PRAISE FOR WRITING SUBTEXT
“Linda Seger explores the previously unexplored unexplored landscape o subtext in screenwriting in a masterul, intriguing, and insightul way. Tis book will benefit everyone — proessional, aspiring, aspiring, inquirin inquiring, g, and just plain interested writers. write rs. It’ It’ss a thoroughly thoroughly good read.” read.” —SYD FIELD , teacher and author
of best-selling book Screenplay
“Subtext is a power tool in the writer’s arsenal, and ollowing the techniques outlined outlin ed here could make the difference between good and great. g reat. Love the book. Highly recommended!” — #1 New York Times bestselling author SUSAN WIGGS
“In the second edition o Writing Subtext , Dr. Linda Seger provides even more “In valuable advice, advice, perceptive perceptive examples, and explanation explanationss o what what can take take a script rom being just ‘a good read’ to ‘a memorable story with characters I want to see on the screen!’” — KATHIE FONG YONEDA , consultant, former studio exec, author of The Script-Selling
Game (2nd edition)
“A stimulating and thought-provoking exploration o the emotional electricity that pulses beneath all great storytelling. Another supremely supremely useul book rom one o the great authorities on screenwriting.” —LINDA ARONSON , writer and script
consultant
“Use this book to enrich your stories with multiple layers o meaning, as well as to better understand and enjoy any story or film. And learn more about real people, yoursel included, included, along the way way..” — PAMELA JAYE SMITH ,
mythologist, author, and award-winning writer-director-
producer. www.mythworks.net
“Didn’t even know I was subtexting so ofen until I read your book. Your examples are teachers. Should be required reading. You’ve done it again . . . and again . . .” — ALVIN SARGENT ,
Academy award-winning screenwriter, Ordinary People; screenwriter
Paper Moon, Spiderman-2, Spiderman-3
“I structure is the skeleton o a screenplay, subtext is its lieblood. Linda Seger illuminates this vital aspect o the screenwriter’s art with the aid o well-chosen examples rom dozens o films.” — DAN KLEINMAN ,
screenwriter: Rage, Welcome to Oblivion; professor of filmmaking at
Columbia University
“Using examples rom a wide range o films, this book is a great reminder that each word and action can be used in creative and deep ways.” — JULE SELBO ,
screenwriter: Hard Promises, Hercules, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Cinderella II and more; Professor, Department of Cinema and Television Arts, California State University, Fullerton
“Dr. Linda Seger gives writers both the tools and the inspiration to transorm their work into something truly wonderul. She shows the innumerable ways that careully chosen dialogue, descript description, ion, gestures, and images can convey untold layers o meaning and emotion.” and Selling Selling — MICHAEL HAUGE , script consultant; author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Your Story in 60 Seconds
“ Te power o subtext to intelligently involve your audience cannot be underestima underes timated! ted! In these pages, Linda Seger will give g ive you perspectives and tools to transorm good writing into great!” — WM. PAUL YOUNG ,
best-selling author, The Shack
“Linda’s book masterully deconstructs the art o creating subtext, using numerous excellent examples and helpul exercises. An absolute must or any writer’ write r’ss library!” — BILL LUNDY ,
The Scriptwriter’s Network
“Listen to Linda. Subtext is everything. every thing.”” —JOHN TRUBY , author of The Anatomy of Story ;
creator of Blockbuster story software
“I you’re trying to give your story extra layers, extra depth . . . or i you’ve ever run into a wall when thinking about your characters . . . this book is a godsend.” — CHAD GERVICH , writer/producer: Wipeout, Reality Binge, Speeders,
Foody Call; author: Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer’s Guide to the TV Business
“Screenwriters should take notice; this book can move your script rom ‘nice job’ to ‘greenlight.’ ‘green light.’ ” —LEE ZAHAVI JESSUP,
Screenwriting Career
author of Getting It Write: An Insider’s Guide to a
Writing W riting Subt Subtext ext WHAT LIES BENEATH 2ND EDITION
DR. LINDA SEGER
o my iend and colleague, mythologist Pamela Jaye Smith, who helps me through the subtext o my lie
Published by Michael Wiese Productions 12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111 Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (Fax) mw@mwp.com www.mwp.com www .mwp.com Manuactured Manuactur ed in the United States o America Copyright © 2017 Dr. Linda Seger All rights reserved. No part o this book may be reproduced in any orm or by any means without permission in writing rom the publisher, except or the inclusion o brie quotations in a review. Tis book was set in Garamond Premier Pro and Scout Cover design by John Johnny ny Ink. johnnyink.com Interior Int erior design by Debbie Berne Copyediting by Gary Sunshine
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vi Foreword to the Second Edition vii
1 / Subtext: What Is It? How How Do Do You You Find Find It? 1 2 / The Backstory: Backstory: What’s Behind It? What’s Before It? 21 3 / The Words: Not Telling Telling It Like It Is 35 Case Study: Double Study: Double Indemnity 49
4 / Playing with Analogies 54 Case Study: The Big Short 56
5 / Love Sparkles Beneath the Text 61 Case Study: “Abnormal Psychology” from Cheers 74
6 / Gestures and and Action: Action: Showing Showing It Beneath the Lines 80 7 / Images and Metaphors: What You See Is Not All You You Get 92 8 / What Lurks Within the Genre 112 Case Study: Avatar Study: Avatar 121
9 / The Super-Objective: Super-Objective: Where and How Does the Subtextual Subtextual River River Flow? Flow? 128 Case Study: Ordinary People 133
10 / Writer Alvin Sargent Ruminates About Subtext 137 Afterword 139 Filmograph 140 About the Author 141
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Tank you to my readers, who gave me invaluable eedback: eedb ack: Dr. Rachel Ballon, Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein, Cathleen Loeser, Elona Malterre, Kim Peterson, Ellen Sandler, reva Silverman, and Pamela Jaye Smith. Tank you to Lucinda Zeising or eedback ee dback on Chapter Tree. o my researcher, Lynn Brown Rosenberg, or all o her excellent help. o Aaron Graham and Alvin Shim — film buffs who helped me with examples and other extras. Regarding film examples: John Winston Rainey R ainey and reva Silverman. o my ormer assistant, Sarah Callbeck, or the first edition. And to my currentt assistant, Katie Gardner, curren Gardner, who is one o the most reliable people pe ople I know, who keeps me organized and always always adds a gentle presence presence to my office. Tank you to my colleagues Michael Hauge, Jana Rutledge, Pamela Jaye Smith, and Kathie Yoneda, or providing some last-minu last-minute te film examples. Tank you to the Michael Wiese team or all their good work — to Michael Wiese and Ken Lee or making it so easy to write, to Annalisa Zox Weaver W eaver or her excellent editing o the first edition and Gary Sunshine or his brilliant editing o the second se cond edition, and to Gina Mansfield Mansfield or her layout o the first edition and Debbie Berne, layout artist o the second edition. Tank you to everyone or making everything look beautiul.
