Script Analysis: “Honey Boy” — Part 3: Characters

Read and analyze the script for the acclaimed drama written and starring Shia LeBouef.

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:

Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways

Today: Characters.

Characters are the players in our stories. They participate in scenes, move the plot forward through action and dialogue, influence each other, evolve and change. Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, world view, and voice. When a writer does their best, digging deep into their characters, tapping into their souls, the players in our stories magically lift up off the printed page and come to life in a reader’s imagination.

But there’s this: In a screenplay, characters exist for a reason. Hence my principle: Character = Function. Writers can shade and shape a story’s character in limitless ways. But if you dig down deep enough, you can find each character’s narrative function, and that can become a lens through which you develop the players in your stories.

Same thing with script and movie analysis: Look at each character and think about why they exist and what their function is.

Today we discuss the characters in the script for Honey Boy. You can download the script here.

Otis Lort

James Lort

Linda

Tom

Little Q

Mama J

Dr. Moreno

Percy

Alec

Written by Shia LeBouef.

Plot Summary: A young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father and deal with his mental health.

Major kudos to Ericka Boston or doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.

To download a PDF of the breakdown for Honey Boy, click here.

For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here.

For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here.

I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week’s script: Honey Boy.