So a couple of days ago, I had dreamt of an idea for a movie. I liked reading fanfics and stories but I am not so good at writing them. Yet I enjoy coming up with ideas for storylines, plot-lines and characters personalities and circumstances for TV shows and movies I made up myself.
One of the good things about having a blog is being able to put down & share your ideas, as well as thoughts on different things you choose to write about and focus on.
One of these being able to create and devise your own ideal dream movie and TV show concepts - unlike fan-fiction stories that are based on the canon of the show or movie, you can create your own sets of characters, plots, universes, settings, give each of your characters a personality and backstory, in addition to that you get to choose who stars in it, allocate character names for each of them. Plus, you get to decide their fate in the end.
It doesn't matter that it won't be turned into an actual screenplay, nor it will come to life (well I don't, anyway)- just having ideas for your very own movie/show, is a start.
(*last updated December 3, 2016*)
Title of movie
'Unconditional Remedy' (A romantic comedy by Waiching Liu © 2015) - I'm terrible when it comes to coming up with titles and names for ideas, especially for films and it takes a considerable amount of time to think about it; I had an idea for the movie, the next stage was to think of words associated with being a couples therapist and love. So I thought 'remedy' >> therapist and relationships. Also, 'unconditional' >> 'unconditional love' is love for him/her, regardless of will and their behaviours and problems that may affect the relationship. Probably not as original and inventive as I expected it to be, but hey, I have a name for my movie.
Unlike other romantic comedy movies and ones that deal with the theory of opposites attract, this one is more along the lines of 'birds of a feather flock together'; i.e. people with similar interests, characteristic or personality traits ending up together. I wanted to focus on the idea of two characters who had a past/pre-existing history and relationship with each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. In this movie, it is a story about rekindling that old lost love that they once had, several years later as adults. Rather than for me to base the storyline on say, two strangers, who meet by chance, become friends and later fall in love. This has been done so many times.
I also thought Robin Williams would have been good at doing a romantic comedy - type of movie and in playing the main male lead heartthrob. Hey, it worked for Billy Crystal in 'Forget Paris' (and no, the embarrassment that is known as Bicentennial Man doesn't count). Flubber was about a professor trying to win back his girlfriend from his rival with the help of his creation, Flubber. But that was more of a kid's fantasy-type movie with special effects. This movie is a traditional rom-com drama set in present-day America.
Movie classification ratings
R - restricted or NC-17 (US), 15 (UK), MA15+ (Aus)
Notes: contains adult themes (but no smoking scenes), blunt innuendos, moderate to strong verbal sexual references, sexual nudity and explicit scenes of a sexual nature, mild language permitted (such as t*ts, s***, crap, a**)
Estimate feature run-time: around 1 hour, 50 Mins
Directed by ??, written by me
(Movie Logo concepts by me)
fonts: Serpentine & Love DevineUS
Year of Production & Release
Production: early 1998, theatrical release: latter 1998
(**disclaimer: characters, casting, plot and story, costumes, everything is devised & created by me. These are products used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental**)
Taglines
'Dealing with the idea of love is one thing. Being and falling in love is also another'
'He lost her heart after they parted. 20 + years later, he wants to win it back'
'Sometimes what you leave behind, eventually becomes the one thing you can't live without'
'They say the past always catches up with you, sooner or later.'
'The only thing weighing on this therapist's mind is his former love'
'Time For Lovin' It Up From The ATL To The NYC'
'....Love & (S)ex'
The stars of Steven Spielberg's 'Hook', in the shape of one of the kings of comedy, Robin Williams & queens of romantic comedy, Julia Roberts reunite together in this amusing, sexy & steamy tale of renewed feelings and romance
What type of movie is it?
A romantic comedy-drama, boy - meets -girl scenario, with a screwball comedy-ish feel (which is similar to America's Sweethearts) & sex comedy elements that are thrown in. Think 'Hitch' from Will Smith, which was released in 2005 & part -'My Best Friend's Wedding' crossed with 'Sweet Home Alabama'
Type of romantic comedy
The 'You're perfect for me. Where did you go?' - where the love interests fall in love at first sight. Circumstances force them apart for a period of time. They find each other & succeed, only to be separated again. Ultimately, they reunite during the last act
Tone/mood of the movie >> helps underscore the genre of the film; general character or frame of mind
Laughter, happiness, the story is played straight and serious & it is humourous in places, upbeat, but also emotional & sad at times
Is an example of 'Cerebus Syndrome' >> tonal shift towards dramedy, is a story that starts out light and comedic and later assumes dramatic elements and a more coherent continuity
Who else is in it?/ 'Beta characters'/couple - are present in the backdrop in many romantic comedies and are a foil to the primary relationship. They are confidants of both the protagonist and/or love interest and offer possible solutions to any problems. Are usually a source of comedy and less problem-prone than the main/Alpha couple
(Beta characters) Peri Gilpin (Roz of Frasier as Alyson's friend, Laura), Jenna Von Oy (of Blossom & The Parkers as Alyson's young co-worker, Jess), Tom Arnold (Darryl's best friend & fellow colleague & wisecrack, John) & some unknown actor playing Stephen (Alyson's boyfriend), Jeffery Jacquet (not pictured - Eugene of Mork & Mindy in season 1 as Darryl's next- door neighbour, Marques), Lisa Arrindell Anderson (not pictured as Alyson's other friend, Simone), Hannah and Matt are played by unknowns
'Romantic Wingman' >> John for Darryl, 'Romantic Wingwoman' >> Laura for Alyson - friend who assists protagonist in their romantic endeavours and builds him up as a type of romantic hype-man by offering advice, moral support, impartial feedback
I chose these particular actors because they have played characters who converse a lot and as they are good at that sort of thing in their roles, anyway. & for that, I felt they would best suit the characters that I'd want for my movie. Plus, the fact that they have all dabbled in comedy through sitcoms (& for Tom Arnold through True Lies, Nine Months, Roseanne) and this is a rom-com drama, makes them an ideal fit.
And as for Julia Roberts as the love interest, I liked her as Tinkerbell, as well as Robin as Peter Pan in Hook - although the real reason I chose to pair her up with Robin Williams was that kiss in 'Hook'. I thought they looked good together in that kissing scene & felt their chemistry. I understand that she didn't have as many lines in Hook, - which affected the way the audience had negatively perceived that character & her role. A lot of people didn't like her as Tink. But with this movie, unlike Tinkerbell, here, her character has a lot more substance, has more to say in terms of lines, an interesting backstory & improved character development, and of whom doesn't just exist as a pretty facewoman (pun not intended!). I just thought that they looked so good together and that she'd be ideal for Robin Williams's character, partner-to-be in my film & plus, I also liked how they looked on-screen as their characters in the movies, Erin Brockovich and Fathers' Day, & so I went with those looks.
Romantic False Lead (& possibly disposable fiancé) - Stephen >> the romantic false lead is the love interest's love interest, the person brought in to date the love interest that the main character is in love with. S/he exists as a plot device to create tension and drama & to keep the male and female protagonists apart (from getting together).
Darryl Reid (dominant protagonist & primary character) (lovable loser protagonist & Romantic Runner-Up) >> there isn't much wrong with this guy, yet somehow isn't quite Mr right enough for the leading lady, who prefers the protagonist's flaws and Alyson Myers (love interest & Deuteragonist) >> the second person the film revolves around & who is given enough screen time independent of the main protagonist (awesome love interest)
.... Are 'amicable exes' >> former couple or pairing who still get along for the most part and of whom still care about each other, despite being no longer together
Darryl and Alyson are the 'old flame' >> the old flame is a couple or character pairing who have drifted apart for various reasons, only to later discover they still have feelings for each other when they get together and meet up with one another later on. A key part of this is that the feelings (even if is one-sided) persist after their reunion.
Savvy Girl >> gives into her emotions very often and is very pragmatic and Energetic Boy >> a guy who is full of energy & very enthusiastic - Alyson is the savvy girl with Darryl as the energetic boy
'The Helper/'Lovable Loser' >> Darryl: a character with a tragic flaw who pursues an active goal, in order to achieve positive results. His basic fear is being unloved & his desire is to feel love. Is a kind, responsible & decent guy
'The Achiever/'Go-Getter Girl' >> Alyson: a woman who devotes herself to achievements other than homemaking above everything else. Is well aware of the effort that her path requires, but she's more than up to the challenge. Her basic fear is worthlessness and her desire is to feel valuable. Pushes herself to always be the best.
Shout-Out >> a name, line or dialogue, or prop in a show or movie that refers to fans, family members of cast and crew, or to another source of inspiration such as a movie, TV show; is deliberate on the part of the writer
Examples of shout-outs in the movie:
- ''Good Morning, New York'' >> uttered by Darryl, is pulled from the 1987 movie, 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. New York is the main setting for this movie
- ''I'll be your Tinkerbell & you can be my Peter Pan'' >> Alyson to Darryl towards the end of the movie is a direct reference to their characters from the movie, ''Hook''
- Darryl clapping his hands to awaken Alyson who has fallen asleep >> taken from ''Hook'', Tinkerbell urges Peter to clap his hands in order to wake her up when she fakes her own death
- 'Think happy thoughts' >> uttered by Darryl to a couple during a therapy session, the term 'happy thoughts' is borrowed from 'Hook'
- Darryl undergoes a bit of a makeover to make himself more attractive & tries to get Alyson to take notice of him >> in Pretty Woman, Vivian (Julia Roberts) undergoes a makeover by transferring herself from a hooker to a princess
*The script*
Plot Outline/Storyline
How would you feel if you'd found out the person you're still in love with, is now with somebody else? 2 former high school sweethearts, ceremoniously went their own separate ways - only to cross paths and meet up almost 20 years later after running into each other, one fateful day.
All goes well, that is until their reunion triggers off a set of mixed emotions - particularly for therapist Darryl (Robin Williams), of whom already has to contend with other people's problems. & not just his own as he battles to control his feelings, with his ex, Alyson (Julia Roberts) focusing her attention on her career & her fiance.... whilst being completely oblivious to Darryl's feelings and romantic endeavours.
*Happy Flashback/Distant Prologue scene: short introduction scene that takes place during a significant amount of time before the main plot or story begins, is 'Love At First Sight';
'A Minor Kidroduction' - introduction of the main character when s/he were a child, may include supporting character & highlights their motivation. After the scene is over, we are transferred to the present day where they are all grown up
'Teenage Marriage Promise' - when two of the main characters were younger, they promised to marry each other when they grew up
Year: 1977 - in Atlanta, Georgia, 17 and 16-year-old Darryl and Alyson (played by younger actors) are at senior high school in 11th grade and have started dating one another. Alyson leans forward and kisses Darryl and the pairing share a smooch together. They both make a pact that one day when they are older, they will be married as a couple and later on have 1 or 2 kids of their own.
*dominant male protagonist's main goal* >> for Darryl to win the love of Alyson
*dominant male protagonist's secondary goal & sub-plot* >> to assist couples in resolving their marital and personal problems in his role as a couples therapist
'The chemical equation': The set-up - sequence identifying the exterior and/or interior conflict, the 'what's wrong with this picture' implied in the primary and secondary protagonists' current status quo
'One True Love' - the idea of one character who is the protagonist's ultimate match
'Single-Target Sexuality' - when a character is only attracted to one person only
'I Will Wait For You' - 2 people go their separate ways & as the years' pass, he promises to wait for her for the rest of his life, if necessary, right where she is until she returns and means every word of it. Because he really believes she will come back for him, someday.
'Boy Wants Girl'
...For Darryl, unrequited love lasts forever
'He Wants, She Wants' - one-half of the potential pairing must desperately want the other person, whilst the other person wants something different.
'The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes' - the character is very good at his/her profession, but is completely unable to use this ability to help himself. This is seen most often with therapists; also called vocational irony >> Darryl
'Anchored Ship' - when one or both potential partners in a relationship refuses to get involved with the other person for personal reasons, though this can be reversed >> Alyson and Darryl, with Alyson who doesn't want to ruin her relationship with Stephen, & Darryl as much as he loves her, refusing to get involved with Alyson because she has a boyfriend
Story
(Story) the chronological sequence of events, the idea, the general theme
Establishing Character Moment - when a character or characters come into the plot, how they fit into it
Unrequited Love Lasts Forever - a passive version of a stalker with a crush, with less actively obsessive behaviour
Fast forward to the present, it is now 1998: Darryl Reid (Robin Williams) is New York City's resident couples therapist who makes a living by offering advice & resolving their interpersonal relationship & marital problems. Darryl has been in the Big Apple for 8 years, since his move from Atlanta. He is a person of unusual honesty & integrity; at the same time, he still hasn't gotten over the split of the love of his life, Alyson Myers over 20 years ago after leaving senior high school, whilst Alyson (Julia Roberts) herself applies her trade as a successful romance novelist. She too is working and living in NYC, but only for 4 years in contrast to Darryl, although she has been a writer for almost 9 years. Alyson is currently attached to and is about to get married to her hunky beau, Stephen (the romantic false lead) who just popped the question to her & he is the complete opposite to Darryl in terms of everything: 6ft tall, has good looks, six-pack stomach, is more financially astute, though he is sweet - if not as sweet and affectionate as Darryl; yet for Darryl, he once had the great long-love in his life, but that was a long time ago. Somewhere along the way, things had gone sour between him and Alyson....and they'd parted and he'd lost her, & often without ever realising at the time what he was ever giving up that all he is left with is bittersweet memories. Since then, he has devoted his life to his job, which is helping couples with their relationship problems & seeks solace and joy for others that he helps.