vii
FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION
When I wrote Writing Subtext in in 2011, there were no other books on the sub ject. rue, there were books that had a page or two or three on subtext, but nothing more than that. I had to figure out what subtext was, how to discuss it, and how to clariy something that was so mysterious. mysterious. I did this by first thinking about films that I knew had subtext. wo movies that came to the oreront were Shadow o a Doubt and and Ordinary People. I read the scripts, watched the films, and tried to figure fig ure out the patterns and similarities. Tese movies helped me expand my idea o subtext to include gesture and action and the subterranean movement o the overall direction o the inner story. I also began to see how subtext can work in description, such as in the script or Psycho. Since Writing Subtext was was published, there have been a ew other books on subtext that relate specifically to fiction writing rather than screenwriting. As I have thought urther about this subject, I decided to expand the discussion to fiction writers and to ocus on films made rom books bo oks so fiction writers could read the adapted book bo ok and screenwriters could read the script and watch the film. I have kept some o the examples that appeared in the first edition o this book, including the classic films Psycho, Shadow o a Doubt , and Ordinary People Peop le, and I’ve also added more examples including Revolutionary Road , Te Big Short , and Double Indemnity Indemnity, which was orced to use subtext because the Hollywood Production Production Code would not have allowed the script to go orward or ward by playing it on the nose. I have also added a case study or several chapters so the reader can look more deeply into how subtext works in an overall film or book. I you only have time to watch three examples o great subtext, I would suggest Ordinary People, Shadow o a Doubt , and the “Abnormal Psychology” episode o Cheers. I you only have a hal hour, watch the Cheers epis episode. ode. You’ll learn just about everything you need to know about subtext and have many chuckles! Te last chapter, where Alvin Sargent ruminates about subtext, remains the same. Alvin has had a screenwriting career o over sixty years including such films as P Paper aper Moon, Julia, Ordinary People and Spider-Man 2. Alvin had endorsed one o my previous books but I had never met him until shortly afer the first edition o Writing Subtext was was published. He is nearing his ninetieth birthday and we have had delightul e-mail exchanges, as well as three-hourthree-hour-long long
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breakasts at his home when I’m I ’m in Los Angeles. He is one o the most adorable men I’ve ever met and we have developed a sweet riendship that makes me smile every time I think o him. I have been told that one o the strengths o this subtext book has been that it looks at subtext not only in terms o dialogue, but also in terms o gestures, actions, genre, and underlying underlying script objectives — all o which show what lies beneath.
1 SUBTEXT WHAT IS IT? HOW DO YOU FIND IT?
I
n drama, more than any other art orm, people don’t say what they mean. It isn’t always a lie. It isn’t always udging or denying the truth. Sometimes characters think they’re telling the truth. Sometimes they don’t know the truth. Sometimes they don’t eel comortable expressing the truth. In great drama, there are the words themselves and the truth beneath the words. Tere is the text and the subtext. Tey are not the same. Tey’re not supposed to be.
What Are Text and Subtext? ext is the words and gestures that we see. It’s a straight, truthul, tell-it-likeit-is answer. answer. I I asked you, “How do I get g et rom San Francisco to Chicago?” Chicago ?” you might answer very clearly, with no subtext: “You take 80 east, and then exit onto Michigan Avenue and you’ll end up in downtown Chicago.” No underlying meanings there — a nice, straight answer. answer. But i the question were asked o a cute tart and she answered with a wink, “Why do you want to go g o to Chicago when there’s there’s so much un to be b e had here!?” we would know that’s that’s not a straight answer answer.. Many Many other meanings lie beneath b eneath the surace. She’s promising a good time. She has something else in mind. I you catch her drif, drif, you’ll you’ll either say, say, “No, “No, thank you,” or decide to stay a while. while. Wee encounter W encounter subtext subtext all the time time in daily daily lie. Subtext Subtext sells sells cars and washwashing machines and university enrollments and beer. Buy our product and you’ll
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be happy and attractive and rich, just like the people p eople in the ad. My avorite clothing catalog, the J. Peterman Company, labels their clothes to imply what kind o a person you will become i you wear these clothes. I you wear the Pants o Glory, you will become intrepid. I you wear the Otavalo Mountain shirt, you will become “broad“ broad-shoulder shouldered, ed, brave, and secretly kind.” kind.” One dress is labeled “Andiamo a Ballare,” which is translated rom Italian into “Let’s go dancing.” Peterman explains what this really means: “Are you ready or the time o your lie?” lie ?” He continues, “Te Italians have have a way o sprinkling subtext into otherwise straight comments. And by sprinkle I mean douse, saturate, and inuse via acial expression, tone, or a mischievous glint in the eye. Te stagnant transorms into the dynamic. Te innocent becomes anything but. Like this dress.” I you’re not panting panti ng and order ordering ing immedia immediately tely,, you’r you’ree missing missing the subtext. Subtext is not just the meanings beneath the words, but it is also the associations we bring to dialogue dialog ue and images. You, as the writer writer,, choose the words — the dialogue and description. You are looking or words and actions that echo and resonate with other meaning. Te text is the tip o the iceberg, but the subtext is everything underneath that bubbles up and inorms the text. It’s It’s the implicit meaning, rather than the explicit meaning. Great writing and great drama are subterranean. Subtext is all the layers that enrich the text. Great stories and characters come to lie beneath the words.
