Script Analysis: “The Florida Project” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the script for the critically acclaimed indie film and analyze it all this week.

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: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown. 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.

This week: The Florida Project. You may download the movie script here.

Written by Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch.

IMDb plot summary: Six-year-old Moonee courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World.

The Florida Project
Scene-By-Scene-Breakdown
by Georgina Hutchinson
Gointothestory.blcklst.com

P 1–3 MOONEE, SCOOTY and DICKY run to adjacent motel Futureland to check out the new arrivals. Game of who can spit furthest on the car from balcony. GRANDMA STACY and kids JANCEY and LUCI catch them, kids run away laughing. STACY is mad.

P 4–10 Back at Magic Castle, Moonee and Scooty go hide in HALLEY’s room (Moonee’s mom), but are soon interrupted by a knock from BOBBY — the motel manager, accompanied by Stacy and Jancey. The kids have got to go clean up Stacy’s car along with Halley. Stacy and Halley chat about their situation as the kids clean. Jancey gets involved and makes friends with Moonee and Scooty.

P 10–11 Dusk at the Magic Castle and Halley and other residents hang out smoking. We meet ASHLEY, Halley’s best friend and Scooty’s mom. Bobby tells them to wrap it up, they’ve got guests this weekend and there have been noise complaints.

P 11–12 Halley has an interview with Social Services while Moonee sits. CASE WORKER tells Halley she’s got make an effort to find thirty hours work a week. Halley’s pissed, she’s been fired from last job and ‘the parks aint going to hire me.’ Without three job contacts a week, she loses child support.

P. 12–13 Moonee and Scooty wait outside Waffle Home for a doggy bag of waffles from Ashley who works there. They eat with Halley in a dilapidated playground by the parking lot. The kids give a helicopter of tourists the finger as it lifts off for a tour.

P 13–14 Halley and Ashley are on a night out, party mode and Latin food trucks. Ashley tells her they chose another girl to be manager at Waffle Home, but promises when she’s made manager she’ll hire Halley. Halley was counting on it, she’s bummed.

P 14–17 Dicky’s dad won’t let him come and play so Moonee and Scooty take Jancey out on a tour of their usual hangout spots — the motels, gift shops and abandoned attractions of route 192. Jancey’s not really allowed to go this far but she does. Moonee and Scooty show Jancey how to score free ice cream by getting money from tourists with a little con job, something these kids do a lot.

P 17–23 The tour continues to the Magic Castle and Moonee tells Jancey all about the residents room by room. The go into the laundry room. Cut to Bobby at work in his office when all power goes off.

Pissed, Bobby walks around to the back of the motel (and we take in all the residents coming out to see what’s up). He find the thrown switch and flips it back on. “You can all go back to your room’s now folks. Have a nice day.”

But GLORIA is complaining at reception. Bobby checks out the CCTV and sees the three kids entering the utility room and pulling the switch. Bobby goes to Halley’s room to confront the kids and Halley. Halley does not take this kind of thing seriously “I’ve failed as a mother. Moonee, you’ve disgraced me!” `Bobby reminds her to take it seriously as she is in charge of Scooty too. Plus she owes rent.

P23 -25 Bobby and JACK (his son) are wrapping a mattress in plastic. Motel has bed bugs. They barely speak.

P 25–27 Moonee and Scooty are thrown out of the lobby by Bobby for eating ice cream. The kids go get Jancey and come back to check out Gloria sunbathing topless by the pool. Bobby has to come tell her to put them away.

P 27–29 PATRICE the night manager arrives to take his shift. Bobby tells him to keep an eye on room 515 “traffic in and out all day” but clearly Bobby will have to handle it himself. Halley, Ashley and the kids hang out on the stairway. Bobby watches the couple in room 151 leave, he’s kicked them out.

P 29–33 Moonee and Scooty watch a couple arrive by cab to the motel. Brazilian wife upset and confused as husband booked wrong place for their honeymoon. Moonee tells Scooty she always knows when adults are gonna cry. The woman cries.

P 33–34 Scooty shows Moonee his lighter with a naked lady on it. Moonee and Scooty are sent to get waffles from Waffle Home again. Ashley sees how dirty they are. They all eat waffles with Halley, whose eyes are on her phone the whole time.

P 34–36 Halley haggles with a perfume wholesaler. Halley and Moonee try to sell perfume to hotel guests outside a fancy hotel. Halley can pay her rent now for the week. Bobby is wary of her — she’s trouble.