With Alyson, she is his one and only true love. Darryl cannot imagine himself living alone for the rest of his life, yet also he sees the idea of being with another person or trying to get over his obsession, as a sort of betrayal. He loves her more than anything in the world and is still hopeful that one day, he and Alyson will get back together, that they are married and that she still loves him, just as much as he loves her, unconditionally (hence the title of the movie). Darryl is smitten and in love with & still has strong unrequited feelings for Alyson (that she might be aware of), so much so he has remained celibate since their split as teenagers, & that he hasn't been able to ever love anybody else. He has a few female admirers and even at one time, after some pressure by John, both he and Darryl attended a strip club to help him get over his ex. But it didn't work. Darryl still & only has eyes for his former teenage sweetheart.
'Cradle of Loneliness' - a couple/two people loved each other very much & were happy together for a long time. But something happened; i.e. they broke up, one of them died, disappeared without a trace. Character X is gone, character Y is sad and lonely. But every now and then character Y comforts him/herself by cradling something that reminds them of that person
He also keeps and holds onto an old photo of himself and Alyson when they were together as teenagers, and in love with one another.
With Alyson, she moved further up the career ladder as a writer and managed to even reinvent herself too: she has a good career going for her, not forgetting a great boyfriend to keep her company - yet she wants even more out of life. Falling for Stephen, he was a simpleton: at first, they took things slow but once it became more and more serious, the feelings they had for each other became stronger; he was easy-going, but he always took their relationship seriously. & that was what she wanted. Alyson was someone who wanted a boyfriend, a lover who could light up her life, but also who could understand where she was coming from, without being silly and that being in a romantic relationship meant something tangible and fervent. For months, thoughts of Darryl never entered her mind and Alyson convinced herself she truly loved Stephen and she was and is completely devoted to him, as well as being ready for marriage. Darryl was nothing more than a distant memory and past love that just did not work out, in the end; alas, she dismissed the idea of ever getting back with him. She never even once contemplated where he is now, what he is doing, and that he has probably settled down with a girlfriend, or is probably married.
'Old Flame Fizzle' - character remembers the love of their life, but the reunion cures them of it
'Minor Flaw, Major Breakup' - That person who is otherwise perfect in every way, but who has one glaring flaw that a normal person would be able to live with, yet the protagonist or character feels is too much for him/her to handle. Flaw tends to be minor
Alyson doesn't feel the same way towards Darryl; unlike Darryl, that ship has sailed a long time ago, realising she has fallen out of love with him and she has moved on and isn't entirely convinced that Darryl has matured and is a changed person; rather in her eyes, he is still the perennial goofball that she remembers him as and knows him to be from high school, and whom still sees everything as a joke (likewise, often making fun of relationships & love at other people's expenses- this of which she cites as the main downfall of their previous relationship). He was always an extremely funny person who knew how to make her laugh, yet there comes a point where although it is okay to joke around and have fun, one must learn how to draw the line as well. For her, Alyson still remembers the times where he rarely took anything seriously. She believes that although Darryl can dish out relationship advice to his clients when it comes down to his own relationship issues & character flaws, he is still a hot mess.
'Just Friends' - a relationship or teased relationship between two people who are simply friends in a platonic manner; builds up tension, developing viewer interest & to determine an ending to the relationship story arc
Nonetheless, Alyson still considers the importance of her relationship with Darryl in a platonic sense and sees him as nothing more than as a good friend, who is always there for her and vice-versa. As for Darryl, as she is a writer, in his view, because she writes about love for fictional purposes, for him Alyson doesn't have to deal with and contend with real people's emotions and feelings like he does in his career on a daily basis. Darryl points out that in contrast to her, he is able to connect with life primarily through feelings by talking to people, rather than by using logic.
Making it be about something - why are you writing this particular story about this specific couple? 'When Harry Met Sally' >> whether men and women can overcome gender differences, 'Tootsie' >> how no man (especially when he becomes a woman) is an island.
Yet ultimately, this all boils down to one thing that they both share in common: their career roles as a couples therapist and romance novelist require an emotional and personal understanding of what love is to each of them. In Darryl, we have someone who assists & advises couples on their relationship issues, whilst at the same time he is an emotionally attached single guy sitting on the sidelines, watching and trying to come to terms with his former girlfriend, Alyson - of whom he still has feelings for - falling in love with another man. Will Darryl and Alyson eventually figure out what the concept of love means to each of them, as well as learn from one another's roles? Will fate conspire against them & can the love between two people, particularly 2 people who once had a history together, still stand a chance of being requited, despite the other person saying otherwise?
> The 3 - part structure: 1) Boy & girl meet (set-up/exposition) > 2) they are torn apart for some reason (confrontation/complication/obstacles) > 3) then they later realize they were meant to be together (resolution)
The obstacle/s that artificially keeps the male and female protagonists apart until they reunite in the end
Instant conflict between the two 'lovers-to-be' - one of the characters does not see the other as a potential mate/lover/partner
Darryl is madly in love with Alyson, but she has a fiance/boyfriend of her own. She likes Darryl as a friend & is happy to see him again, yet at this stage, Alyson continues to harbour reservations in getting back with him. She doesn't think he is wise and mature enough to be in a committed relationship, nor understand what it means to be in love. What we have is a case of him loving someone who doesn't love him back.
Feet First - introducing a character by showing the feet & either panning or cutting to the rest of the body, ending with the face. S/he's feet, for example, might be a clue to their personality
Split-Screen - a scene with 2 or more important points in the movie the director/writer wants to get across at the same time, yet is happening in two different places by alternating between showing the two & showing both scenes happening at the same time
Contains Shirtless Scene - a male character goes shirtless, is a type of gratuitous semi-nudity
Mirror Monologue - a character talks to their reflection in the mirror. Usually, it is a male character giving himself a pep talk
Trick Dialogue - when a character is talking to someone else, or not
Split-screen scene showing Alyson and Darryl being awoken by their alarm clocks & getting out of their beds in the morning, heading to their bathrooms & having a shower (cue brief nudity scenes), as well as brushing their teeth, grabbing some breakfast, getting dressed & going to work in the morning. This scene illustrates the daily morning routine the characters go through each day of the working week. Darryl finished putting on his jacket and tie & starred at his own reflection in the mirror. After that, he practices his speech to someone else; he mouths, ''I'm Darryl, how are you, today?'', reassuring himself that everything's going to be fine, and to Alyson too - should he ever see her again (this scene would be improvised by Robin Williams)
The next scene has Darryl's brown shoes emerging from his bike. The camera slowly moves up to his body, showing his outfit, right before his face appears.
The 'Meet Cute'/Inciting Incident - quick way of introducing 2 characters, is the inciting incident that brings the man & woman together & into conflict, is of credible contrivance & often amusing, thus setting the tone for the action to come
'Crash into Hello' - character in a hurry or not paying attention runs into another character, is a variety of the 'meet cute'
'Power Walk' - wide shot of main character/s looking cool/determined/fierce as they walk towards the camera & often in slow motion, slo-mo is often used to give the images extra weight
'Suggestive Collision' - A man and a woman fall into close proximity and wind up in a sexually suggestive position
The Set-Up/Exposition - Act 1
Neither Alyson and Darryl are looking at each other properly & they unknowingly run into one another in person for the first time in almost 20 years in a nearby park, whilst they are hastily on their way to work in their respective fields. There is a scene where he sees her doing a power walk towards his direction in slow motion, supported by a rather suggestive track with sexual lyrics playing in the background, only to then look in a different direction - all of a sudden, without looking where he is going, Darryl runs into Alyson and both parties fall over, & both end up in an instant Seiza position that is easily mistaken for extreme passion. Alyson is horrified at first and Darryl offers his sincerest apologies & makes amends for it by checking on her to make sure that she is okay, helping her to her feet, and being the kind-hearted simpleton that he is, gives Alyson a helping hand by picking up some of the books that have ended up on the ground, & their eyes meet as they look up. Despite the incident, she remains calm and takes it well. Bewildered, they couldn't believe their own luck that they have found each other again. When he saw her, he was stunned by how drop dead gorgeous she looked. She was stunning. His eyes lit up when he saw her beautiful face and he couldn't take them off her. They briefly say ''hello'', uttering each other's names and for easily distracted Darryl, the sight of Alyson almost makes him feel weak at the knees, as he is enchanted by her caring demeanour, beauty & presence. To him, she looked just as attractive and beautiful today as she did, 20 years ago.
'My Card' - character meets the other character for the first time, gives him/her their card as a formal way to remember them by
Darryl hands her his professional business card to Alyson, thus proclaiming his line of work & credentials as a therapist for couples. She is a little surprised at first, as she initially doesn't see him as the type who would offer relationship advice to couples. But he reassures her that he made the right decision and that he enjoys helping other people out with their problems. & on that note, she is happy for Darryl.
'Stupid Sexy Friend' - sometimes s/he wants to be friends with another; at least as far as conscious decisions go, but the sexual attraction & sexual thoughts persist & 'She's Got Legs'
'The Covert Pervert' >> Darryl - uncharacteristic suggestive comments/thoughts from a character who is usually pure and innocent.
'Eating The Eye Candy' >> Darryl towards Alyson - protagonist just can't help but stare & drool over his/her eyes, smile or any of their other attractive features
Afterwards, she breaks the news to him that she is about to get married to her boyfriend who has proposed to her. That, and she is going to say 'Yes'. His head shot up as Darryl is stunned at first; the thought of Alyson being married to someone else stopped him dead in his tracks. But his feelings for her didn't stop there- he smiled at her when he saw her happy. That that was important to him, that her happiness is what really matters. Yet there is something about her, appearance-wise he finds about Alyson that he deems sexy and irresistible, as his eyes drifted to her slender figure. That, and as well as she is still as radiant and beautiful as she was, all those years before. His feelings for Alyson have returned. Darryl develops a dirty mind of his own by the very nature that he develops sexual thoughts about Alyson. His lust towards her conflicts with their friendship, no matter how hard he tries to fight it. They then discuss meeting up and catching up on old times over a drink or two.
Meeting the romantic false lead
Alyson introduces Darryl to Stephen and thus, she witnesses the pair of them shaking hands. They appear to be on level terms with each other and acknowledge one another's presence; with Darryl, he sees Stephen as a decent guy and is thus, happy for Alyson, as well as to see her happy. Even if it is not with him. Darryl isn't the slightest bit jealous that she chose Stephen, - despite that he is still pining for his ex and loves her and still wishes that he and Alyson were still together. He cares a lot about her & wants to make sure the guy she is with treats her right. Alyson's happiness is the most important thing in his eyes & he ensures that she has that with Stephen. He even goes as far as to congratulate the couple on their engagement & raises a toast to them.
'Window Watcher' - people that look in on someone else by looking through their window, secretly. Are usually looking to see something inappropriate or sexual spying on someone they have a crush on
That same evening, Darryl catches an eyeful of Alyson undressing in her apartment, as she is about to go to bed with her boyfriend, through his bedroom window as he studies and spies on her. As each piece of clothing comes off, he can't help but feel more and more turned on by her and in seeing her naked body.
But as Darryl watches her kiss and make love to Stephen, it is apparent that this becomes all too overwhelming for him and all of a sudden, he beats a hasty retreat. He was crushed and turned around and moved away from the window, only to find himself struggling to hold back from the tears, as his feelings towards Alyson deepened even further.
Strictly professional relationship
'Working with the ex' - character works with someone they were in a previous relationship with & in close proximity, can be a prime source of unresolved sexual tension
'I Can't Dance' - character doesn't know how to dance, yet in one scene, ends up breaking out a few moves
In the ensuing week, Darryl and Alyson are forced to team up and work together when 2 individual strangers, a guy going by the name of Matt, of whom Darryl encounters at a subway and a woman named Hannah, of whom Alyson meets during a book signing at a bookstore, turn to them for advice on their love lives. They later turn out to be an actual couple, who have been in a relationship together for 6 years, but who are not married. In their efforts, Darryl and Alyson help Matt and Hannah to consummate their relationship, & each of them takes it to the next level by setting them up on a blind date. The date goes so well that in the end, they both witness Matt proposing marriage to Hannah, to which she accepts and they embrace each other. Darryl then turned his attentions to Alyson, who looked so pretty and was so sweet she took his breath away. Darryl and Alyson then turn to each other with happy smiles & tears and gaze into one another's eyes, as he felt his love for her grow stronger and stronger. Or so he thought, only for Alyson to look away, - right before physical contact could be made & thus, feeling uncomfortable at the intimacy of the gesture.
Darryl's happiness is short-lived and he is left disenchanted.
'Motorcycle on the Coast Road' - a character who owns a motorbike or motorcycle is riding along a coast road. Usually, the camera angle is low
'Badass Biker' - sometimes wears shades, a long coat or short leather jacket. But what really sells it is the cool bike >> Darryl
To erase the thoughts of last night, the next day, he takes a ride on his motorcycle/motorbike donning his casual jeans, boots, white shirt, shades and a brown leather biker jacket.
Subsequently, things begin to heat up and events take an interesting turn when she turns to Darryl for ideas for her stories & he helps her out by proofreading them, whilst Alyson offers Darryl a female perspective on love & relationships, and they hit it off as sparks fly between the pair as they strike up a close, - yet almost 'intimate' working relationship together as they trade, swap and exchange ideas, conversations over-friendly, humorous and harmless banter. & coffee. Resulting in old feelings being re-ignited between Alyson & Darryl. She even invites him to go clubbing with her, when he reveals he is a terrible dancer. When they are in a club, they play Eugene Wilde's ''Gotta Get You Home'' & the pair slow-dance to the beat of the song. Alyson teaches Darryl some moves and eventually, it turns out he is a good dancer.