Avoiding Avoid ing On-the-Nose Dialogue When writers write dialogue that is obvious, we say they’re “on-the-nose.” Characters say exactly what they mean in neat, logical sentences. It’s dull. It’s bland. It sounds like like a lecture or a sermon or treatise or a résumé. Te dialogue dialog ue is not emotionally alive. Tere’s no sense o a specific person talking with all the nuances and resonances that are part o real lie. We, as the audience and reader,, only get reader g et what we hear. Tere’s Tere’s nothing else to talk about ab out or think about ab out or ponder, except the surace. Tere’s no depth or intrigue. Instead, characters give inormation, recite backstory and exposition, and comment on unimportant things. Tey chat, and chat some more. In obvious dialogue, characters are direct. Tey are all-knowing and
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understand everything well enough to explain it all to us. Tey tell us about their psychological problems — and have sel-knowledge and insight and can tell us exactly what’s going on. Tey tell us exactly why they’re the way they are, and what childhood orces caused their psychological problems. Nothing is hidden. When everything is in the text, everything going on is in the lines, not between the lines, l ines, as it should be in great g reat writing. What’s What’s missing is the important part — the motives and thoughts, emotions and hidden and hum human an truths that resonate with multiple meanings. Writers W riters point the way way.. Tey suggest. Tey imply what the story is really about. As a result, audiences get g et a whole lot more inormation inormation than they could ever get rom just a line o dialogue.
How Do We Know There’s Subtext? In this book, I use a airly a irly broad definition o subtext because what lies beneath is not just beneath the words. Subtext can also be ound beneath gestures, behaviors, actions, images, and even the genre. Usually subtext is something you can’t quite put your finger on. It is elt. You sense sens e it. Wee know we’r W we’ree encounteri encountering ng subtext because o the the eelings o uncertainty we have have and the the questions questions we might ask. We We hear text, but something something niggles at at us. We encounter subtext when we wonder: “Hmmm, that doesn’t seem quite right. What did the person really mean?” Or, we think, “Yeah, sure, I just don’t believe a word o it!” Or, we eel uneasy, uneasy, and sense, “I’m “I ’m sure sure there’s there’s more going on here than it seems. I wonder what he’s he’s up to, and why is he doing that?” Subtext makes us ask why — and ofen we can’t figure it out, and the writer makes makes us wait or the answer while still layering in in implications. One o my avorite John Grisham novels is Te Brethren. In the first page an old man speaks to a video camera about his will, clariying he’s he’s o sound mind. He then jumps out a window window.. Te reader reader wonders, “Why “Why?” ?” Something odd is going on, but it will take most o the novel to get to the bottom o the why. why. In Citizen Kane, Kane says the word “Rosebud” and dies. Who or what is Rosebud? Te answer lies in the subtext o Charles Foster Kane’s lie. Te
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whole film is about explaining and uncoveri uncovering ng the subtext that inorms the known text o this seemingly successul lie.
Learning Subtext Psychotherapist Dr. Rachel Ballon says as children, we start our lives with text. Psychotherapist Children will usually be quite direct, until adults teach them to be less direct so they become more “socially appropriate.” appropriate.” Tey learn subtext as they come to understand social behavior, social norms, what is acceptable and what is not. Perhaps the child meets Aunt Jeannie and screams, “I don’t want to kiss her. She’s ugly.” Te parents are appalled, embarrassed, and quickly teach the child to shy away rom the text. Te child learns to say, “Hello, Aunt Jeannie. I have a cold, so I can’t kiss you hello.” Te child is learning to hide the text in the subtext. We We might think subtext more ofen occurs in amily and proessional relationships or new love relationships — places where not everything can be expressed outright. But it can be ound everywhere, even national and international events. A president or dictator says, “We’re going to war or the cause o reedom!” Maybe. But upon closer examination, you notice the enemy has vast oil fields or vast rubber plantations or other rich resources that will become the booty o war. Or, you notice this ruler has gone to war a number o times and reedom has not been the result. Even riends don’t always tell us the truth. When you ask your riend, “Does this dress make me look at?” at ?” there are many ways to answer the question — some with subtext, some without. Te riend might answer with straight text: “Yes, but only around the waist, and just a bit around the hips. And your butt does stick out a bit more than it does with your other clothes. Otherwise, it’s a nice color.” Or, the riend might answer, “No, it’s fine. It’s a pretty dress!” And you might think, “What does that mean?” Now you’re unsure whether to buy the dress or not. You notice that the riend didn’t say, “You look stunning in it. It becomes you. Wow — they’ll be lining up around the block i you wear someth something ing so smashing !” But, maybe your riend is tellin tellingg the truth, and the dress is pretty so you decide to buy b uy it. Te answer seems very straight,
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without subtext. s ubtext. And maybe mayb e it is. i s. But you yo u do worry worr y about that word “fine.” Or, you might try to guess the subtext. Perhaps Perhaps the riend is secretly thinking, “I wish I could look that good. Great taste. I wish I had some o that!” And jealousy has now reared its green-eyed head. Or, the attractive platonic riend whom you always thought was “just a riend” suddenly seems to be looking at you in a unny and unamiliar way. way. Te riend might m ight really think, “Y “You ou are a east to the eyes. I’ve I ’ve never seen you look so gorgeous! gorg eous! I’m I ’m suddenly suddenly very interested!” Te riend might suggest you shouldn’t shouldn’t buy the dress afer all, meaning you’re you ’re ar too pretty in it and the riend riend doesn’ doesn’tt want want you attracti attracting ng anyone anyone else. Te riend might say, “It’s too expensive,” or “Well, maybe it’s not as becoming as this other one.” Now you’re really conused. When you’re you’re conused, you are probably experiencing experiencing subtext. Something is going on underneath the surace. You don’t know what, or sure. You don’t know where it will lead. You don’t know what else will bubble up and what will remain hidden. But something is nagging at you and you think there might be some conflict here, perhaps a bit o trouble in this relationship, or maybe a turn in some new and wonderul direction. Perhaps something that’s been percolating in in your hidden thoughts thoughts will come out as you find find there’s there’s a mutual mutual attraction. attractio n. Maybe you were implying subtext also. Perhaps you put on the dress to test the riend and see i something else could go on between the two o you. You leave the top button unbuttoned to test your understanding o the subtext. You ask i it’s too tight around the bust because you “tend to be big in that area” (hoping, o course, that he noticed). You then demurely lower your eyes and glance up just in time to see he’s trying not to smile. Or maybe you put on the dress to let the riend know you now are interested in someone else and you’re getting ready to go to a ancy restaurant — with the cute guy g uy you met last week. Either way, way, the characters are becoming be coming layered. Now there’s subtext.
