Saying what you mean

[Rantanplan]

The first scene between the shrink and the killer in Grosse Pointe Blank is hilarious, with Alan Arkin telling Cusack exactly how he feels (totally paraphrasing here):

"I'm afraid of you. Fear is an emotion, we are engaged in an emotional relationship. I'm filled with anxiety. That comment just there, that was not designed to make me feel good. You thought it and you said and now I do not feel good."

[SuperScribe]

Cordelia Chase always said exactly what was on her mind, which created a helluva lot of conflict since she was a judgmental bitch. An awesome, hilarious judgmental bitch, but a judgmental bitch nonetheless.

[emily blake]

Originally Posted by SuperScribe

Cordelia Chase always said exactly what was on her mind, which created a helluva lot of conflict since she was a judgmental bitch. An awesome, hilarious judgmental bitch, but a judgmental bitch nonetheless.

I decided I adored Cordelia during that episode where Buffy could read minds. Everybody was thinking something and saying something else, but Cordelia thought "I'm bored," and then said "I'm bored."

More people should be like Cordelia.

[SuperScribe]

Cordelia Chase: I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie-Antoinette. I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort. And I know the peasants were all depressed...
Xander Harris: I think you mean *Oppressed*.
Cordelia Chase: Whatever. They were cranky. So they're like, 'Let's lose some heads.' Uh. That's fair. And Marie-Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake.

[ScriptGal]

So maybe the REAL point is to have interesting characters, with interesting ideas, who say interesting things? I don't think Cordelia Chase is anyone's idea of a boring character.

Dupea: I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, a cup of coffee, and wheat toast.

Waitress: (She points to the menu) No substitutions.

Dupea: What do you mean? You don't have any tomatoes?

Waitress: Only what's on the menu. You can have a number two - a plain omelette. It comes with cottage fries and rolls.

Dupea: Yeah, I know what it comes with. But it's not what I want.

Waitress: Well, I'll come back when you make up your mind.

Dupea: Wait a minute. I have made up my mind. I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes on the plate, a cup of coffee, and a side order of wheat toast.

Waitress: I'm sorry, we don't have any side orders of toast...an English muffin or a coffee roll.

Dupea: What do you mean you don't make side orders of toast? You make sandwiches, don't you?

Waitress: Would you like to talk to the manager?

Dupea: ...You've got bread and a toaster of some kind?

Waitress: I don't make the rules.

Dupea: OK, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. I'd like an omelette, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.

Waitress: A number two, chicken sal san, hold the butter, the lettuce and the mayonnaise. And a cup of coffee. Anything else?

Dupea: Yeah. Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.

Waitress (spitefully): You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

Dupea: I want you to hold it between your knees.

Waitress (turning and telling him to look at the sign that says, "No Substitutions") Do you see that sign, sir? Yes, you'll all have to leave. I'm not taking any more of your smartness and sarcasm.

Dupea: You see this sign? (He sweeps all the water glasses and menus off the table.)

[Rantanplan]

Originally Posted by ScriptGal

So maybe the REAL point is to have interesting characters, with interesting ideas, who say interesting things? I don't think Cordelia Chase is anyone's idea of a boring character.

Dupea: I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, a cup of coffee, and wheat toast.
Waitress: (She points to the menu) No substitutions.
Dupea: What do you mean? You don't have any tomatoes?
Waitress: Only what's on the menu. You can have a number two - a plain omelette. It comes with cottage fries and rolls.
Dupea: Yeah, I know what it comes with. But it's not what I want.
Waitress: Well, I'll come back when you make up your mind.
Dupea: Wait a minute. I have made up my mind. I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes on the plate, a cup of coffee, and a side order of wheat toast.
Waitress: I'm sorry, we don't have any side orders of toast...an English muffin or a coffee roll.
Dupea: What do you mean you don't make side orders of toast? You make sandwiches, don't you?
Waitress: Would you like to talk to the manager?
Dupea: ...You've got bread and a toaster of some kind?
Waitress: I don't make the rules.
Dupea: OK, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. I'd like an omelette, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.
Waitress: A number two, chicken sal san, hold the butter, the lettuce and the mayonnaise. And a cup of coffee. Anything else?
Dupea: Yeah. Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.
Waitress (spitefully): You want me to hold the chicken, huh?
Dupea: I want you to hold it between your knees.
Waitress (turning and telling him to look at the sign that says, "No Substitutions") Do you see that sign, sir? Yes, you'll all have to leave. I'm not taking any more of your smartness and sarcasm.
Dupea: You see this sign? (He sweeps all the water glasses and menus off the table.)