Much to the chagrin of Alyson's fiancee, Stephen, who becomes increasingly annoyed at her for turning up late at home from work, every weeknight. Alyson reassures him however that nothing serious is going on between her and Darryl, as well as that they are just good friends.
*Second - Act Breakup*
The Confrontation/Complication/Obstacles - Act 2
'Secrets & Lies' - one of the 2 people involved in the relationship - usually the main protagonist - is lying to someone, or is withholding information from him/her; is usually from the person/love interest the protagonist is falling for. Later on, this lie is finally exposed.
'Fiction Business-Savvy' - characters come up with a great business idea that will make them rich or land a promotion. However, the audience may think that this idea is actually terrible
'Hey Hey, You Said X' - a character says a word or phrase in a non-double entendre manner, i.e. one is obvious, literal and innocent and the other has a sexual subtext, but another takes it the wrong way & starts laughing
Darryl doesn't inform Alyson until later on in the film that her agent has refused to publish her last novel, - because they weren't too keen on some of the 'racy' language and terms that they had to read, (no) thanks in part to Darryl; thus resulting in hilarity. When he does, the pair are at loggerheads with each other, as they try to pass the buck: Alyson becomes angry towards Darryl for suggesting them in the first place & accuses him of trying to sabotage her career, which he vehemently denies whereas Darryl hits back, arguing she is at fault for accepting them and putting them in her book.
*Third - Act Misunderstanding*
The element of surprise/ The sexy complication: Turning Point >>
A new development or twist ups the story's ante & in a way defines the protagonist's goal, with the male and female protagonists inner emotions at odds with the goal
Anguished Declaration of love' - anguished declaration of love is gender neutral, the male proponent comes across as 'aggressive' & reproachful in his confession, especially if his target of affection doesn't react the way he expects them to, in which case he may demand to be loved back
The 'dark moment': crisis climax- when consequences of the romantic relationship's importance jeopardise his chance to succeed at his stated goal, the humiliating scene where private emotions are revealed & the relationship and/or protagonist's goal is seemingly lost forever
'The ''Shut Up'' Kiss' - a character is babbling or talking a lot & the other character cuts them off with a kiss
followed by 'Kiss-Kiss-Slap' - the kiss between 2 people then descends into an argument or fight
'Actor Allusion' - a joke or reference which is specific to one of the actors on the show or movie
'Cleavage Window' - a cut in a woman's top that shows/exposes her cleavage, be it on the top or side of the outfit, is a form of fan service
In another scene, when they are in Darryl's home, Darryl and Alyson are happily making conversation and laughing along, chatting as friends do. When asked by Darryl if she did anything interesting lately, she replies with: "not really. Just watching reruns of Mork and Mindy on TV". Sporting an attractive outfit that exposes her cleavage, his eyes fixated on them and admiring her form. All of a sudden, he hesitated, then in a moment of weakness, Darryl makes a move on Alyson and tries to make out with her & kiss her. It was like she had reawakened his senses, as well as feelings of her love and affection, which grew stronger. Darryl wanting to hold her, to physically make love to her. He knew it was wrong to get involved with Alyson as she had a boyfriend - yet his sexual urges took over his overwhelming desire, as he was constantly tormented by her presence whenever he is surrounded by her that it was just the two of them in the same room, together. And he couldn't help but be turned on by Alyson. Fueled by his libido, he kissed her passionately on the spur of the moment- only for her to fend him off by slapping him hard across the face. She couldn't believe he'd done that to her, she had eyes like daggers that pierced her soul. She then has a go at him & loses her temper at Darryl for kissing her.
All Love is Unrequited - when one isn't allowed to reciprocate any romantic interest shown in them by the other person
'Tender Tears' & 'Tears of Remorse' - results from someone else's misfortune & is part of a sensitive character
Taken aback by his actions, she pulls herself away from him as she is upset and storms off in a huff. He tries to apologise and stop her from leaving, but to no avail. Alyson tells him she doesn't love him and loves Stephen only. Darryl then becomes upset & distraught when she spurns his advances, & wonders why & how it went all wrong. His heart was shattered. The last thing he ever wanted to do was to hurt or disappoint her.
Unfulfilled desire - unsatisfactory status for protagonists
Dogged Nice Guy - when the main protagonist is madly in love with the other person, but s/he doesn't seem too interested, so protagonist keeps on trying, in the hope that they will change their mind
'Loving Details' - a character in love recites tiny details about the object of his/her attraction, showing how well s/he knows the other
(Establishing why their personalities result in attraction between the two characters. Something the romantic lead likes/loves about the love interest. They complete each other by providing a counterbalance, such as compatible personalities)
Despite the lingering fear of having his heart broken yet again, Darryl undergoes a bit of a transformation himself as well - both image-wise & personally -, as he goes out of his way to winning back her affections (despite the fact Alyson has a fiancé) & to prove Alyson wrong. Not forgetting to show to her he is the one for her, and that he is anything but a hopeless romantic before it is too late. Darryl then realises that the advice that he shells out to his clients & relies upon won't work on Alyson, let alone be enough to woo her back. He then envisioned an image of himself and Alyson planning to run away from their troubles and worries & head straight towards the sunset of happiness, hope & prosperity that awaits them. They can do and achieve anything together - but without her, his life would feel incomplete. His voice faded as he recounts the times Alyson said 'no' to him and in seeing her with Stephen.
Darryl recalls the days when they first met as teenagers and of her being his first love, the times they spent together by laughing, joking around, kissing and holding hands. As well as listing several of Alyson's small quirks that he loves. He has hopes for a more serious relationship and hopes that Alyson will eventually feel the same.
In 1991's 'Hook', it was Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) falling for Peter Pan (Robin Williams), - only to see that her advances were being rebuffed; and in this movie, it is Darryl pursuing Alyson's heart & his romantic advances made towards Alyson that is being rejected by her.
What their characters would look like, appearance-wise
Darryl's physical appearance would be identical/similar to Robin Williams's character, Dale Putley from Fathers' Day with the brown jacket, trousers/pants, collared shirt, but in addition, he wears a tie, has medium length hair & having the same hairstyle 'the whirl' as he coins it in Fathers' Day. When I saw his look as Dale in that movie and thought long and hard how I would picture this character of Darryl, I then thought: 'this is definitely the look and appearance of one of my characters I would go for'. He'd also have a shaved, slightly more muscular toned upper body physique with large muscled arms, large torso & slim waist, smooth chiseled chest (rather than a hairy one) - no hair on his arms, armpit/underarms, chest hair -, much like when Robin played Peter Banning/Pan in Hook.
Alyson would look a lot like Julia Roberts's namesake character, Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name with long, wavy hair and wear attractive clothing and outfits.
Characters personalities & qualities
'Cool Loser (Darryl)' - a character who is smart, funny, fashionable is portrayed as being much less popular than they would be in real life. Makes the character likeable, he is not a geek or lacks social skills.
'Gentle Touch (Darryl) vs. Firm Hand (Alyson)' - Gentle touch favours to keep calm & offer kind, soft encouragement to help the other person understand the situation & the role they play in it & how they can improve things. The firm hand prefers brutal honesty & tough love to knock charge out of their comfort zone
'Talker and Doer' >> talker (Darryl), doer (Alyson) - variety of 2- person ensemble where one person, the doer has technical or creative expertise but may lack social skills and the other person, the talker though lacking in technical, creative skills, does most of the talking & is socially savvy. Both acknowledge needing one another
Both Alyson and Darryl are likeable, kind-hearted individuals; caring, friendly, compassionate, sensitive and soft on the inside and love being romantic and the idea of 2 people destined to be together and being in love with one another. Their friendship and bond thrive on a set of shared common values & beliefs, such as 'being true to what you feel'. They like to take things nice and slow, especially when it comes to making love. Yet it is lovesick Darryl, who is more sensitive and prone to broken heart syndrome. Notwithstanding this, he always goes out of his way to get to the heart of other people's relationship woes & addresses them. A romantic at heart, he yearns for that special something believed to be ultimately fulfilling. Love to him is more than roses and candy, but knowing and attending to the other person deeply, and passionately. Darryl is your typical nice guy & a joker, easy-going, a little mischievous at times and yet softly spoken at times, very passionate & understanding. Being a therapist, he isn't lacking in empathy and listens without judgement & though he is humourous, he isn't overly funny to the point it becomes over-the-top & annoying in nature, driving people nuts. Darryl is slightly similar to Robin Williams's other character Dale (Fathers' Day), only he is much less crazy, a lot more toned down (Robin's performance as this character would be a lot more restrained) and sane & he is also a tiny bit of Daniel from Mrs Doubtfire as well, - the Daniel who isn't a douche-bag part that is (and all those characters begin with the letter 'D').
'Rejection affection' - character refuses to take any hints or outright rejections in their pursuit of the object of their affection
On occasions, Darryl acts in a flirtatious manner around Alyson to help fuel his attraction towards her, despite the X number of times she makes it clear to him she is not interested in him & doesn't see him that way. As a nice guy, his biggest flaws are that he apologises a lot, even when he is not at fault and his lust towards Alyson.
Alyson, meanwhile, is a consummate professional who knows that it isn't necessary to rely heavily on her beauty and looks to get what they want, but rather she chooses to rely on her skills and abilities instead. She's more practical & forward-thinking, outspoken, no-nonsense and very assured of herself, but at the same time, she can be a little naive and often sees things too far ahead into the future, rather than taking things one step at a time & not realising what the future may hold for herself, and her future partner; not just professionally, but personally and relationship-wise too. Attractive and strikingly beautiful, & who is aware of the attention and effect she has on other people, especially on Stephen and Darryl, yet she doesn't value her physical attractiveness over her other traits. A bit of a perfectionist, Alyson is concerned with being good and getting things done right, though this can often lead to guilt and worry. Her idea of love is where the romantic relationship is the central focus of everything that happens and this also acts as the driving force behind her work. Her line of work allows Alyson to pour her heart and soul into, as well as touch the hearts of readers... & through her characters & stories, as well as her own love life, she gives people the confidence to seek meaningful relationships, love and happiness in their own lives. As well as that Alyson can tap into an emotion and harness it in her stories.
'Did You Think I Can't Feel?'
Every so often Darryl hints at having some deeply hidden depths as he attempts to resist temptation. He's sure to do whatever Alyson asks of him, not just because of her loyalty and being close friends but because she doesn't seem to mind. Over the due course, Alyson will often drag Darryl along with her and go on numerous adventures, putting him through more eventful and sometimes, emotionally hurtful situations whilst ignoring his feelings. He won't complain & will offer advice and help to her, however (much) he can.
Until he says 'No'. Alyson is left blown away & fails to understand why: 'I've always treated you right!'. Only for Darryl to let loose a simple yet powerful question: 'did you think I can't feel?'. It seems Alyson has crossed the line, not because of her schemes but for failing or choosing not to consider he has feelings, and that she was badly hurting them.
The Journey/protagonists experience transformation to overcome obstacles, they each grow and change, through their relationship with one another
Object of his/her desires/love interest should directly challenge the protagonist's flaw, thus forcing them to grow in order to achieve the ultimate goal of love
'Cheer Them Up with Laughter'- a character cheers someone up when they are upset by making them laugh
'You Are Better Than You Think You Are' - a character feels they are not worthy & does not belong somewhere they value, only s/he is told otherwise by the other character
As the movie progresses, there is unresolved sexual tension and desire that is felt between Darryl and Alyson.
Their careers entail in dealing with human emotions and relationships, despite that one involves interacting with real people and the other involves conveying their feelings and emotions through fictional characters, - and this is central to the coming together of and union of these 2 people. Both Darryl and Alyson go through a change in order to find a common ground of respect - and eventual love in the film. He sees the value in her that she is unable to see it in herself that he aspires to be as an individual, whilst Alyson notices that Darryl has come a long way and sees qualities in himself relating to herself and as a potential partner she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
'I Want My Beloved To Be Happy' - where character X loves character Y but realises a relationship between them cannot happen, so s/he decides to put their happiness above their own. Accordingly, they abandon their claim to him/her and encourages the other person to move on and live their own life
Aborted Declaration of Love - character is about to be separated from their beloved forever and has one last chance to say how they truly feel - except they decide not to; this is typically final and is as a result of 'I Want My Beloved To Be Happy'
Mood Whiplash - a contrast of tragedy and comedy that when done right makes each emotion poignant and effective
In conclusion, after spending some time together, they realise that life is too short to live with regrets. One afternoon whilst out and about, Darryl and Alyson examine a couple who are in love, studying their body language and by observing and commenting on their behaviours. He cheers her up by recalling a funny tale from back in the day when they were younger to make her laugh & chuckle & he felt something give inside him when he saw her smiling at him. As the pair have a heart-to-heart conversation, Darryl gently mentions to her about the pact that they both made together when they were 17 and 16 -years- old and confesses to Alyson that he is no longer the immature teenager that he once was before and that he is ready to settle down and wants to raise a family. As much as Darryl is a positive, go-lucky guy who likes to have fun, he is dead serious when it comes to relationships, sex and love. He was about to tell Alyson that he has feelings for her, but decides not to. Irrevocably, with days to go before the wedding, he gives her his blessing to get married. But as Darryl does so, he sighed deeply as he solemnly realises that a future with Alyson will not ever happen, as she made her choice about who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. & it is not with him. It was time to move on. He didn't want to cause any more problems for Alyson and Stephen. Darryl had to accept that some things aren't meant to be. As they bid farewell and good luck for the future, he gives her one last lingering smile as he glanced over his shoulder & mentions to her that if ever she needs a friend or someone to talk to, she knows where to find him. & with that, Alyson and Darryl go their own separate ways. But at the last minute, Stephen has had enough of Alyson's amicable relationship to Darryl - so much so he tells her it is over between them and calls off their engagement & they break-up, much to Alyson's disappointment.