Conscious and Unconscious Subtext In some instances, people are aware o their own subtext but choose not to share the whole truth with others. A character might say with a chuckle, “Y “ Yeah,
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my wie does like to shop.” He knows she’s bankrupting their amily and wears the clothes once, then gives them to Goodwill. G oodwill. But he wants to keep up appearances that they’re well off and all is fine. Or subtext can simmer when two people are attracted to each other but one chooses not to let the other know his or her true eelings. Tis might hap pen because the one person p erson eels e els it’ it’ss too to o soon so on to express true eelings, or that it’ss inappropriate to express eelings because the other person it’ p erson is married, is the boss, is too old, too young, too rich, too poor, too educated, or not educated enough, or rom an undesirable culture, whatever that might mean to close riends or relatives. So the subtext comes out in other ways — looks between the two, comments like, “Your hair looks pretty,” or “Cool car,” when the person really means “You’re pretty, I like you,” or “You’re cool, even cooler than your car!” Te Romeos and Juliets can’t can’t publicly say what they really eel. Tey Te y know what they think and eel, but they direct their words and actions so others won’tt understand them. won’ them. Sometimes subtext is unknown to a person because it’s too painul, too shameul, too dishonorable, or too difficult to admit. Te subtext might be invisible and reside deep within the unconscious but affect the character’s actions, emotions, and choices. Sometimes the subtext is also invisible to the writer,, who discovers it in the process writer process o writing. People who have suffered rom abuse as small children, perhaps incest, battering, or neglect, ofen do not remember the very incidents that inorm much o their lives. Te woman might not know why she’s araid o the uncle or why she pushes her boyriend away when he becomes romantic. Te man might not know why he’s uncomortable with the affections o a woman because he has repressed childhood abuse that occurred with a emale relative. Afer years o therapy, perhaps the unconscious becomes conscious and the hidden layers o lie become known well enough to make clear pronouncements and decisions. O course we all have flaws, insecurities, problems, but or some, these problems probl ems have lef le f deep wounds, some s ome o them unconscious uncon scious.. raumatic raumatic incidents rom childhood might mig ht cause a character to speak, act, and react in ways that seem abnormal, or that imply the character is hiding something. In the book and film Sybil , based on the story o a woman with multiple personalities,
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the backstory eventually emerges, as we learn that Sybil’s mother abused her as a child and her ather ignored all the signs. Troughout the story, Sybil’s ears ofen erupt, causing her to have strong reactions. Simple stimuli pro voke strange behavior, such as climbing to the top o a boo bookcase kcase when she gets scared. Likewise, simple affection rom the sweet man next door causes her to recoil, yet, she has no idea why. Trough work with a therapist, these underlyingg psychological underlyin psycholog ical traumas emerge. She learns that these extreme reactions are caused by traumas rom early childhood. Te subtext emerges into the text. Other movies about multiple personalities, such as Te Tree Faces o Eve or films and books about mental illness or other psychological problems, such as I Never Promised Promised You You a Rose Garden Garden, David and Lisa Lisa, I’m Dancing Dancing as Fast Fast as I Can, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest , Fr Frances ances, Girl, Interrupted , A Beautiul Mind , Don Don’t’t Say a Word Word , and Te Soloist , tell stories about rooting out unconscious problems, which are able to heal as they become conscious. A bad breakup, bad luck with relationships, or unresolved relational problems in the past can cause someone to be unable to love or to become averse to Runawayy Bride, being involved with or committed to someone (Up in the Air , Runawa High Fidelity Fidelity, 500 Days o Summer , My Fair Fair Lady). Te excuse might be “I’m too busy,” or “I don’t think we’re right or each other,” or “I just met someone else,” but the real truth may be under the surace. Perhaps the person is really trying to say: “I’m still not over my last relationship but I don’t want to talk about it with someone I’ve just met,” or “I don’t want to get close to anyone afer the pain o the last breakup, but that makes me sound weak so I’m not going to allow mysel to be b e vulnerable with you by discussing d iscussing this.” this.” Subtext may motivate many o our normal activities. You might not know why you’re you’re driven driven to sell a script, earn a college colleg e degree, buy a red sports car, or sign up or the Army to fight in a war. O course, all o these actions can be motivated or good, solid, conscious reasons. But not always. a lways. I you’re you’re obsessed with a particular effort, and things seem out o proportion in terms o how you are going about ulfilling a goal, subtext might explain your motivat motivation. ion. Perhaps Per haps you realize, afer some consideration o the obsession, that it’s all about getting Daddy’s approval, about making up or a deprived childhood, wanting the high school kids to know you made it afer all, or wanting to get your name in the newspaper because when you were ten you won second place in
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the community talent show and there was a big uss made about you and you had your name in the newspaper and everyone talked nicely about you. Tat experience motivated your desire or approval all your lie — and, besides, all along, you elt you should have come in first. Whatever the reason, you can sense there’s there’s something else going on that bothers you and pushes at you and doesn’t let up. And i you put this subtext into your character, character, the audience will eel it too.