P 36–37 Dicky and his dad are leaving for good, they hand out old toys. Moonee doesn’t get emotional about it, “like her mom taught her.” The kids go split an ice cream again. Summer boredom.

P 37–39 Halley and Ashley go hang in the pool, chat about being single and having kids. Bobby tries to make them leave. Moonee discovers her mom sold the iPad, they need the money. Halley cheers her up with gummy bear pizza.

P 39 Halley pays rent late to Bobby.

P 40–42 Moonee, Scoot and Jancey check out the abandoned condos for a scary adventure. They try to make a fire in the fireplace and set the whole place alight with Scooty’s lighter. The rest of the motel watches the smoke from the balcony.

P 42–45 Bobby deals with new family checking in who don’t have another address. Then he realizes there’s a fire at the condos. Ashley wants Scotty to come see but he doesn’t. She realizes something’s wrong. She screams at him to say if it was him, he blames it on Moonee and Jancey. The crowd watch the firefighters put out the fire. Bobby and Gloria smoke as they watch the remains burn out.

P 45–47 Moonee, Jancey and Scooty play hide and seek in Bobby’s office. Ashley’s mad and grabs Scooty, he’s not allowed to play with the girls anymore.

P 47–48 Everyone’s watching a brawl going on in the parking lot. Ashley ignores Halley. Police come to break it up and Bobby gets mad with Patrice.

P 48–49 Halley and Moonee are kicked out by the security guard of the fancy hotel for selling perfume. They have to leave all the perfume there, Moonee doesn’t understand. Halley can’t get arrested again.

P 49 -50 Waffle House and Ashley tells Moonee she can’t be giving away the food anymore and Scooty can’t play with them again.

P 50–52 Halley hitchhikes with Moonee and Jancey to some dead end field in the middle of nowhere so that they can watch the fireworks from the Disney world for Jancey’s birthday. They love it.

P 52–53 Moonee tells Halley she’s not allowed anymore food from Waffle Home and Scooty can’t play anymore, he’s with another family. Halley goes to their room, causes drama.

P 53–56 Halley takes Moonee to Waffle Home to talk to Ashley, super pissed she orders a heap of food and makes Ashley take their order. Halley is so upset on the way home she chucks their doggy bag of food into the road. Moonee doesn’t get it.

P 56 Halley and Moonee take swimsuit selfies, Moonee takes photos of Halley in sexy poses.

P 57 A church group hands out food to families, Moonee gets some bread. NAREK the owner tells Bobby it’s not good they do it front of guests.

P 57–63 Halley and Moonee are moving their stuff to an empty room for storage for 24 hours and go to stay at Arabian Nights hotel for one night (so they can’t become residents). Halley argues the rate with the staff. Bobby comes over to help. He pays the extra ten dollars so they can stay but the owners don’t want Halley there with her foul mouth infront of her kid.

P 63–64 Halley and Mooney stay over with Stacy, Jancey and her sister.

P 64 They move back to their room.

P 64–67 Moonee, Jancey and other kids play in the dilapidated playground. A suspicious man lingers and starts talking to them. Bobby sees and goes to intervene. He takes the man away and tells him he’ll call the police.

P 67 Moonee in the bathtub alone.

P 68 Church group food person asks Moonee if she’s excited to go back to school, she says no. She takes bread and jelly.

P 68 Moonee and Jancey eat the bread and jelly sitting on a giant uprooted tree. Moonee says it’s her favorite tree because ‘it tipped over and it’s still growing.’

P 69 At 2am Halley wakes up Moonee to have a bath. Bobby watches a strange man leave Halley’s room.

P 69 Bobby asks Ashley if she’s been spotting Halley’s rent, but it’s not that “I don’t even talk to that bitch.” Halley and Moonee watch the pool, Halley won’t let Moonee swim with Scooty.

P 69 Halley gets a phone call from a customer. He’s parking and she gets Moonee in the bath.

P 70–72 Bobby and Jack drag the ice machine into the elevator and argue about Jack’s mom. Jack tells Bobby forget his extra help.

P 72 Ashley refuses to let Scooty play with Moonee. Moonee is in the bath when a strange guy JOHN walks in. Halley tells her to pull the shower curtain across and John pisses.

P 73–75 Halley and Moonee scam a TOURIST dad into buying their park ticket wristbands.