It was at the moment that Alyson never felt so lonely, confused and sad. For the past couple of years, she had imagined being with Stephen & no one else, but ever since Darryl reappeared on the scene and re-entered her life, things have dramatically changed and turned out in ways she hadn't envisaged. & in some ways, it has been for the positive that she has a lot to thank him for.
'Tears Of Fear' - characters who cry, their tears indicate their sadness as a result of fear. Shows how characters becoming emotionally broken
Perspective Reversal >> Unrequited Love Switcheroo
Heartbroken Darryl, meanwhile, straightens his shoulders, - and ultimately prepares to deal with losing Alyson, & drowns his sorrows. He thought he had a second chance with her, only she got away, yet again. He wanted to be the one to give her the life that she truly wanted and for the pairing to be able to do that together. He wanted Alyson to be happy - yet he wanted her to be happy with him. Instead, he was anticipating a life where he'd lost her, forever. The next evening, when Alyson makes her way home after a day's work, she catches a glimpse of Darryl leaving his office.... with a mysterious & attractive-looking, female companion in tow alongside him. Thus, it starts to hit home for her and that the life she shared with Darryl in the past, as well as the present, was far more important to her than she'd ever realised. Confused Alyson tried as hard as she could to put the idea of him out of her mind, that it didn't matter to her, anymore. Eventually, this became a tall order, and with that, she cared about him a whole lot more. Realising she has fallen in love with him and believing that Darryl has moved on, she wept and choked back the tears, thinking that maybe perhaps he doesn't love her, anymore. As a result, Alyson becomes envious - and it isn't long until she eventually comes clean to herself about being in denial towards her feelings for her ex.
'If 2 past lovers can remain long-time friends, either they were never in love..... or in this case, they still are.'
Literately falling in love
Love Epiphany - When s/he realises they are in love with another character, NOT when s/he confesses their love to another character but when s/he realises this themselves
Belated Love Epiphany - a character takes the other person's absence a lot harder than you'd expected. One realises too late that they are in love with him/her
'Satisfactory Recognition Of True Love' - the 'other' goes after the person they love & does something to win them back
Unrequited Love Switcharoo - character Y has a crush on character Z for a long time, but they ignore them, & so considers the both of them as just friends. At some point, character Y gets the message & moves on with his (or her) life. Suddenly, the relationship is reversed with character Z having feelings for character Y
Set Right What Once Went Wrong - character receives foreknowledge of what will happen & has to correct it
Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them - development that occurs in buddy films and romantic comedies where one person is paired off with someone else against his/her will. S/he can't stand the person/situation, only to realise they need them and that they miss them
Wrong Guy First - a love triangle where the female character has 2 suitors: one is rich and handsome, the other is flawed, as good- looking. She picks and dates the most attractive looking guy - suitor 1. Later, she recognises that the flawed, not as good-looking guy is the right guy for her and falls in love with him
Alyson sat up for most of that night, as her thoughts turned towards Darryl and pondering what she had wanted. The more time she spends with her old flame, the closer she is drawn towards him. Despite how much she was hurting and realising how much he was hurting as well, that she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone but him, and with him in her thoughts. Alyson could only hope she could convince Darryl to forgive her and to take her back. Darryl becomes the one person that changes Alyson in more ways than one; thus, showing her the true meaning of love and what it could potentially mean for the pair of them.
Erotic Dream - the protagonist's sexual dreams about a friend causes them to reassess their relationship (& perhaps) realising they're actually in love with them
As she later drifted off to sleep, Alyson begins fantasising about Darryl, dreaming that she is in her own apartment. The image flashed through her mind. Eventually, the front door opens and in walks in Darryl, who is feeling hot and wanting to cool off and so he heads for the kitchen. He takes off his shoes & proceeds to slowly remove his shirt, revealing his pecs and strong, taut & brawny arms, which catches Alyson's watchful eye. She couldn't keep her eyes off him as she wanted to explore that body of his. Watching his shirt fall to the floor, she then attempts to seduce Darryl by approaching him, grabbing him and passionately kisses him, whilst running her hands all over his body. She then unzips and pulls down his jeans, with Darryl putting his arms around her waist and reaching up to unbutton her top, then unhooking her bra & taking off her skirt, thus watching it fall down. Almost naked, Alyson and Darryl make passionate and frenzied love, kissing and touching each other. Tossing and turning, this dream awakens Alyson abruptly.
The next day, she confides to Laura about her dream that she had about Darryl the previous night, and asks her for advice on what to do next. Laura then encourages her to follow her heart - and that if she truly loves him to go after him and to tell Darryl how she really feels.
'Race for your love'/The chase - occurs 5 mins or so before the end credits roll & is most commonly found in romantic comedies. Character desperately has to chase the person they love before they walk out of his/her life, forever
Alyson realises at long last that she has a special relationship & connection with Darryl that goes as far back to their teen years, and that he has matured a lot since then, forcing her to confront her past and to reassess her feelings for him. His presence soon tugged at her heartstrings, and what Alyson initially thought that she could live without so easily, suddenly turns out to be what, or be it who she truly wants. He was and still is her soul mate for life. Alyson now has to find a way to pursue a romance with Darryl. She discovers that she wants to be part of his life, but this time as his wife for eternity. All of a sudden, Alyson has an epiphany: that she really happens to love him back. That he is the one that she wants to be with. She has strong feelings for Darryl and that if she doesn't go after him, it will be too late & she'd have missed her chance. The following evening, she fixed her hair, applied make-up, dressed sexy and jumps straight into a cab, then gets out of the cab and runs, because love compels her to.
Happy Together/The happy ending - the last-minute union of two protagonists - the underlying theme of true love conquers all
Love Confession - one of the characters makes a declaration of love to another
Mr and Mrs Fanservice - characters in eye-candy related scenes wearing skimpy or skin-tight clothing, or nothing at all, intended as fan-service for ladies (and guys) & to attract viewers
'Eating The Eye Candy' >> Darryl towards Alyson again, Alyson towards Darryl
To his surprise, Alyson emerged on his doorstep in a revealing Black lace top, bra & Black mini- skirt, & both her and Darryl (who is wearing a tight/form-fitting Red t-shirt, like the one worn by Dale on Fathers' Day,*see screenshots below*) are standing right in front of each other, making eye- to- eye contact & staring into each other's eyes as they sense and feel like the other. They breathed one another's names, with the beauty of Alyson's voice soothing his head. Darryl was completely dumbstruck, he couldn't believe that Alyson returned, that she came back for him, or not. He wasn't exactly sure. Suddenly, hearts were pounding and their sexual attraction intensifies as they both envision sexy thoughts about each other; thus growing more and more insatiable by the minute that their minds drift towards other parts of their anatomy's when their eyes are fixated on one another's outfits (Alyson studying Darryl's red shirt with Darryl transfixed on Alyson's see-through lace blouse). 'God, he is so gorgeous!' dreams Alyson, as she gets a nice view of him, whereas Darryl couldn't stop staring at her blouse, and bra: '...She's so beautiful'. At first, she grills Darryl about the woman that she saw him leaving with at his workplace, last night. To which he replies by saying that she is one of his clients, & that he is not in love with her.
Relieved, Alyson comes forward & tells Darryl that Stephen called off their engagement and that they are no longer together, as well as she declares her love to Darryl and that she is willing to overlook his flaws & finally falls for him, much to Darryl's delight. His eyes widened in surprise. Alyson then says: ''I'll be your Tinkerbell & you can be my Peter Pan'' (in a joke reference to the movie, Hook). Afterwards, Darryl and Alyson reconcile.
The Resolution
‘Sex Equals Love’ – 2 people having a sexual relationship with each other will result in a romantic relationship
'Good People Have Good Sex' - Main characters, protagonists always have healthy sex lives, one may go through long periods of not being in a relationship, applies to experienced adults rather than teenagers.
‘First Guy/Girl Wins’ – the first guy (or girl) character introduced in the story ends up with the protagonist
*above: Hook (1991) by Movie Screencaps.com
They then babble on about how much they missed one another, as well as how much they love each other, whilst covering each other with kisses. After they had finished, he rested his forehead against hers, only for Alyson to slowly undo the zip on his top & placing her hands on his bare chest. Darryl then takes Alyson's hand, gets down on one knee and proposes to her, wherein which she accepts his marriage proposal and the pair hug in acknowledgement of their love; thus, they officially become a couple.
The movie concludes with an intimate bedroom love scene that commences with Alyson slowly performing a striptease for Darryl and she takes off her clothes as he lies in bed & watches her strip. Smiling shyly, her seductive and flirtatious moves as she accentuated her curves caught his breath. The camera cuts to a shot of the couple, who are both completely bare naked in bed and with her lying on top of him covered in bed sheets (the sheet falls to his and her waists, though we get shots of their upper bodies). Alyson slowly rubbed herself against him, making Darryl murmur & moan in ecstasy & pleasure, as he begged for more, thus she couldn't help but grin at his reaction & the pair kiss for a long time, taking it in turns by planting multiple kisses over the exposed flesh of each other's bodies. She placed one hand on his chest, kissing and caressing it and his pecs, slowly and seductively. She then kissed his mouth. Two bodies melt into one as they oscillated back and forth and interlocked & they make slow, sensuous and tender love to each other, right through the night (this is R-rated, after all) with his hands on the sides of her hips. It was affectionate and passionate with both parties emerging more than satisfied. Darryl held Alyson close to him and they moaned into each other's mouths, both knowing that after many years apart, it all comes down to this special moment. They'd kissed as teenagers, but this was the first time they slept with each other & made love. As adults. It was then Darryl's turn to tease and seduce Alyson; her eyes lingered on his beefy body and she felt turned on as he stood and studied her in the nude. She then proceeded to spread her legs wide open for him to slowly enter inside of her. He responded, yet at the same time, not wanting to hurt her. Darryl leaned forward and positioned himself in between them, with his face coming into contact with hers, whispering in her ear. He brushed his lips on the lower half of her body and the sides of her thighs as his mouth worked its way up onto hers. Suddenly, his right hand cupped one of her breasts whilst he was kissing her amorously, which made Alyson gasp slightly. Darryl's hips undulated as he was straddling her, & her eyes flew open as they each could feel their own climaxes build up. His gentle strokes, licks and kisses roamed every inch of her body, top to bottom, as well as nipping at her neck and sliding his tongue down to her chest. It then found its way brushing lightly over her breasts. She purred & giggled as the pair fulfil each other's desires. His fingers lightly grazed her hips, breasts and stomach. Alyson felt that no one else had touched her in the way that Darryl did and does by pleasuring her, and she whimpered at each thrust. He watched her face as he was making love to her. She responded by caressing his tousled hair & kissing and touching him anywhere, everywhere with her hands, his skin on hers, & capturing her lips with his. She needed & wanted him, feeling his hot breath against her neck whilst whispering his name several times, then, seductively, she ran her hand down to his strong arms & chest & his bare back ...& even his buttocks, whilst his hands slowly brushed and slid underneath her thigh, massaging her skin and fervidly kissing her cheek. His touch aroused Alyson, which made Darryl beam with mischievous delight as he covered her entire body with kisses. Settling himself behind her back, she felt his manhood pressing behind her buttocks as he was rubbing it up and down. Afterwards, they collapsed from exhaustion after their lovemaking as they panted and caught their breaths. He paused to look up at her and felt his chest pressed up hard against her breasts, with him lying on top of her, only for Darryl to shift to his side & Alyson to rest in his arms. As they turned to each other & intertwine their fingers & hands together, Darryl gently wept & he asks her whether she is okay, which touched and melted Alyson's heart. There was dead silence, then she replies with, "yes". Alyson felt the comfort of his embrace and stared at him with those enchanting eyes of hers. At that moment she loved how worried he was for her and how much he truly cared for her. She also notices the scar on his torso & touches & kisses it. Teary-eyed, he softly whispers in her ear, ''I love you, you know, Alyson. I've never stopped loving you,'' and with that, she gently places a hand on his cheek, pulling him even closer & tearfully replies with ''I love you too, Darryl''. Alyson wiped away his tears with her fingertips & they then kissed each other's lips, softly & sweetly. After that, the camera fades away. (in the uncut version/extras this final scene is extended, making it at around 20-25 mins long in total)
One of the good things about having a blog is being able to put down & share your ideas, as well as thoughts on different things you choose to write about and focus on.
One of these being able to create and devise your own ideal dream movie and TV show concepts - unlike fan-fiction stories that are based on the canon of the show or movie, you can create your own sets of characters, plots, universes, settings, give each of your characters a personality and backstory, in addition to that you get to choose who stars in it, allocate character names for each of them. Plus, you get to decide their fate in the end.
It doesn't matter that it won't be turned into an actual screenplay, nor it will come to life (well I don't, anyway)- just having ideas for your very own movie/show, is a start.