Expressing Subtext You can express subtext in a number o ways. You might have the text say one thing and have the subtext say the opposite. Te subtext contradicts the text. Suppose you ask your riend, “How are you?” and he replies, “Fine, very well, thank you,” as he packs up his belongings to leave the office, having just been fired. I you ound out the real situation, you would know the subtext: He’s not fine at all, and he knows it. I someone says, “I love my husband” as she aggressively chops the bloodred tomatoes or dinner, we might wonder i the husband might be in danger and whether her love is true love. Sometimes subtext implies multiple meanings and allows several possible interpretations. I someone says, “I’m going away. I just can’t take it anymore,” you might wonder: Is she taking a weekend off ? Is she leaving or good? Is she going to kill hersel? And what is the “it” she can’t take anymore? How bad is “it”? Is this behavior related to the act her husband lef her, or because they went bankrupt, or because her son is on drugs drugs?? So you start thinking o all sorts o associations and possibilities and interpretations. You don’t know or sure what’s going on, but you do know something is. And, i you know there’s subtext, you might recognize the danger and decide to ask a ew questions o your riend. Per Perhaps haps you go with her h er or the weekend to make sure she’ she’ss not alone. Maybe you suggest she not take the gun.
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Look for the Subtext at Crisis Points Subtext is most apt to come through during a crisis or at transition points in our lives — when a death occurs, a new job is taken, at the start o a new relationship or the breakup o an old one — when the stakes are high and everything might rest on our saying and doing the right thing — even e ven though we’re not sure what the “right thing” is. In such cases, characters cover up the real meanings. In any kind o suffering, a myriad o emotions ofen leaves one speechless, spe echless, so the subtext may be expressed visually, visually, rather than verbally. Most people have difficulty acing pain, or knowing what to do when conronted with the unamiliar. Tey might become stoic, denying their eelings and discomort. Tey don’tt want others to know how vulnerable they are. don’ When people are ashamed, they can can’t ’t speak about it. Tey want respect respe ct but may ear that they’ll lose it i others know the truth. What do they talk about instead? Perhaps Perhaps nothing at all; all ; or, perhaps they become overly polite in their relationships with colleagues; or, perhaps they turn to discussions about the weather, inormation about their job, or polite inquiries about their colleague’s amily. When a riend or parent is dying, ofen people hide their true eelings by diverting the topic anywhere but to the tragedy in ront o them. Te son might go on and on about who won the ootball game, but is really talking about whether the ather will be able to win the battle between lie and death. Te daughter might be trying to make the ather comortable or might be smoothing the blanket on his bed, even though he’s taking his last breath and such neatness really doesn’t doesn’t matter anymore. Te sister might eel helpless and uncomortable, wanting wanting to get out o there, and so quickly volunteers to go get g et the nurse. Immediately, the brother simply says, “Well, that’s that!” And it is. But even those words imply vulnerability, discomort, and perhaps a desire to get back to lie. Enough o this death stuff! In the script o Te Remains o the Day when he is dying, the ather tries to get at the real text, but Stevens, the son, simply can’t deal with the emotional truth.
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FATHER I hope I’ve been a good father to you.
Stevens, who is always dignified and unemoti unemotional, onal, changes the subject: subject : STEVENS I’m glad you’re feeling better. I have to go down now. A lot to see to.
Te ather tries again. FATHER I’m proud of you. I hope I’ve been a good father to you.
Stevens ignores the subject again. STEVENS I have so much to do, Father, but we’ll talk again in the morning.
O course, there probably won won’t ’t be a next morning or the ather, so once more, Stevens is off the hook. Ten the ather decides to tell him another truth — about the mother. FATHER I fell out of love with your mother. Your mother was a bitch. I loved loved her once but love went out of me when I found out what a bitch she was. Your mother was a bitch.
Once more, Stevens ignores the emotional truth. STEVENS I’m glad you’re feeling better.
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Even when Miss Kenton inorms Mr. Stevens that his ather passed away, all Stevens can say is: is : “Oh, I see. see.”” Mr. Stevens is a man who can’t deal with reality. He continually moves to politeness and covering up any eeling.