P 75–76 Halley takes Moonee on a big shopping spree at the Dollar store. Halley pushes Moonee home in a shopping cart giggling. Bobby questions where Halley’s getting the money for rent from and accuses her of working weird hours and neglecting Moonee.

P 76–79 John the guy from the bathroom pounds on Halley and Moonee’s door. Bobby comes up, John says Halley stole his magic park wristbands. Halley says she did not, Bobby defends her from John, unless he wants to tell the cops what business he had here in the first place.

Bobby and Halley argue about her having “guests” over. They showdown in the lobby and Halley sticks her maxi pad on the window.

P79 Another resident ignores Halley in the laundry area.

P 80–81 Moonee and Jancey play in a field, it rains. Moonee says it’s a safari. The two girls walk back wet along route 192 and John drives past. He gets out and tells Moonee she’s going to grow up to be a prostitute just like her mother. He gets back in his car with his family.

P 81–83 Halley goes to ask Ashley to help her with the rent. Ashley tells her everyone knows she’s been “whoring out.” shows her swimsuit selfie photos she has on her ad. Halley physically attacks Ashley and beats her in the face. She leaves, realizing Scooty has seen. She runs to her room and vomits. Moonee watches.

P 83–88 Moonee and Jancey hang out various scenes. Watch a rainbow.

A caseworker and DCF investigator show up, Bobby sees them from the lobby. Bobby tells Moonee and Jancey to go stay in the lobby while he checks this out.

Halley freaks out at the caseworker and investigator, Bobby notices the kids listening, tells them to stay where they are. Jancey goes home.

Case Worker wants Halley to to take a drug test. The investigator asks Bobby if Moonee is being neglected. Caseworker warns Halley they’ll be back by the end of the week and to prepare, stop doing drugs and flush her system.

P 88-89Halley cleans up the room with Moonee.

She gives all her weed to Bertha, the laundry room worker.

Bobby chases 3 cranes off the driveway

P 89-90 Halley and Moonee paint their toenails at the picnic tables. They watch Ashley with her beat up face leave for the Waffle House. It’s raining and they go on an adventure, running through puddles. Later Halley washes Moonee’s hair in the bath.

P 90 Halley takes Moonee for fancy buffet breakfast at nice hotel. Halley watches sadly Moonee at her happiest with all the food.

P 90–97 Back from breakfast they see police cars outside the motel. It’s the case worker and Investigator, back with a DCF SUPERVISOR and two SHERIFFS.

They get to their room, Halley gets confrontational, and they tell her they are here because they have security footage that shows her with nine different men coming in and out of her room.

Case worker escorts Moonee outside. Tells her she has to temporarily go somewhere else.

Inside Halley’s room the investigator tells her there is a family who will take Moonee.

Outside Moonee wants to say goodbye to Scooty, she’s escorted downstairs. She says bye to Ashley and Scooty, who lets it slip Moonee is going to another family.

Moonee freaks out, both Halley and Moonee are causing a scene. Moonee breaks free and runs away from the Magic Castle.

Halley comes out of the room and sees the commotion as does Bobby. Moonee has run off.

P. 97-98 Moonee runs down Route 192 past all the familiar sites. She gets to Futureland and Jancey’s room. Jancey opens the door.

Moonee can’t speak, she’s so emotional, the two little girls just stare at each other as Moonee tries to say goodbye, crying.

Jancey grabs Moonee’s hand and drags her off to route 192.

P 98–100 Bobby lights a cigarette. Halley cries from the police car as they drive the streets searching for Moonee.

Jancey and Moonee make their way to the Magic Kingdom. They run through the park entrance, past all the tourists, sprinting through the whole park, racing “toward a perfect enchanted storybook castle, glimmering in a dreamlike sky.”

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?

Major kudos to Georgina Hutchinson for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.

To download a PDF of the breakdown for The Florida Project, go here.

What are your general reactions and impressions of the script and movie? Below click on Write a Response and joint the conversation.

I am looking for volunteers to do more movie scene-by-scene breakdowns. Pick your favorite movie, classic or contemporary, and immerse yourself in it by going through it scene by scene. Trust me, this is a terrific learning opportunity and a fantastic way to study a movie’s story structure.

If you’d like to volunteer, let me know which movie you want to break down in this thread Response section.

For more Go Into The Story Movie Analysis posts, go here.

For Go Into The Story Script Analysis posts, go here.