(*last updated December 3, 2016*)
Title of movie
'Unconditional Remedy' (A romantic comedy by Waiching Liu © 2015) - I'm terrible when it comes to coming up with titles and names for ideas, especially for films and it takes a considerable amount of time to think about it; I had an idea for the movie, the next stage was to think of words associated with being a couples therapist and love. So I thought 'remedy' >> therapist and relationships. Also, 'unconditional' >> 'unconditional love' is love for him/her, regardless of will and their behaviours and problems that may affect the relationship. Probably not as original and inventive as I expected it to be, but hey, I have a name for my movie.
Unlike other romantic comedy movies and ones that deal with the theory of opposites attract, this one is more along the lines of 'birds of a feather flock together'; i.e. people with similar interests, characteristic or personality traits ending up together. I wanted to focus on the idea of two characters who had a past/pre-existing history and relationship with each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. In this movie, it is a story about rekindling that old lost love that they once had, several years later as adults. Rather than for me to base the storyline on say, two strangers, who meet by chance, become friends and later fall in love. This has been done so many times.
I also thought Robin Williams would have been good at doing a romantic comedy - type of movie and in playing the main male lead heartthrob. Hey, it worked for Billy Crystal in 'Forget Paris' (and no, the embarrassment that is known as Bicentennial Man doesn't count). Flubber was about a professor trying to win back his girlfriend from his rival with the help of his creation, Flubber. But that was more of a kid's fantasy-type movie with special effects. This movie is a traditional rom-com drama set in present-day America.
Movie classification ratings
R - restricted or NC-17 (US), 15 (UK), MA15+ (Aus)
Notes: contains adult themes (but no smoking scenes), blunt innuendos, moderate to strong verbal sexual references, sexual nudity and explicit scenes of a sexual nature, mild language permitted (such as t*ts, s***, crap, a**)
Estimate feature run-time: around 1 hour, 50 Mins
Directed by ??, written by me
(Movie Logo concepts by me)
fonts: Serpentine & Love DevineUS
Year of Production & Release
Production: early 1998, theatrical release: latter 1998
Taglines
'Dealing with the idea of love is one thing. Being and falling in love is also another'
'He lost her heart after they parted. 20 + years later, he wants to win it back'
'Sometimes what you leave behind, eventually becomes the one thing you can't live without'
'They say the past always catches up with you, sooner or later.'
'The only thing weighing on this therapist's mind is his former love'
'Time For Lovin' It Up From The ATL To The NYC'
'....Love & (S)ex'
The stars of Steven Spielberg's 'Hook', in the shape of one of the kings of comedy, Robin Williams & queens of romantic comedy, Julia Roberts reunite together in this amusing, sexy & steamy tale of renewed feelings and romance
*Images taken from Erin Brockovich and Fathers' Day
What type of movie is it?
A romantic comedy-drama, boy - meets -girl scenario, with a screwball comedy-ish feel (which is similar to America's Sweethearts) & sex comedy elements that are thrown in. Think 'Hitch' from Will Smith, which was released in 2005 & part -'My Best Friend's Wedding' crossed with 'Sweet Home Alabama'
Type of romantic comedy
The 'You're perfect for me. Where did you go?' - where the love interests fall in love at first sight. Circumstances force them apart for a period of time. They find each other & succeed, only to be separated again. Ultimately, they reunite during the last act
Tone/mood of the movie >> helps underscore the genre of the film; general character or frame of mind
Laughter, happiness, the story is played straight and serious & it is humourous in places, upbeat, but also emotional & sad at times
Is an example of 'Cerebus Syndrome' >> tonal shift towards dramedy, is a story that starts out light and comedic and later assumes dramatic elements and a more coherent continuity
Who else is in it?/ 'Beta characters'/couple - are present in the backdrop in many romantic comedies and are a foil to the primary relationship. They are confidants of both the protagonist and/or love interest and offer possible solutions to any problems. Are usually a source of comedy and less problem-prone than the main/Alpha couple
(Beta characters) Peri Gilpin (Roz of Frasier as Alyson's friend, Laura), Jenna Von Oy (of Blossom & The Parkers as Alyson's young co-worker, Jess), Tom Arnold (Darryl's best friend & fellow colleague & wisecrack, John) & some unknown actor playing Stephen (Alyson's boyfriend), Jeffery Jacquet (not pictured - Eugene of Mork & Mindy in season 1 as Darryl's next- door neighbour, Marques), Lisa Arrindell Anderson (not pictured as Alyson's other friend, Simone), Hannah and Matt are played by unknowns
'Romantic Wingman' >> John for Darryl, 'Romantic Wingwoman' >> Laura for Alyson - friend who assists protagonist in their romantic endeavours and builds him up as a type of romantic hype-man by offering advice, moral support, impartial feedback
I chose these particular actors because they have played characters who converse a lot and as they are good at that sort of thing in their roles, anyway. & for that, I felt they would best suit the characters that I'd want for my movie. Plus, the fact that they have all dabbled in comedy through sitcoms (& for Tom Arnold through True Lies, Nine Months, Roseanne) and this is a rom-com drama, makes them an ideal fit.
And as for Julia Roberts as the love interest, I liked her as Tinkerbell, as well as Robin as Peter Pan in Hook - although the real reason I chose to pair her up with Robin Williams was that kiss in 'Hook'. I thought they looked good together in that kissing scene & felt their chemistry. I understand that she didn't have as many lines in Hook, - which affected the way the audience had negatively perceived that character & her role. A lot of people didn't like her as Tink. But with this movie, unlike Tinkerbell, here, her character has a lot more substance, has more to say in terms of lines, an interesting backstory & improved character development, and of whom doesn't just exist as a pretty face
Romantic False Lead (& possibly disposable fiancé) - Stephen >> the romantic false lead is the love interest's love interest, the person brought in to date the love interest that the main character is in love with. S/he exists as a plot device to create tension and drama & to keep the male and female protagonists apart (from getting together).
Main Characters
Darryl Reid (dominant protagonist & primary character) (lovable loser protagonist & Romantic Runner-Up) >> there isn't much wrong with this guy, yet somehow isn't quite Mr right enough for the leading lady, who prefers the protagonist's flaws and Alyson Myers (love interest & Deuteragonist) >> the second person the film revolves around & who is given enough screen time independent of the main protagonist (awesome love interest)
.... Are 'amicable exes' >> former couple or pairing who still get along for the most part and of whom still care about each other, despite being no longer together
Darryl and Alyson are the 'old flame' >> the old flame is a couple or character pairing who have drifted apart for various reasons, only to later discover they still have feelings for each other when they get together and meet up with one another later on. A key part of this is that the feelings (even if is one-sided) persist after their reunion.
Savvy Girl >> gives into her emotions very often and is very pragmatic and Energetic Boy >> a guy who is full of energy & very enthusiastic - Alyson is the savvy girl with Darryl as the energetic boy
'The Helper/'Lovable Loser' >> Darryl: a character with a tragic flaw who pursues an active goal, in order to achieve positive results. His basic fear is being unloved & his desire is to feel love. Is a kind, responsible & decent guy
'The Achiever/'Go-Getter Girl' >> Alyson: a woman who devotes herself to achievements other than homemaking above everything else. Is well aware of the effort that her path requires, but she's more than up to the challenge. Her basic fear is worthlessness and her desire is to feel valuable. Pushes herself to always be the best.
Shout-Out >> a name, line or dialogue, or prop in a show or movie that refers to fans, family members of cast and crew, or to another source of inspiration such as a movie, TV show; is deliberate on the part of the writer
Examples of shout-outs in the movie:
- ''Good Morning, New York'' >> uttered by Darryl, is pulled from the 1987 movie, 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. New York is the main setting for this movie
- ''I'll be your Tinkerbell & you can be my Peter Pan'' >> Alyson to Darryl towards the end of the movie is a direct reference to their characters from the movie, ''Hook''
- Darryl clapping his hands to awaken Alyson who has fallen asleep >> taken from ''Hook'', Tinkerbell urges Peter to clap his hands in order to wake her up when she fakes her own death
- 'Think happy thoughts' >> uttered by Darryl to a couple during a therapy session, the term 'happy thoughts' is borrowed from 'Hook'
- Darryl undergoes a bit of a makeover to make himself more attractive & tries to get Alyson to take notice of him >> in Pretty Woman, Vivian (Julia Roberts) undergoes a makeover by transferring herself from a hooker to a princess
*The script*
Plot Outline/Storyline
How would you feel if you'd found out the person you're still in love with, is now with somebody else? 2 former high school sweethearts, ceremoniously went their own separate ways - only to cross paths and meet up almost 20 years later after running into each other, one fateful day.
All goes well, that is until their reunion triggers off a set of mixed emotions - particularly for therapist Darryl (Robin Williams), of whom already has to contend with other people's problems. & not just his own as he battles to control his feelings, with his ex, Alyson (Julia Roberts) focusing her attention on her career & her fiance.... whilst being completely oblivious to Darryl's feelings and romantic endeavours.
*Happy Flashback/Distant Prologue scene: short introduction scene that takes place during a significant amount of time before the main plot or story begins, is 'Love At First Sight';
'A Minor Kidroduction' - introduction of the main character when s/he were a child, may include supporting character & highlights their motivation. After the scene is over, we are transferred to the present day where they are all grown up
'Teenage Marriage Promise' - when two of the main characters were younger, they promised to marry each other when they grew up
Year: 1977 - in Atlanta, Georgia, 17 and 16-year-old Darryl and Alyson (played by younger actors) are at senior high school in 11th grade and have started dating one another. Alyson leans forward and kisses Darryl and the pairing share a smooch together. They both make a pact that one day when they are older, they will be married as a couple and later on have 1 or 2 kids of their own.
*dominant male protagonist's main goal* >> for Darryl to win the love of Alyson
*dominant male protagonist's secondary goal & sub-plot* >> to assist couples in resolving their marital and personal problems in his role as a couples therapist
'The chemical equation': The set-up - sequence identifying the exterior and/or interior conflict, the 'what's wrong with this picture' implied in the primary and secondary protagonists' current status quo
'One True Love' - the idea of one character who is the protagonist's ultimate match
'Single-Target Sexuality' - when a character is only attracted to one person only
'I Will Wait For You' - 2 people go their separate ways & as the years' pass, he promises to wait for her for the rest of his life, if necessary, right where she is until she returns and means every word of it. Because he really believes she will come back for him, someday.
'Boy Wants Girl'
...For Darryl, unrequited love lasts forever
'He Wants, She Wants' - one-half of the potential pairing must desperately want the other person, whilst the other person wants something different.
'The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes' - the character is very good at his/her profession, but is completely unable to use this ability to help himself. This is seen most often with therapists; also called vocational irony >> Darryl
'Anchored Ship' - when one or both potential partners in a relationship refuses to get involved with the other person for personal reasons, though this can be reversed >> Alyson and Darryl, with Alyson who doesn't want to ruin her relationship with Stephen, & Darryl as much as he loves her, refusing to get involved with Alyson because she has a boyfriend
Story
(Story) the chronological sequence of events, the idea, the general theme
Establishing Character Moment - when a character or characters come into the plot, how they fit into it
Unrequited Love Lasts Forever - a passive version of a stalker with a crush, with less actively obsessive behaviour
Fast forward to the present, it is now 1998: Darryl Reid (Robin Williams) is New York City's resident couples therapist who makes a living by offering advice & resolving their interpersonal relationship & marital problems. Darryl has been in the Big Apple for 8 years, since his move from Atlanta. He is a person of unusual honesty & integrity; at the same time, he still hasn't gotten over the split of the love of his life, Alyson Myers over 20 years ago after leaving senior high school, whilst Alyson (Julia Roberts) herself applies her trade as a successful romance novelist. She too is working and living in NYC, but only for 4 years in contrast to Darryl, although she has been a writer for almost 9 years. Alyson is currently attached to and is about to get married to her hunky beau, Stephen (the romantic false lead) who just popped the question to her & he is the complete opposite to Darryl in terms of everything: 6ft tall, has good looks, six-pack stomach, is more financially astute, though he is sweet - if not as sweet and affectionate as Darryl; yet for Darryl, he once had the great long-love in his life, but that was a long time ago. Somewhere along the way, things had gone sour between him and Alyson....and they'd parted and he'd lost her, & often without ever realising at the time what he was ever giving up that all he is left with is bittersweet memories. Since then, he has devoted his life to his job, which is helping couples with their relationship problems & seeks solace and joy for others that he helps.
With Alyson, she is his one and only true love. Darryl cannot imagine himself living alone for the rest of his life, yet also he sees the idea of being with another person or trying to get over his obsession, as a sort of betrayal. He loves her more than anything in the world and is still hopeful that one day, he and Alyson will get back together, that they are married and that she still loves him, just as much as he loves her, unconditionally (hence the title of the movie). Darryl is smitten and in love with & still has strong unrequited feelings for Alyson (that she might be aware of), so much so he has remained celibate since their split as teenagers, & that he hasn't been able to ever love anybody else. He has a few female admirers and even at one time, after some pressure by John, both he and Darryl attended a strip club to help him get over his ex. But it didn't work. Darryl still & only has eyes for his former teenage sweetheart.
'Cradle of Loneliness' - a couple/two people loved each other very much & were happy together for a long time. But something happened; i.e. they broke up, one of them died, disappeared without a trace. Character X is gone, character Y is sad and lonely. But every now and then character Y comforts him/herself by cradling something that reminds them of that person
He also keeps and holds onto an old photo of himself and Alyson when they were together as teenagers, and in love with one another.