Finding the Cultural Subtext Tose o us who travel to other countr countries ies ofen notice that sometimes we sim ply don’ don’tt know what’s what’s going on. Tis conusion might not result because we don’tt know the language, don’ languag e, but because bec ause we don’t don’t know cultural meanings mean ings that are hidden to someone o another culture. Physical proximity changes rom one culture to another. We might not know how to interpret the person standing very near to us — attraction? Is the person a pickpocket? A sex per vert? Or, is this nearness part o a culture that is simply used to people standing close to one another? Some cultures don’t like to say “no.” Afer I had been invited to give a seminar in Japan, I didn’t hear rom my host or many weeks. Believing this lack o response might be cultural, and that he might have cancelled the seminar, I read a book about Americans doing business with Japan and discovered that the Japanese don’t like to say “no,” so they ofen find other ways to say “no” without ever saying it, such as by not responding. Afer reading the the book, I was even more conused, because I had no idea whether my host was trying to say “no,” or whether something else was wrong. Was there subtext, or not? Since there had been no reply to my e-mails, I finally axed him. I received a ax back saying he had changed his e-mail e -mail address and still wanted me to come. Some cultures have subtext around gif-giving, or around hospitality. In Ecuador, it’s considered polite to have a drink with whomever you’re meeting, even i you just stopped to ask directions to the nearest village or volcano. ypically, the drink is locally brewed alcohol so you have to watch it, lest you won’t won ’t be able to wobble down the street and actually make it to your destination. Te subtext seems to be about accepting people and their hospitality; to reuse would be a social snub and a personal slight. In the Philippines, you have to be careul about saying you admire something. ypically ypically,, your host or riends will simply give g ive it to you or buy it or you.
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Tat idea is lovely when you’re on the receiving end, but it works both ways. Tere can be a tendency to ask you or avors and things you might not be comortable doing, parting with, or buying. I’m on the board o directors o a charity in the Philippines (WODEEF). Tey asked me to buy them an eight-acre arm. It was a direct request, although the subtext implied they believed I had the money to buy the arm. Te first time I visited, they told me their plans to use the products rom the arm to help und their city charity and to protect endangered species o plants — all values I cared cared about. But But it seemed like like an impossible impossible request. However However,, I soon learned arms in the Philippines were ar cheaper than most other places in the world. I bought the arm (in a literal sense, not the subtextual sense). For a while, the arm was named afer me: Te Dr. Linda Seger Seg er Ecostery Far Farm. m. But then others invested in the arm so they named a field afer me. I asked the director what they grew in the field. “Nuts,” she answered matter-o-actly. I smiled because be cause o all the different meanings around the word “nuts. “nuts.”” Although I could have elt the subtext was insulting, insulting, I also thought this was a much better choice than naming the Carp Pond or the pigsty afer me. Cultures Cultu res vary in terms o what is acceptable with nudity nudit y. Some tourists go to beaches in oreign countries and their eyes pop out, as they notice naked men and women all around them. No big deal! In other cultures, exposing the neck, ankles, arms, or knees is not acceptable. Te subtext can be learned through the reactions o others. Wearing a sleeveless blouse in some Middle Eastern cultures might seem fine to you because it’s it’s warm, but the looks and rowns rom others may soon alert you that it’s time to go back to the hotel and change. You have gone too ar. Tis tradition can also hold in Muslim countries, such as some parts o Indonesia and Malaysia, where spare sarongs at the entrance to temples indicate that that any emales in shorts or slacks should use one to cover up while in the temple. Te presence o the cover-ups implies the subtext, “I you don’t know how to dress, wear this.” Tey can also be used as a shawl to cover bare shoulders. It’s similar to the upscale restaurant that supplies suit jackets and ties or men who don’t seem to know how to dress appropriately. Norms Nor ms relate to socioeconomics socioec onomics and class cultures and even corporate corp orate cultures. For instance, instance, someone (like ( like me) might not be aware that it is inappropriate to curl up in a chair in a corporate corp orate lounge. I made that mistake the first time
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I taught at RAI R AI elevision elevision in Rome. R ome. One o the executives asked i I were ill. I got the subtext and straightened up appropriatel appropriatelyy. An attorney recounted the story o a young woman who came to a job interview in a very short skirt. Tey sat at a glass table and he ound it was difficult to concentrate on her qualifications, considering the circumstances. He realized that someone who didn’t understand appropriate attire or a job interview may not understand other aspects o corporate culture. Perhaps she was turned down down or the job or other reasons reasons as well, but this reason certainly came into play. She may not know why she didn’ di dn’tt get the job, and an d it may be that the attorney would not find it appropriate to discuss this detail, but the result was the same — she didn’t didn’t get the subtext subtext and didn’t didn’t get the job! Hollywood has its own cultural context. I someone says to you, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you!” and you wait by the phone or weeks, you clearly didn’t understand the subtext, which was, in most cases, “Not interested.” I a producer says, “Love the script, babe. Do you want to stop over at my house tonight to discuss it?” it ?” chances are, it’s not the script he’ h e’ss interested in. I someone in Hollywood tells you “the check is in the mail,” don’t start paying your bills, expecting to get the check within the week. I had a client who took that promise seriously seriously,, not understa understanding nding the the subtext. subtext. He He paid all his bills, sent them out in the mail, and continued to wait or the check, che ck, which he thought would come any day to cover his debts. Out o angst over the checks that would surely bounce within a week, he decided to rob a bank and ask or exactly the amount o money he needed to pay his bills — no more, no less. Te bank was on the second floor o a building, which gave the manager and police enough time to prevent his h is exit. He was quickly arrested and served a year in prison. No one ever explained the subtext to him, but it would have helped i he had understood it. On the other hand, he went on to get several se veral writing assignments assignments and even got a movie made.
