts them wondering where Ellen is (her dad’s).
Pages 37–38: Eva, Albert and Chloe have breakfast together.
Page 38: Eva massages all the same people from the beginning sequence: bad breath, chatter box, and the man who doesn’t help her.
Pages 39–40: Eva walks with Albert through the stacks of scripts and audio/video stuff from his work. He tells her about his work. She meets a co-worker. They’re flirty. They kiss.
Pages 40–43: Eva and Albert meet Albert’s daughter, TESS, for lunch. They were originally going to go to a burger joint, but Tess wants to go to this upscale place, so they do. Eva mentions that Ellen is going to go to Sarah Lawrence, and Tess goes on this rant about how Sarah Lawrence isn’t what it used to be. Ouch. Then she says she never wants to have kids. Albert’s hurt. Double ouch.
Pages 43–44: Eva tries to comfort Albert, Tess runs ahead to hang with some friends.
Pages 44–45: Ellen crawls into bed with Eva. They talk about her future college life. Eva wants to know everything that Ellen ate yesterday. Ellen is exhausted by her mother.
Pages 45–48: Eva gives Marianne a massage on Marianne’s patio. Post-massage, they chat and sip iced tea. Eva talks about Albert (without specifically mentioning his name). Eva finds him comforting and sexy.
Marianne gives Eva a book of her poetry. Marianne confesses she finds real kinship with Eva. They plan to hang out just as friends. They eat some chips and salsa and guacamole. Marianne shares that her ex used to have this very particular guacamole habit. Eva looks at her alarmed.
And in comes Tess. Albert’s Tess! Oh boy. Eva’s freaked and hides behind a bush. Albert is Marianne’s ex! Eva plans to do something with Marianne next week.
Page 48: Eva video chats with Sarah from her kitchen. She confesses what she knows. Eva doesn’t know what to do.
Pages 49–50: Eva cooks dinner. Ellen and Chloe enter. Eva asks them to take off their shoes, something she’s never done before. Eva tells Ellen and Chloe about Albert and his ex-wife. She’s been listening to Marianne bash the one guy she actually likes. Chloe defends him. Ellen becomes upset: she hasn’t even bet Albert yet.
Pages 50–52: Eva hikes with Marianne. Eva pries more and more into why Albert and Marianne divorced. Albert’s a rounder guy, and they really rag on him about his diet. Two female hikers interrupt to say hi to Marianne, they poetry idol. They worship her. Marianne finds a real friend in Eva, Eva likes Marianne too.
Pages 52–54: Sarah helps Eva rearrange her furniture again. Eva talks about Marianne and how she feels bad: Marianne doesn’t have any other friends other than Eva. And she’s liking getting the inside scoop about Albert. Sarah discourages her. Eva is persistent.
Pages 54: Albert picks Eva up in a Ford as opposed to his Audi: Tess’ car is in the shop and she likes his car better. Eva is tense about it.
Pages 54–55: Albert and Tess at the movies. She criticizes him for eating the buttered popcorn. He whispers to her during the movie, she shrugs him off. He’s a loud whisperer. She clenches her teeth and tries to watch the film.
Pages 55–57: Albert and Eva have just finished having sex. They talk about his weight. He breaths loud because he broke his nose a few times. Albert mentions that Tess liked Eva, Eva tries to pretend to like Tess. He admits to really liking Eva.
Pages 57–58: Chloe paints Eva’s toenails. Chloe confesses to taking Eva’s advice and having sex with her boyfriend. Eva’s excited. Ellen comes home, irritated that Chloe is there. Ellen’s been wanting to paint Eva’s toenails forever and storms off angrily.
Pages 58–59: Marianne has just been massaged by Eva. Marianne talks about being friends with Joni Mitchell — she’s so cool. Marianne is seeing a new guy, she talks about how different he is from Albert, basically how Albert is terrible and this new guy is a wonderful, poetry-reading vegan.
Pages 59–61: Albert cooks Eva dinner (the same dinner that Marianne, in the previous scene, said was the single thing he could cook). Eva looks sick when she sees the dinner. Eva is about to tell him about Marianne, but he gives her a gift: a simple, pretty necklace. He kisses her but can tell something is wrong.
Pages 61–62: Albert and Eva make love in the dark. He accidentally jabs her. They decide to just sleep instead.
Page 62: Moments later, Eva stands in Albert’s gross bathroom. He’s such a slob. She’s disturbed.
Pages 62–63: Eva comes out of the bathroom, sits on the bed. Eva talks to him about his messiness. He wants to give sex another shot, but she’s tired. He goes to kiss her goodnight but she’s turning over, away from him.
Pages 63–67: Eva, Ellen, Chloe, Sarah, Will and PETER and FRAN (Eva’s ex and his new wife) have dinner at an Italian restaurant to celebrate Ellen’s graduation. There’s a lot of strange bickering between Will & Sarah and between Eva & Peter about the statuses of their respective marriages.
Page 68: They all walk from the restaurant to their cars. Eva watches her ex-husband feeling pensive and lonely.
Pages 68–70: Eva looks at her and Peter’s old wedding album while knitting. They look so happy and young. In come Ellen and Chloe. Eva’s been knitting this blanket since Ellen was five years old. The girls look at the album, Eva thinks about the past. Ellen says goodnight to her mother but Chloe wants to stay and chat. Eva screens a call from Albert.