With Alyson, she moved further up the career ladder as a writer and managed to even reinvent herself too: she has a good career going for her, not forgetting a great boyfriend to keep her company - yet she wants even more out of life. Falling for Stephen, he was a simpleton: at first, they took things slow but once it became more and more serious, the feelings they had for each other became stronger; he was easy-going, but he always took their relationship seriously. & that was what she wanted. Alyson was someone who wanted a boyfriend, a lover who could light up her life, but also who could understand where she was coming from, without being silly and that being in a romantic relationship meant something tangible and fervent. For months, thoughts of Darryl never entered her mind and Alyson convinced herself she truly loved Stephen and she was and is completely devoted to him, as well as being ready for marriage. Darryl was nothing more than a distant memory and past love that just did not work out, in the end; alas, she dismissed the idea of ever getting back with him. She never even once contemplated where he is now, what he is doing, and that he has probably settled down with a girlfriend, or is probably married.
'Old Flame Fizzle' - character remembers the love of their life, but the reunion cures them of it
'Minor Flaw, Major Breakup' - That person who is otherwise perfect in every way, but who has one glaring flaw that a normal person would be able to live with, yet the protagonist or character feels is too much for him/her to handle. Flaw tends to be minor
Alyson doesn't feel the same way towards Darryl; unlike Darryl, that ship has sailed a long time ago, realising she has fallen out of love with him and she has moved on and isn't entirely convinced that Darryl has matured and is a changed person; rather in her eyes, he is still the perennial goofball that she remembers him as and knows him to be from high school, and whom still sees everything as a joke (likewise, often making fun of relationships & love at other people's expenses- this of which she cites as the main downfall of their previous relationship). He was always an extremely funny person who knew how to make her laugh, yet there comes a point where although it is okay to joke around and have fun, one must learn how to draw the line as well. For her, Alyson still remembers the times where he rarely took anything seriously. She believes that although Darryl can dish out relationship advice to his clients when it comes down to his own relationship issues & character flaws, he is still a hot mess.
'Just Friends' - a relationship or teased relationship between two people who are simply friends in a platonic manner; builds up tension, developing viewer interest & to determine an ending to the relationship story arc
Nonetheless, Alyson still considers the importance of her relationship with Darryl in a platonic sense and sees him as nothing more than as a good friend, who is always there for her and vice-versa. As for Darryl, as she is a writer, in his view, because she writes about love for fictional purposes, for him Alyson doesn't have to deal with and contend with real people's emotions and feelings like he does in his career on a daily basis. Darryl points out that in contrast to her, he is able to connect with life primarily through feelings by talking to people, rather than by using logic.
Making it be about something - why are you writing this particular story about this specific couple? 'When Harry Met Sally' >> whether men and women can overcome gender differences, 'Tootsie' >> how no man (especially when he becomes a woman) is an island.
Yet ultimately, this all boils down to one thing that they both share in common: their career roles as a couples therapist and romance novelist require an emotional and personal understanding of what love is to each of them. In Darryl, we have someone who assists & advises couples on their relationship issues, whilst at the same time he is an emotionally attached single guy sitting on the sidelines, watching and trying to come to terms with his former girlfriend, Alyson - of whom he still has feelings for - falling in love with another man. Will Darryl and Alyson eventually figure out what the concept of love means to each of them, as well as learn from one another's roles? Will fate conspire against them & can the love between two people, particularly 2 people who once had a history together, still stand a chance of being requited, despite the other person saying otherwise?
> The 3 - part structure: 1) Boy & girl meet (set-up/exposition) > 2) they are torn apart for some reason (confrontation/complication/obstacles) > 3) then they later realize they were meant to be together (resolution)
The obstacle/s that artificially keeps the male and female protagonists apart until they reunite in the end
Instant conflict between the two 'lovers-to-be' - one of the characters does not see the other as a potential mate/lover/partner
Darryl is madly in love with Alyson, but she has a fiance/boyfriend of her own. She likes Darryl as a friend & is happy to see him again, yet at this stage, Alyson continues to harbour reservations in getting back with him. She doesn't think he is wise and mature enough to be in a committed relationship, nor understand what it means to be in love. What we have is a case of him loving someone who doesn't love him back.
Feet First - introducing a character by showing the feet & either panning or cutting to the rest of the body, ending with the face. S/he's feet, for example, might be a clue to their personality
Split-Screen - a scene with 2 or more important points in the movie the director/writer wants to get across at the same time, yet is happening in two different places by alternating between showing the two & showing both scenes happening at the same time
Contains Shirtless Scene - a male character goes shirtless, is a type of gratuitous semi-nudity
Mirror Monologue - a character talks to their reflection in the mirror. Usually, it is a male character giving himself a pep talk
Trick Dialogue - when a character is talking to someone else, or not
Split-screen scene showing Alyson and Darryl being awoken by their alarm clocks & getting out of their beds in the morning, heading to their bathrooms & having a shower (cue brief nudity scenes), as well as brushing their teeth, grabbing some breakfast, getting dressed & going to work in the morning. This scene illustrates the daily morning routine the characters go through each day of the working week. Darryl finished putting on his jacket and tie & starred at his own reflection in the mirror. After that, he practices his speech to someone else; he mouths, ''I'm Darryl, how are you, today?'', reassuring himself that everything's going to be fine, and to Alyson too - should he ever see her again (this scene would be improvised by Robin Williams)
The next scene has Darryl's brown shoes emerging from his bike. The camera slowly moves up to his body, showing his outfit, right before his face appears.
The 'Meet Cute'/Inciting Incident - quick way of introducing 2 characters, is the inciting incident that brings the man & woman together & into conflict, is of credible contrivance & often amusing, thus setting the tone for the action to come
'Crash into Hello' - character in a hurry or not paying attention runs into another character, is a variety of the 'meet cute'
'Power Walk' - wide shot of main character/s looking cool/determined/fierce as they walk towards the camera & often in slow motion, slo-mo is often used to give the images extra weight
'Suggestive Collision' - A man and a woman fall into close proximity and wind up in a sexually suggestive position
The Set-Up/Exposition - Act 1
Neither Alyson and Darryl are looking at each other properly & they unknowingly run into one another in person for the first time in almost 20 years in a nearby park, whilst they are hastily on their way to work in their respective fields. There is a scene where he sees her doing a power walk towards his direction in slow motion, supported by a rather suggestive track with sexual lyrics playing in the background, only to then look in a different direction - all of a sudden, without looking where he is going, Darryl runs into Alyson and both parties fall over, & both end up in an instant Seiza position that is easily mistaken for extreme passion. Alyson is horrified at first and Darryl offers his sincerest apologies & makes amends for it by checking on her to make sure that she is okay, helping her to her feet, and being the kind-hearted simpleton that he is, gives Alyson a helping hand by picking up some of the books that have ended up on the ground, & their eyes meet as they look up. Despite the incident, she remains calm and takes it well. Bewildered, they couldn't believe their own luck that they have found each other again. When he saw her, he was stunned by how drop dead gorgeous she looked. She was stunning. His eyes lit up when he saw her beautiful face and he couldn't take them off her. They briefly say ''hello'', uttering each other's names and for easily distracted Darryl, the sight of Alyson almost makes him feel weak at the knees, as he is enchanted by her caring demeanour, beauty & presence. To him, she looked just as attractive and beautiful today as she did, 20 years ago.
'My Card' - character meets the other character for the first time, gives him/her their card as a formal way to remember them by
Darryl hands her his professional business card to Alyson, thus proclaiming his line of work & credentials as a therapist for couples. She is a little surprised at first, as she initially doesn't see him as the type who would offer relationship advice to couples. But he reassures her that he made the right decision and that he enjoys helping other people out with their problems. & on that note, she is happy for Darryl.
'Stupid Sexy Friend' - sometimes s/he wants to be friends with another; at least as far as conscious decisions go, but the sexual attraction & sexual thoughts persist & 'She's Got Legs'
'The Covert Pervert' >> Darryl - uncharacteristic suggestive comments/thoughts from a character who is usually pure and innocent.
'Eating The Eye Candy' >> Darryl towards Alyson - protagonist just can't help but stare & drool over his/her eyes, smile or any of their other attractive features
Afterwards, she breaks the news to him that she is about to get married to her boyfriend who has proposed to her. That, and she is going to say 'Yes'. His head shot up as Darryl is stunned at first; the thought of Alyson being married to someone else stopped him dead in his tracks. But his feelings for her didn't stop there- he smiled at her when he saw her happy. That that was important to him, that her happiness is what really matters. Yet there is something about her, appearance-wise he finds about Alyson that he deems sexy and irresistible, as his eyes drifted to her slender figure. That, and as well as she is still as radiant and beautiful as she was, all those years before. His feelings for Alyson have returned. Darryl develops a dirty mind of his own by the very nature that he develops sexual thoughts about Alyson. His lust towards her conflicts with their friendship, no matter how hard he tries to fight it. They then discuss meeting up and catching up on old times over a drink or two.
Meeting the romantic false lead
Alyson introduces Darryl to Stephen and thus, she witnesses the pair of them shaking hands. They appear to be on level terms with each other and acknowledge one another's presence; with Darryl, he sees Stephen as a decent guy and is thus, happy for Alyson, as well as to see her happy. Even if it is not with him. Darryl isn't the slightest bit jealous that she chose Stephen, - despite that he is still pining for his ex and loves her and still wishes that he and Alyson were still together. He cares a lot about her & wants to make sure the guy she is with treats her right. Alyson's happiness is the most important thing in his eyes & he ensures that she has that with Stephen. He even goes as far as to congratulate the couple on their engagement & raises a toast to them.
'Window Watcher' - people that look in on someone else by looking through their window, secretly. Are usually looking to see something inappropriate or sexual spying on someone they have a crush on
That same evening, Darryl catches an eyeful of Alyson undressing in her apartment, as she is about to go to bed with her boyfriend, through his bedroom window as he studies and spies on her. As each piece of clothing comes off, he can't help but feel more and more turned on by her and in seeing her naked body.
But as Darryl watches her kiss and make love to Stephen, it is apparent that this becomes all too overwhelming for him and all of a sudden, he beats a hasty retreat. He was crushed and turned around and moved away from the window, only to find himself struggling to hold back from the tears, as his feelings towards Alyson deepened even further.
Strictly professional relationship
'Working with the ex' - character works with someone they were in a previous relationship with & in close proximity, can be a prime source of unresolved sexual tension
'I Can't Dance' - character doesn't know how to dance, yet in one scene, ends up breaking out a few moves
In the ensuing week, Darryl and Alyson are forced to team up and work together when 2 individual strangers, a guy going by the name of Matt, of whom Darryl encounters at a subway and a woman named Hannah, of whom Alyson meets during a book signing at a bookstore, turn to them for advice on their love lives. They later turn out to be an actual couple, who have been in a relationship together for 6 years, but who are not married. In their efforts, Darryl and Alyson help Matt and Hannah to consummate their relationship, & each of them takes it to the next level by setting them up on a blind date. The date goes so well that in the end, they both witness Matt proposing marriage to Hannah, to which she accepts and they embrace each other. Darryl then turned his attentions to Alyson, who looked so pretty and was so sweet she took his breath away. Darryl and Alyson then turn to each other with happy smiles & tears and gaze into one another's eyes, as he felt his love for her grow stronger and stronger. Or so he thought, only for Alyson to look away, - right before physical contact could be made & thus, feeling uncomfortable at the intimacy of the gesture.
Darryl's happiness is short-lived and he is left disenchanted.
'Motorcycle on the Coast Road' - a character who owns a motorbike or motorcycle is riding along a coast road. Usually, the camera angle is low
'Badass Biker' - sometimes wears shades, a long coat or short leather jacket. But what really sells it is the cool bike >> Darryl
To erase the thoughts of last night, the next day, he takes a ride on his motorcycle/motorbike donning his casual jeans, boots, white shirt, shades and a brown leather biker jacket.
Subsequently, things begin to heat up and events take an interesting turn when she turns to Darryl for ideas for her stories & he helps her out by proofreading them, whilst Alyson offers Darryl a female perspective on love & relationships, and they hit it off as sparks fly between the pair as they strike up a close, - yet almost 'intimate' working relationship together as they trade, swap and exchange ideas, conversations over-friendly, humorous and harmless banter. & coffee. Resulting in old feelings being re-ignited between Alyson & Darryl. She even invites him to go clubbing with her, when he reveals he is a terrible dancer. When they are in a club, they play Eugene Wilde's ''Gotta Get You Home'' & the pair slow-dance to the beat of the song. Alyson teaches Darryl some moves and eventually, it turns out he is a good dancer.
Much to the chagrin of Alyson's fiancee, Stephen, who becomes increasingly annoyed at her for turning up late at home from work, every weeknight. Alyson reassures him however that nothing serious is going on between her and Darryl, as well as that they are just good friends.
*Second - Act Breakup*
The Confrontation/Complication/Obstacles - Act 2
'Secrets & Lies' - one of the 2 people involved in the relationship - usually the main protagonist - is lying to someone, or is withholding information from him/her; is usually from the person/love interest the protagonist is falling for. Later on, this lie is finally exposed.