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Trust Your Feelings of Subtext When we sense subtext, we might eel butterflies but don’ don’tt know why we’r we’ree nervous in a particular situation, or around a particular person. We We might eel distrust. Wee might eel a twinge in the presence o some kind o evil, even W e ven though the person we meet seems like a perectly decent person. But something alerts us. We get a sniff that something is rotten. I we’ve developed our ability to read subtext, we’ll trust our smell-o-meter and decide not to go into business with the person who only wants wants our our money or has has a past sabotaging the efforts o others. In Te Fugitive (1993), when Sam Gerard leaves the apartment o the onearmed man, he turns to his deputy and says, “Tis guy’s dirty.” Nothing was said in the text indicating that assessment, but Gerard senses that the guy isn’t a good guy — and he is right. I’ve experienced this eeling twice. I’m usually not a good judge o people because I figure fig ure everyone is “r “really eally nice” and “just fine.” I’ve been wrong a number o times. But twice I met a person who made me eel there was something really wrong even though I could find no evidence or my eelings. In both cases, I had a brie interaction with the person and was more o an observer than a participant in the encounter. Te first case was a very quick introduction to someone my colleague was talking to, someone whom she obviously had known or some time. I didn’t understand why I had this eeling, or how I could get this eeling rom a simple introduction. I watched the person con versing with my colleague and everything looked just fine. Later Later,, I was told the person was very untrustworthy and manipulative — even described as a “bad person.” I don’t think my colleague knew it at the time, but discovered soon afer. But But I elt it and, trusting my eelings and instincts, sensed the truth behind the person’s mask. Another time I met a minister and had had the same eeling, eeling , which again made little sense to me. I did notice that he didn’t didn’t make eye contact and seemed distracted, but he was organizing an event, so I figured he was just busy. I still couldn’tt understand why I had this strange and uneasy eeling. couldn’ e eling. Later, I learned he was having an affair with someone in his congregation. He was fired soon afer that.
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We have probably all had these intuitions about people We pe ople and situations — times we elt uneasy or picked up on something. We may have had a thought flit through our head, or a flash o insight, or a subtle eeling that alerted us. Some people experience this sensation as a warning. Or, this person seems to want something rom you, but he’s not saying it. Or, this person seems too attentive. It could come rom an emotion, such as ear or discomort, or rom an intuition you don’t understand. You might wonder why you had that thought, or shrug it off, but something is probably going on that is not being clearly seen or understood. Just as you can learn to trust your intuition in real lie, you can learn to trust your interpretation o a character’s character’s behavior in film.
Look to the Pauses for Subtext Sometimes subtext is communicated in the pauses. We have probably all had the experience o asking or directions. I’ve always figured that the longer the pause beore you get an answer answer,, the arther you will end up rom where you want to go. “Do you know where St. Jam James es Plaza is?” is ?” Count: one, two, t wo, three seconds as you wait, and you know you’re you’re really ar, or the person giving g iving directions isn’t sure. Well, W ell, that’s that’s the way it works in dialogue. dialog ue. You You ask someone something — “Are you angry at your mother?” and i the pause is a long one, that’s subtextually telling you something is wrong here. Finally, Finally, the answer comes: “Oh no, not in the least bit. bit.”” But the pause tells it all. al l.
Notice the Swerves in Conversation You can express subtext through swerves in the conversation. It may be that a character asks a direct question but does not get a direct answer. I we ask someone, “Why “ Why are you late?” and the person replies, “Have you any idea how hard it’s it’s raining out there?” we might notice the question was not answered. I someone changes the conversation topic, we might mig ht figure there’s there’s subtext somewhere. Maybe Maybe someone unexpectedly enters the room and the two people pe ople talking suddenly start discussing something else. Sometimes characters speak at
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cross-purposes. In Ordinary People, the conversation between Beth and Conrad cross-purposes. shows how very disconnected they are. Te son, Conrad, unwittingly surprises his mother, Beth, who is sitting in Buck’ Buck’ss bedroom. Buck, the avored son, was killed in a boating accident. Since his death, the room has not been changed. BETH I didn’t think you were here.
CONRAD . . . I just got in. I didn’t know you were
here.
BETH I didn’t play golf, today. It was cold.
CONRAD How’s your golf game?
BETH I didn’t play.
CONRAD Oh . . . It did get colder today.
BETH No, I mea n . . . for the year it got colder.
CONRAD Yeah.
And what does it all mean? Beth and Conrad have trouble communicating. communicating.
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Reading the Hidden Meanings Some people (and characters) are better at identiying and understanding subtext than others. I I someone says, “I love you,” a clueless person would believe the statement no matter what the subtextual clues are. A guy g uy saying these words might have just slipped his wedding ring into his pocket. A woman expressing this sentiment may may be eyeing a man across the room, silently flirting with him. Yet there are people who can’t read the subtext o this situation. Others are masters at picking up underlying underlying conflicts, the slight change o muscle tension, the unsettled unsettled gaze, a certain disjointed rhythm that shows not all is well. In the sixth season o Downton Abbey, Lady Mary shows she’s a deep reader o a subtext which may, or may not, be there. She opens a letter and announces she’s quite sure its writer is pregnant. We expect her to read a letter that announces the pregnancy, but instead she reads, “I might be back in August but it’s too soon to know.” Clearly, Lady Mary is reading between and beneath the lines and it will take some episodes beore we know i she is understanding the subtext correctly. Is the “too soon” a suggestion o pregnancy, or simply a suggestion that they haven’t haven’t made travel travel plans yet? yet ? Lady Edith, who has created a great deal o subtext around hersel, can’t figure out how Lady Mary has reached reache d that conclusion and responds, “As usual, two and two t wo equals fify-six.” And that’s that’s how subtext works. Hopeully, Hopeully, it does equal fify-six other assoasso ciations. Which was what the writer, Julian Fellowes, Fellowes, wanted in the first place.