Omelets usually come with toast

[ScriptGal]

Five Easy Pieces, 1970.
Jack Nicholson as Dupea.

Awesome movie, but this is the scene people remember.

[ATB]

Originally Posted by SundownInRetreat

I couldn't post this yesterday as the site was down so apologies if it's a step back from what's been posted since.


True. But there's always times where people say what they mean without having things come to a head after much bubbling and boiling.


"Real people" really don't talk about their feelings.
I've got to disagree. In certain circumstances, usually when they need to be cagey, they'll be far more hesitant and subtextual but from personal experience, people feel free to say it how it is.

*However* I think it's important to clarify just what is meant by 'talking about their feelings' - we could be talking about separate ends of the spectrum. I don't mean answering a passing "how are you?" with their woes or telling their boss, who's just rejected their proposal, that they're a retarded monkey, or revealing every emotion at every opportunity. But real people certainly do discuss their feelings - a work colleague and I were doing it today - and there are couples where the wife storms in and accuses the husband of adultery 30 seconds after finding out.

Read the RABBIT HOLE screenplay. You can find it with Google, I think.

My favorite example of OTN vs. Subtext is the scene on p. 81-82

INT. GARAGE - DAY

Becca and Nat carry the milk crates of Danny's stuff down to 
the basement, and put them in the corner with a few other 
things Becca has put aside.

Becca stands there, taking it in. Danny's been reduced to a 
small corner of stuff in the basement. She lets out a 
breath, then turns to her mother.

BECCA
Does it ever go away?

NAT
What.

BECCA
This feeling.

They lock eyes. Nat can see she actually wants an answer. 
Maybe for the first time ever.

NAT
No. I don't think it does. Not 
for me it hasn't. And that's goin'
on eleven years.
(beat)
It changes though.

BECCA
How?

NAT
I don't know. The weight of it, I
guess. At some point it becomes
bearable. It turns into something
you can crawl out from under, and
carry around - like a brick in your
pocket. And you forget it every
once in a while, but then you reach
in for whatever reason and there it
is: "Oh right. That." Which can be
awful. But not all the time.
Sometimes it's kinda... Not that 
you like it exactly, but it's what
you have instead of your son, so 
you don't wanna let go of it
either. So you carry it around.
And it doesn't go away, which is...

BECCA
What.

NAT
Fine... actually.

They're silent for a couple beats. Becca nods a little. Nat
turns and heads up the basement steps.

The entire script is filled with moments like this.

People don't just say, "I'm sad." They say, "I'm fine." But we know they're not. And so we don't attack the problem head-on. Won't work. We say something like, "Y'know, when I was your age, I had a friend named Gerry. Everyone called him Gary, the smart asses. But not me. Gerry was my best friend. Did everything together. Biked to school together. Ate lunch together. Biked home together. Played outside till dark. Did it all again the next day. But I was very sick one day. Couldn't go to school. I saw Gerry bike down the road in the morning, same way we went everyday. But I didn't see him bike home. Two days later, I rode with my mother to Gerry's funeral. He was hit by a bus after school. I never saw my friend again. Never said goodbye. Never told him how much he meant to me. Samantha's moving. We can't change that. But you can say goodbye. You can call her everyday if you want. Skype her. Text. Email. She won't be here. She won't be across the street anymore. But she'll still be your friend. And that's a good thing. Not bad. Smile, cause you have a great friend. And you always will."

[Manchester]

Originally Posted by ScriptGal

Five Easy Pieces, 1970.
Jack Nicholson as Dupea.

Awesome movie, but this is the scene people remember.

That is so odd because, not having seen that scene in a looong time, I recalled Jack Nicholson/Dupea saying, "I want you to hold it between your ****ing knees."

Youtube settled that argument really quickly - Five Easy Pieces diner scene - and my recollection lost.

[Ire]

Great scene.

For another litany of great dialogue examples: The Last Detail. (It would fail the Bechdel test.) Daryl Ponicsan adapted by Robert Towne.

Sometimes I think Nicholson could add fireworks to the simplest, mundane of dialogue. But that's not the point.

Make your dialogue pop, make your dialogue music, hold back on the character's "this is what I want" moment as long as you think you can, make mundane dialogue subverted by a character's action. Characters saying what they want can always exist. Set it up and pay it off. Surprise, and just don't be boring.