'Fiction Business-Savvy' - characters come up with a great business idea that will make them rich or land a promotion. However, the audience may think that this idea is actually terrible
'Hey Hey, You Said X' - a character says a word or phrase in a non-double entendre manner, i.e. one is obvious, literal and innocent and the other has a sexual subtext, but another takes it the wrong way & starts laughing
Darryl doesn't inform Alyson until later on in the film that her agent has refused to publish her last novel, - because they weren't too keen on some of the 'racy' language and terms that they had to read, (no) thanks in part to Darryl; thus resulting in hilarity. When he does, the pair are at loggerheads with each other, as they try to pass the buck: Alyson becomes angry towards Darryl for suggesting them in the first place & accuses him of trying to sabotage her career, which he vehemently denies whereas Darryl hits back, arguing she is at fault for accepting them and putting them in her book.
*Third - Act Misunderstanding*
The element of surprise/ The sexy complication: Turning Point >>
A new development or twist ups the story's ante & in a way defines the protagonist's goal, with the male and female protagonists inner emotions at odds with the goal
Anguished Declaration of love' - anguished declaration of love is gender neutral, the male proponent comes across as 'aggressive' & reproachful in his confession, especially if his target of affection doesn't react the way he expects them to, in which case he may demand to be loved back
The 'dark moment': crisis climax- when consequences of the romantic relationship's importance jeopardise his chance to succeed at his stated goal, the humiliating scene where private emotions are revealed & the relationship and/or protagonist's goal is seemingly lost forever
'The ''Shut Up'' Kiss' - a character is babbling or talking a lot & the other character cuts them off with a kiss
followed by 'Kiss-Kiss-Slap' - the kiss between 2 people then descends into an argument or fight
'Actor Allusion' - a joke or reference which is specific to one of the actors on the show or movie
'Cleavage Window' - a cut in a woman's top that shows/exposes her cleavage, be it on the top or side of the outfit, is a form of fan service
In another scene, when they are in Darryl's home, Darryl and Alyson are happily making conversation and laughing along, chatting as friends do. When asked by Darryl if she did anything interesting lately, she replies with: "not really. Just watching reruns of Mork and Mindy on TV". Sporting an attractive outfit that exposes her cleavage, his eyes fixated on them and admiring her form. All of a sudden, he hesitated, then in a moment of weakness, Darryl makes a move on Alyson and tries to make out with her & kiss her. It was like she had reawakened his senses, as well as feelings of her love and affection, which grew stronger. Darryl wanting to hold her, to physically make love to her. He knew it was wrong to get involved with Alyson as she had a boyfriend - yet his sexual urges took over his overwhelming desire, as he was constantly tormented by her presence whenever he is surrounded by her that it was just the two of them in the same room, together. And he couldn't help but be turned on by Alyson. Fueled by his libido, he kissed her passionately on the spur of the moment- only for her to fend him off by slapping him hard across the face. She couldn't believe he'd done that to her, she had eyes like daggers that pierced her soul. She then has a go at him & loses her temper at Darryl for kissing her.
All Love is Unrequited - when one isn't allowed to reciprocate any romantic interest shown in them by the other person
'Tender Tears' & 'Tears of Remorse' - results from someone else's misfortune & is part of a sensitive character
Taken aback by his actions, she pulls herself away from him as she is upset and storms off in a huff. He tries to apologise and stop her from leaving, but to no avail. Alyson tells him she doesn't love him and loves Stephen only. Darryl then becomes upset & distraught when she spurns his advances, & wonders why & how it went all wrong. His heart was shattered. The last thing he ever wanted to do was to hurt or disappoint her.
Unfulfilled desire - unsatisfactory status for protagonists
Dogged Nice Guy - when the main protagonist is madly in love with the other person, but s/he doesn't seem too interested, so protagonist keeps on trying, in the hope that they will change their mind
'Loving Details' - a character in love recites tiny details about the object of his/her attraction, showing how well s/he knows the other
(Establishing why their personalities result in attraction between the two characters. Something the romantic lead likes/loves about the love interest. They complete each other by providing a counterbalance, such as compatible personalities)
Despite the lingering fear of having his heart broken yet again, Darryl undergoes a bit of a transformation himself as well - both image-wise & personally -, as he goes out of his way to winning back her affections (despite the fact Alyson has a fiancé) & to prove Alyson wrong. Not forgetting to show to her he is the one for her, and that he is anything but a hopeless romantic before it is too late. Darryl then realises that the advice that he shells out to his clients & relies upon won't work on Alyson, let alone be enough to woo her back. He then envisioned an image of himself and Alyson planning to run away from their troubles and worries & head straight towards the sunset of happiness, hope & prosperity that awaits them. They can do and achieve anything together - but without her, his life would feel incomplete. His voice faded as he recounts the times Alyson said 'no' to him and in seeing her with Stephen.
Darryl recalls the days when they first met as teenagers and of her being his first love, the times they spent together by laughing, joking around, kissing and holding hands. As well as listing several of Alyson's small quirks that he loves. He has hopes for a more serious relationship and hopes that Alyson will eventually feel the same.
In 1991's 'Hook', it was Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) falling for Peter Pan (Robin Williams), - only to see that her advances were being rebuffed; and in this movie, it is Darryl pursuing Alyson's heart & his romantic advances made towards Alyson that is being rejected by her.
What their characters would look like, appearance-wise
Darryl's physical appearance would be identical/similar to Robin Williams's character, Dale Putley from Fathers' Day with the brown jacket, trousers/pants, collared shirt, but in addition, he wears a tie, has medium length hair & having the same hairstyle 'the whirl' as he coins it in Fathers' Day. When I saw his look as Dale in that movie and thought long and hard how I would picture this character of Darryl, I then thought: 'this is definitely the look and appearance of one of my characters I would go for'. He'd also have a shaved, slightly more muscular toned upper body physique with large muscled arms, large torso & slim waist, smooth chiseled chest (rather than a hairy one) - no hair on his arms, armpit/underarms, chest hair -, much like when Robin played Peter Banning/Pan in Hook.
Alyson would look a lot like Julia Roberts's namesake character, Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name with long, wavy hair and wear attractive clothing and outfits.
Characters personalities & qualities
'Cool Loser (Darryl)' - a character who is smart, funny, fashionable is portrayed as being much less popular than they would be in real life. Makes the character likeable, he is not a geek or lacks social skills.
'Gentle Touch (Darryl) vs. Firm Hand (Alyson)' - Gentle touch favours to keep calm & offer kind, soft encouragement to help the other person understand the situation & the role they play in it & how they can improve things. The firm hand prefers brutal honesty & tough love to knock charge out of their comfort zone
'Talker and Doer' >> talker (Darryl), doer (Alyson) - variety of 2- person ensemble where one person, the doer has technical or creative expertise but may lack social skills and the other person, the talker though lacking in technical, creative skills, does most of the talking & is socially savvy. Both acknowledge needing one another
Both Alyson and Darryl are likeable, kind-hearted individuals; caring, friendly, compassionate, sensitive and soft on the inside and love being romantic and the idea of 2 people destined to be together and being in love with one another. Their friendship and bond thrive on a set of shared common values & beliefs, such as 'being true to what you feel'. They like to take things nice and slow, especially when it comes to making love. Yet it is lovesick Darryl, who is more sensitive and prone to broken heart syndrome. Notwithstanding this, he always goes out of his way to get to the heart of other people's relationship woes & addresses them. A romantic at heart, he yearns for that special something believed to be ultimately fulfilling. Love to him is more than roses and candy, but knowing and attending to the other person deeply, and passionately. Darryl is your typical nice guy & a joker, easy-going, a little mischievous at times and yet softly spoken at times, very passionate & understanding. Being a therapist, he isn't lacking in empathy and listens without judgement & though he is humourous, he isn't overly funny to the point it becomes over-the-top & annoying in nature, driving people nuts. Darryl is slightly similar to Robin Williams's other character Dale (Fathers' Day), only he is much less crazy, a lot more toned down (Robin's performance as this character would be a lot more restrained) and sane & he is also a tiny bit of Daniel from Mrs Doubtfire as well, - the Daniel who isn't a douche-bag part that is (and all those characters begin with the letter 'D').
'Rejection affection' - character refuses to take any hints or outright rejections in their pursuit of the object of their affection
On occasions, Darryl acts in a flirtatious manner around Alyson to help fuel his attraction towards her, despite the X number of times she makes it clear to him she is not interested in him & doesn't see him that way. As a nice guy, his biggest flaws are that he apologises a lot, even when he is not at fault and his lust towards Alyson.
Alyson, meanwhile, is a consummate professional who knows that it isn't necessary to rely heavily on her beauty and looks to get what they want, but rather she chooses to rely on her skills and abilities instead. She's more practical & forward-thinking, outspoken, no-nonsense and very assured of herself, but at the same time, she can be a little naive and often sees things too far ahead into the future, rather than taking things one step at a time & not realising what the future may hold for herself, and her future partner; not just professionally, but personally and relationship-wise too. Attractive and strikingly beautiful, & who is aware of the attention and effect she has on other people, especially on Stephen and Darryl, yet she doesn't value her physical attractiveness over her other traits. A bit of a perfectionist, Alyson is concerned with being good and getting things done right, though this can often lead to guilt and worry. Her idea of love is where the romantic relationship is the central focus of everything that happens and this also acts as the driving force behind her work. Her line of work allows Alyson to pour her heart and soul into, as well as touch the hearts of readers... & through her characters & stories, as well as her own love life, she gives people the confidence to seek meaningful relationships, love and happiness in their own lives. As well as that Alyson can tap into an emotion and harness it in her stories.
'Did You Think I Can't Feel?'
Every so often Darryl hints at having some deeply hidden depths as he attempts to resist temptation. He's sure to do whatever Alyson asks of him, not just because of her loyalty and being close friends but because she doesn't seem to mind. Over the due course, Alyson will often drag Darryl along with her and go on numerous adventures, putting him through more eventful and sometimes, emotionally hurtful situations whilst ignoring his feelings. He won't complain & will offer advice and help to her, however (much) he can.
Until he says 'No'. Alyson is left blown away & fails to understand why: 'I've always treated you right!'. Only for Darryl to let loose a simple yet powerful question: 'did you think I can't feel?'. It seems Alyson has crossed the line, not because of her schemes but for failing or choosing not to consider he has feelings, and that she was badly hurting them.
The Journey/protagonists experience transformation to overcome obstacles, they each grow and change, through their relationship with one another
Object of his/her desires/love interest should directly challenge the protagonist's flaw, thus forcing them to grow in order to achieve the ultimate goal of love
'Cheer Them Up with Laughter'- a character cheers someone up when they are upset by making them laugh
'You Are Better Than You Think You Are' - a character feels they are not worthy & does not belong somewhere they value, only s/he is told otherwise by the other character
As the movie progresses, there is unresolved sexual tension and desire that is felt between Darryl and Alyson.
Their careers entail in dealing with human emotions and relationships, despite that one involves interacting with real people and the other involves conveying their feelings and emotions through fictional characters, - and this is central to the coming together of and union of these 2 people. Both Darryl and Alyson go through a change in order to find a common ground of respect - and eventual love in the film. He sees the value in her that she is unable to see it in herself that he aspires to be as an individual, whilst Alyson notices that Darryl has come a long way and sees qualities in himself relating to herself and as a potential partner she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
'I Want My Beloved To Be Happy' - where character X loves character Y but realises a relationship between them cannot happen, so s/he decides to put their happiness above their own. Accordingly, they abandon their claim to him/her and encourages the other person to move on and live their own life
Aborted Declaration of Love - character is about to be separated from their beloved forever and has one last chance to say how they truly feel - except they decide not to; this is typically final and is as a result of 'I Want My Beloved To Be Happy'
Mood Whiplash - a contrast of tragedy and comedy that when done right makes each emotion poignant and effective
It was at the moment that Alyson never felt so lonely, confused and sad. For the past couple of years, she had imagined being with Stephen & no one else, but ever since Darryl reappeared on the scene and re-entered her life, things have dramatically changed and turned out in ways she hadn't envisaged. & in some ways, it has been for the positive that she has a lot to thank him for.
'Tears Of Fear' - characters who cry, their tears indicate their sadness as a result of fear. Shows how characters becoming emotionally broken
Perspective Reversal >> Unrequited Love Switcheroo
Heartbroken Darryl, meanwhile, straightens his shoulders, - and ultimately prepares to deal with losing Alyson, & drowns his sorrows. He thought he had a second chance with her, only she got away, yet again. He wanted to be the one to give her the life that she truly wanted and for the pairing to be able to do that together. He wanted Alyson to be happy - yet he wanted her to be happy with him. Instead, he was anticipating a life where he'd lost her, forever. The next evening, when Alyson makes her way home after a day's work, she catches a glimpse of Darryl leaving his office.... with a mysterious & attractive-looking, female companion in tow alongside him. Thus, it starts to hit home for her and that the life she shared with Darryl in the past, as well as the present, was far more important to her than she'd ever realised. Confused Alyson tried as hard as she could to put the idea of him out of her mind, that it didn't matter to her, anymore. Eventually, this became a tall order, and with that, she cared about him a whole lot more. Realising she has fallen in love with him and believing that Darryl has moved on, she wept and choked back the tears, thinking that maybe perhaps he doesn't love her, anymore. As a result, Alyson becomes envious - and it isn't long until she eventually comes clean to herself about being in denial towards her feelings for her ex.
'If 2 past lovers can remain long-time friends, either they were never in love..... or in this case, they still are.'