Pages 70–72: Eva enters Marianne’s house for a massage while Marianne is on the phone arguing with Albert. They’re arguing about who should drop Tess off at school; Eva tries to mediate. Marianne calls Albert a loser and Eva’s heart sinks as she nods along. It drove Marianne crazy that Albert never got coffee tables.
Pages 72–73: Eva video chats with Sarah. Eva needs Sarah to meet Albert for perspective.
Pages 73–81: Later that night, Albert, Eva, Sarah and Will drink wine in Sarah’s living room. There’s cheese and chips and guacamole. Sarah and Will have another marital spat. Albert really likes Eva; he’s kind to her. Eva brings up that he doesn’t have night tables, Albert flinches at that. He eats guacamole in his very particular way. Eva teases him about his weight, not very playfully either. Later, at dinner, Eva continues to badger Albert. Sarah breaks confidentiality and talks about some of her patients (she’s a therapist). Later, again, everyone helps to clean up. Sarah finds a softball in the kitchen drawer; Sarah finally confronts Cathy… in front of everyone. It’s very uncomfortable. Cathy argues back and then quits. Eva admits to putting the ball in the drawer.
Pages 81–82: In the Audi on the drive home, Albert is pissed at Eva. She was mean to him all night and his feelings are hurt. He mentions he feels like he spent the evening with his ex-wife.
Pages 82–84: Entering her house, Eva finds Chloe sleeping on the couch. Ellen is out with friends. Eva’s glad for some company. Chloe likes their house, and Eva offers up Ellen’s room once Ellen leaves for college.
Later, Ellen comes home to find Eva and Chloe asleep on the couch. Ellen wakes them up and angrily storms to her room, slamming the door once she’s there. Chloe goes home.
Pages 84–85: Moments later. Eva finds Ellen packing boxes in her room. Ellen’s really upset and anxious and lonely about this transition and Chloe always here. Eva opens her arms to Ellen and Ellen ignores her. Peter and Fran got Ellen a new blanket for college; Eva vows to finish her blanket she’s been knitting. Eva doesn’t know what to say, she just watches her daughter continue to pack.
Pages 85–88: Eva sets up her massage table at Marianne’s. In comes Tess, Eva freezes. Tess doesn’t see her at first. But then she does, Eva feigns surprise at the recognition. Tess announces that Eva is dating Albert. Marianne looks at Eva, Eva pretends she’s shocked. She tries to be confused. And in comes Albert. Albert is very confused. Marianne thought they were friends, she’s hurt. Albert looks at them and takes it all in. He’s first confused and then very hurt. She doesn’t know what to say. Albert walks out with Tess. Eva is devastated. She gathers her stuff and leaves, apologizing to Marianne on her way out.
Pages 88–89: Eva walks up to her house and sees Chloe sitting on the front steps waiting for her. Chloe’s mother, DEBBIE, drives up and yells at Eva for being too involved in Chloe’s life.
Pages 89–90: Eva makes the rounds on bad breath, chatty Kathy and the man who doesn’t help her. She’s lost in her own thoughts.
Pages 90–93: Eva stops by Albert’s house with Cinnabons. Tess answers the door. Albert’s out. They sit on the steps eating the Cinnabons. Albert comes home with grocery bags, he’s not happy to see Eva. She follows him into the house. Eva tries to explain but Albert’s not having it: she knew what to do and didn’t do it and let Marianne’s ideas poison their relationship. She wants to keep seeing him, he doesn’t know how that would work. She broke his heart. Eva walks out.
Page 93: Morning. Eva contemplates her ceiling.
Page 93: Eva enters Ellen’s nearly empty bedroom with the finished knitted scarf. Eva sits on her stripped bed. Ellen walks in and joins her, they share a look, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of life.
Pages 93–94: Peter and Eva stand with Ellen in the security line. Ellen hugs and kisses them both; it’s very emotional. Eva and Peter turn, walking away from her. He puts an arm around her and she around him and they walk out of the airport bonding over the fine person they made.
Page 94: Eva’s climbing the steps to get to the young man’s apartment, the one who never helps her. Finally she asks for his help. He rushes down the stairs; of course he’ll help. Eva’s surprised and confused.
Page 95: Eva massages the chatty woman.
Pages 95–96: Thanksgiving time. Eva puts some groceries on Will and Sarah’s counter. Sarah and Eva talk about Ellen coming home, just a few more hours. Cathy enters the scene; she’s back working as their maid.
Pages 97–98: Eva stops by Albert’s. She hides in her car but Albert sees her. She’s embarrassed that he saw her but now they’re able to talk. He goes onto the porch and she exits her car to join him. He admits to driving by her house too. They ask about each other’s daughters. He makes a joke, the ice is breaking. She admits to missing him. He’s missed her too. He makes another joke about the end tables.
Writing Exercise: I encourage you to read the script, but short of that, if you’ve seen the movie, go through this scene-by-scene breakdown. What stands out to you about it from a structural standpoint?
Download a PDF of the Enough Said scene-by-scene breakdown, go here.
Kudos to Ali Coad for doing the scene-by-scene breakdown.
For 100+ movie scripts broken down scene by scene, go here.