Literately falling in love
Love Epiphany - When s/he realises they are in love with another character, NOT when s/he confesses their love to another character but when s/he realises this themselves
Belated Love Epiphany - a character takes the other person's absence a lot harder than you'd expected. One realises too late that they are in love with him/her
'Satisfactory Recognition Of True Love' - the 'other' goes after the person they love & does something to win them back
Unrequited Love Switcharoo - character Y has a crush on character Z for a long time, but they ignore them, & so considers the both of them as just friends. At some point, character Y gets the message & moves on with his (or her) life. Suddenly, the relationship is reversed with character Z having feelings for character Y
Set Right What Once Went Wrong - character receives foreknowledge of what will happen & has to correct it
Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them - development that occurs in buddy films and romantic comedies where one person is paired off with someone else against his/her will. S/he can't stand the person/situation, only to realise they need them and that they miss them
Wrong Guy First - a love triangle where the female character has 2 suitors: one is rich and handsome, the other is flawed, as good- looking. She picks and dates the most attractive looking guy - suitor 1. Later, she recognises that the flawed, not as good-looking guy is the right guy for her and falls in love with him
Alyson sat up for most of that night, as her thoughts turned towards Darryl and pondering what she had wanted. The more time she spends with her old flame, the closer she is drawn towards him. Despite how much she was hurting and realising how much he was hurting as well, that she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone but him, and with him in her thoughts. Alyson could only hope she could convince Darryl to forgive her and to take her back. Darryl becomes the one person that changes Alyson in more ways than one; thus, showing her the true meaning of love and what it could potentially mean for the pair of them.
Erotic Dream - the protagonist's sexual dreams about a friend causes them to reassess their relationship (& perhaps) realising they're actually in love with them
As she later drifted off to sleep, Alyson begins fantasising about Darryl, dreaming that she is in her own apartment. The image flashed through her mind. Eventually, the front door opens and in walks in Darryl, who is feeling hot and wanting to cool off and so he heads for the kitchen. He takes off his shoes & proceeds to slowly remove his shirt, revealing his pecs and strong, taut & brawny arms, which catches Alyson's watchful eye. She couldn't keep her eyes off him as she wanted to explore that body of his. Watching his shirt fall to the floor, she then attempts to seduce Darryl by approaching him, grabbing him and passionately kisses him, whilst running her hands all over his body. She then unzips and pulls down his jeans, with Darryl putting his arms around her waist and reaching up to unbutton her top, then unhooking her bra & taking off her skirt, thus watching it fall down. Almost naked, Alyson and Darryl make passionate and frenzied love, kissing and touching each other. Tossing and turning, this dream awakens Alyson abruptly.
The next day, she confides to Laura about her dream that she had about Darryl the previous night, and asks her for advice on what to do next. Laura then encourages her to follow her heart - and that if she truly loves him to go after him and to tell Darryl how she really feels.
'Race for your love'/The chase - occurs 5 mins or so before the end credits roll & is most commonly found in romantic comedies. Character desperately has to chase the person they love before they walk out of his/her life, forever
Alyson realises at long last that she has a special relationship & connection with Darryl that goes as far back to their teen years, and that he has matured a lot since then, forcing her to confront her past and to reassess her feelings for him. His presence soon tugged at her heartstrings, and what Alyson initially thought that she could live without so easily, suddenly turns out to be what, or be it who she truly wants. He was and still is her soul mate for life. Alyson now has to find a way to pursue a romance with Darryl. She discovers that she wants to be part of his life, but this time as his wife for eternity. All of a sudden, Alyson has an epiphany: that she really happens to love him back. That he is the one that she wants to be with. She has strong feelings for Darryl and that if she doesn't go after him, it will be too late & she'd have missed her chance. The following evening, she fixed her hair, applied make-up, dressed sexy and jumps straight into a cab, then gets out of the cab and runs, because love compels her to.
Happy Together/The happy ending - the last-minute union of two protagonists - the underlying theme of true love conquers all
Love Confession - one of the characters makes a declaration of love to another
Mr and Mrs Fanservice - characters in eye-candy related scenes wearing skimpy or skin-tight clothing, or nothing at all, intended as fan-service for ladies (and guys) & to attract viewers
'Mindlink Mates' - a romantic trope where the lovers share not just their lives & beds but their consciousness, are aware of each other not just by communicating but feel exactly like the other
'Eating The Eye Candy' >> Darryl towards Alyson again, Alyson towards Darryl
‘The grand gesture reconciliation scene ends with characters in a romantic embrace' - become the official/Alpha couple >> they eventually acknowledge their feelings and enter into a relationship
To his surprise, Alyson emerged on his doorstep in a revealing Black lace top, bra & Black mini- skirt, & both her and Darryl (who is wearing a tight/form-fitting Red t-shirt, like the one worn by Dale on Fathers' Day,*see screenshots below*) are standing right in front of each other, making eye- to- eye contact & staring into each other's eyes as they sense and feel like the other. They breathed one another's names, with the beauty of Alyson's voice soothing his head. Darryl was completely dumbstruck, he couldn't believe that Alyson returned, that she came back for him, or not. He wasn't exactly sure. Suddenly, hearts were pounding and their sexual attraction intensifies as they both envision sexy thoughts about each other; thus growing more and more insatiable by the minute that their minds drift towards other parts of their anatomy's when their eyes are fixated on one another's outfits (Alyson studying Darryl's red shirt with Darryl transfixed on Alyson's see-through lace blouse). 'God, he is so gorgeous!' dreams Alyson, as she gets a nice view of him, whereas Darryl couldn't stop staring at her blouse, and bra: '...She's so beautiful'. At first, she grills Darryl about the woman that she saw him leaving with at his workplace, last night. To which he replies by saying that she is one of his clients, & that he is not in love with her.
Relieved, Alyson comes forward & tells Darryl that Stephen called off their engagement and that they are no longer together, as well as she declares her love to Darryl and that she is willing to overlook his flaws & finally falls for him, much to Darryl's delight. His eyes widened in surprise. Alyson then says: ''I'll be your Tinkerbell & you can be my Peter Pan'' (in a joke reference to the movie, Hook). Afterwards, Darryl and Alyson reconcile.
The Resolution
Brown eyes meet Blue eyes and 'The big damn reunion kiss'
‘Sex Equals Love’ – 2 people having a sexual relationship with each other will result in a romantic relationship
'Good People Have Good Sex' - Main characters, protagonists always have healthy sex lives, one may go through long periods of not being in a relationship, applies to experienced adults rather than teenagers.
‘First Guy/Girl Wins’ – the first guy (or girl) character introduced in the story ends up with the protagonist
'Laugh of Love' - when a character (usually a female) develops a tendency to giggle or even laugh when around their love interest, particularly when the love interest in question is joking around, trope tends to be common in romantic comedies
‘Modesty Bedsheet’ – character/s who is/are nude in bed uses a bed sheet to cover their private parts (slight variation of this trope)
‘Pants-Free’ – character/s who have their lower body hidden is revealed to be pant-less, must be naked, under-dressed or legless from the waist down
‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ – a striptease with him/her disrobing
‘Anywhere But Their Lips’ – character kissing another character on any other part of their body, but their lips
'The Grunting Orgasm' - when a man is shown experiencing a particular intense climax, he generally can't control himself & utters grunting sighs and growls instead of the typical female yelps and squeals
'Naughty By Night' - character/s who is tidy and polite & doesn't think dirty thoughts during the day, but they are outright lewd at night
'Scar Survey' - a scene (often after sex) when the heroine/girlfriend/wife/lover asks the hero/lover how he got the scar/s on their body; may study his body closely. This gives him the chance to reveal his badass nature or mysterious past without appearing boastful to the audience
'The Grunting Orgasm' - when a man is shown experiencing a particular intense climax, he generally can't control himself & utters grunting sighs and growls instead of the typical female yelps and squeals
'Naughty By Night' - character/s who is tidy and polite & doesn't think dirty thoughts during the day, but they are outright lewd at night
'Scar Survey' - a scene (often after sex) when the heroine/girlfriend/wife/lover asks the hero/lover how he got the scar/s on their body; may study his body closely. This gives him the chance to reveal his badass nature or mysterious past without appearing boastful to the audience
Then he sweeps her off her feet. Drawing her in for a kiss, Darryl cupped Alyson's face in his hands & leaned down, softly brushing his lips against hers. After 20 years of being apart for so long, they hug and tightly wrap their arms around each other with Darryl pulling her close & kissing Alyson with all the love and passion he felt towards her, brushing the hair out of her face. The kiss deepened substantially. They lovingly caress each other's bodies and become embroiled in a passionate embrace, releasing all of their repressed & inner desires. Alas, romance blossoms between Darryl and Alyson of whom couldn't resist smiling, laughing happily and enjoying each other's company. His heart swelled with happiness.
*above: Hook (1991) by Movie Screencaps.com
The movie concludes with an intimate bedroom love scene that commences with Alyson slowly performing a striptease for Darryl and she takes off her clothes as he lies in bed & watches her strip. Smiling shyly, her seductive and flirtatious moves as she accentuated her curves caught his breath. The camera cuts to a shot of the couple, who are both completely bare naked in bed and with her lying on top of him covered in bed sheets (the sheet falls to his and her waists, though we get shots of their upper bodies). Alyson slowly rubbed herself against him, making Darryl murmur & moan in ecstasy & pleasure, as he begged for more, thus she couldn't help but grin at his reaction & the pair kiss for a long time, taking it in turns by planting multiple kisses over the exposed flesh of each other's bodies. She placed one hand on his chest, kissing and caressing it and his pecs, slowly and seductively. She then kissed his mouth. Two bodies melt into one as they oscillated back and forth and interlocked & they make slow, sensuous and tender love to each other, right through the night (this is R-rated, after all) with his hands on the sides of her hips. It was affectionate and passionate with both parties emerging more than satisfied. Darryl held Alyson close to him and they moaned into each other's mouths, both knowing that after many years apart, it all comes down to this special moment. They'd kissed as teenagers, but this was the first time they slept with each other & made love. As adults. It was then Darryl's turn to tease and seduce Alyson; her eyes lingered on his beefy body and she felt turned on as he stood and studied her in the nude. She then proceeded to spread her legs wide open for him to slowly enter inside of her. He responded, yet at the same time, not wanting to hurt her. Darryl leaned forward and positioned himself in between them, with his face coming into contact with hers, whispering in her ear. He brushed his lips on the lower half of her body and the sides of her thighs as his mouth worked its way up onto hers. Suddenly, his right hand cupped one of her breasts whilst he was kissing her amorously, which made Alyson gasp slightly. Darryl's hips undulated as he was straddling her, & her eyes flew open as they each could feel their own climaxes build up. His gentle strokes, licks and kisses roamed every inch of her body, top to bottom, as well as nipping at her neck and sliding his tongue down to her chest. It then found its way brushing lightly over her breasts. She purred & giggled as the pair fulfil each other's desires. His fingers lightly grazed her hips, breasts and stomach. Alyson felt that no one else had touched her in the way that Darryl did and does by pleasuring her, and she whimpered at each thrust. He watched her face as he was making love to her. She responded by caressing his tousled hair & kissing and touching him anywhere, everywhere with her hands, his skin on hers, & capturing her lips with his. She needed & wanted him, feeling his hot breath against her neck whilst whispering his name several times, then, seductively, she ran her hand down to his strong arms & chest & his bare back ...& even his buttocks, whilst his hands slowly brushed and slid underneath her thigh, massaging her skin and fervidly kissing her cheek. His touch aroused Alyson, which made Darryl beam with mischievous delight as he covered her entire body with kisses. Settling himself behind her back, she felt his manhood pressing behind her buttocks as he was rubbing it up and down. Afterwards, they collapsed from exhaustion after their lovemaking as they panted and caught their breaths. He paused to look up at her and felt his chest pressed up hard against her breasts, with him lying on top of her, only for Darryl to shift to his side & Alyson to rest in his arms. As they turned to each other & intertwine their fingers & hands together, Darryl gently wept & he asks her whether she is okay, which touched and melted Alyson's heart. There was dead silence, then she replies with, "yes". Alyson felt the comfort of his embrace and stared at him with those enchanting eyes of hers. At that moment she loved how worried he was for her and how much he truly cared for her. She also notices the scar on his torso & touches & kisses it. Teary-eyed, he softly whispers in her ear, ''I love you, you know, Alyson. I've never stopped loving you,'' and with that, she gently places a hand on his cheek, pulling him even closer & tearfully replies with ''I love you too, Darryl''. Alyson wiped away his tears with her fingertips & they then kissed each other's lips, softly & sweetly. After that, the camera fades away. (in the uncut version/extras this final scene is extended, making it at around 20-25 mins long in total)
Epilogue - final chapter not shown, is text-based and provides a brief explanation as to what happens to the characters, right after the events that occurred in the movie
Darryl and Alyson fly back to Atlanta for the Holidays and to see their families, they then tie the knot and become a married couple, the following year in January.
And they all lived happily ever after.
The end.
Write A Romantic Comedy/So You Want To - TV Tropes
Romantic Comedy - TV Tropes
Write a Love Story/So You Want To - TV Tropes
Writing The Romance Novel: The Seven Story Beats - Kaye Dacus
Writing Romantic Comedy Characters - Script Analysis
Romantic Comedy Film - Wikipedia
Writing and Selling Romantic Comedy Screenplays - Craig Batty and Helen Jacey
The Rules of Romantic Comedy - Karen Woodward
Major Character Types - The Love Interest - Script Mag, Michael Tabb
The Five Golden Rules of Romantic Comedy - Brian Finnegan
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