Writing the Subtext Given all the possible interpretations, we might think the writer lets the audience figure out the subtext. But the point is not to conuse or merely to suggest, but rather to direct the audience to the interpretation that eventually leads to a airly clear understa understanding nding o what’s what’s going on. on . Te pieces p ieces may not all orm the interpretation interpreta tion immediately. immediately. It might take the entire film beore all the pieces fit
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together to orm a cohesive, unified movie. Tis work takes a careul selection o words, scenes, and characters. Te writer must try to avoid detours and misinterpretations interpreta tions that result in arbitrary scenes and dialog ue. Many writers write the text in the first draf and then start shading in the subtext in uture drafs. Tey keep moving away rom on-the-nose dialogue to layer the script. Perhaps you start working on a scene by thinking about what you want to get across. Maybe the man has to communicate he’s attracted to the woman. In the first draf, he might say, “I’m attracted to you,” or “You interest me!” But as you continue continue to work with with the scene (remembering (remembering it might take take five or ten or more rewrites), you might put the text on one side o the page p age and the subtext on the other side o the page. Or, you might write the subtext underneath or above the lines and think through all the possible associations a ssociations you want to get across and you want the audience to understand. Is the man desperate, and looking or a girlriend or wie? Is he looking everyone over? over ? Is he totally smitten, but realizes he’s not good enough or her, perhaps because o his class, or financial situation, or religion? Or maybe it’s a woman attracted to a woman or a man attracted to a man, who has to find out, through subtext, innuendo, innuendo, and suggestion, whether the other person is gay g ay or not. Whatever technique is used by the writer, the job includes shading in subtext.
Learning to Write Subtext Our ability to write subtext is based base d on our insights into the meaning o events and what they tell us about being human. As writers and artists, we watch people in real lie and figure out how they tick. We use our accrued understanding to create dramatic, dynamic characters. We learn what people hide and what they choose to reveal. We learn how people don’t mean what they say or say what they mean and how much figuring fig uring out we have to do to learn what’s what’s really going on. We recall richly layered scenes rom our own lives, and examine them or subtext. We may recognize that, in real lie, subtext ofen wastes our time and muddies our relationships because we’re orced to spend so much energy figuring out what’s what’s really going go ing on.
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Although we think we’d preer people be direct with us, and many o us learn to be direct with others (sometimes through years o therapy), plenty o subtext still goes on in our real-lie and fictional worlds. Although it is usually thought o as beneath the words, subtext can be expressed in many ways. Te writer creates the gestures, actions, attitudes, and emotions o the character, which get urther expressed by the director and actor. Te writer creates images that will be urther expressed by the art director and cinematographer. Te writer’s ability to use the language o cinema to express hidden layers ofen marks the difference between a great writer and the merely competent. In fiction writing, the writer has the opportunity to write the text in dialogue but explain the subtext in descriptions or interior dialogue as the character or narrator explains what is really real ly meant. I the subtext is well crafed, the audience understands understands these hidden layers. Stories, themes, and characters become richer as a result. When the writer uses subtext, not just text, the book and script are terrific and the film is great.
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EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1
Make a list of times in your life when you have encountered subtext in con-
versations with others. What did the person say? What did the person mean? How did you respond to the feeling that you weren’t hearing the total truth? How long did it take you to figure out the subtext? 2
Have you encountered subtext in other cultures, whether those of a different
ethnic, national, or social background, or a different class or economic background? How did you figure out the subtext? Did someone ever discuss it with you? 3
Has your intuition ever told you that something going on was “bad” or “evil,”
but your logic wanted to deny this feeling? Did you feel there was subtext in the situation? Did you later find out you were correct? 4
Look at a film or a book that deals with hidden psychological problems, such
as The Soloist, Soloist, The Three Faces of Eve, Eve , or Sybil Sybil.. How does the writing convey the problems that are beneath the surface? 5
If you want a good laugh, and want to notice more subtext, order the J.
Peterman Company clothes catalog. The quote in this chapter comes from “Owner’s Manual No. 137, Derby 2016.” 2016.” The clothes are wonderful and it’s a good way to get some giggles. You could order any of the items in the catalog and become a whole new you!
2 THE BACKSTORY WHAT’S BEHIND I T? WHAT’S BEFORE IT?
G
reat characters are made up o their present actions and gestures, their dialogue, and their backstory backstor y. What happened in the character’s character’s past that influences their present? What part o this backstory backstor y is important or the audience to know in the text? What can be implied to deepen the character? I you’re you’re going to create subtext, you need ne ed to know some acts about your character. Whether you create these acts consciously, or whether you intuit them, they still need nee d to inorm your writing in order to create a great character character..
What’s the Character’s Bio? Tere are two views on writing, or thinking about, a character’s background. Some writers find it very helpul to list inormation about their character, much as you would i you were writing a résumé or a CV o yoursel or a job. You would think about all aspects o the character’s backstory: educational level, where they went to school, how many siblings they had, their weight and height, marital status, age, and important accomplishments. Other writers don’t find this exercise helpul. In much the same way that a résumé can be dry and overly actual without giving a eeling or the personality o a job applicant, this exercise, according to some writers, doesn’t doesn’t do much to bring the character alive. However, even these writers ofen find thinking through a part o the character’s background is helpul, especially i it relates directly to some aspect o the story stor y.
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Characters talk and act in the present, implying a background filled with experiences — both negative and positive — about their childhood childho od and adulthood. In most cases, the audience doesn’t need to know all about the characters’ education or what they did when they were three or seven, how many siblings they have and all about the house where they grew up, who they played with and how they did in school. Some o this inormation inormation may be important, or at least can add layers to the character, but sometimes writers put ar too much o this inormation into the text when it only belongs in the subtext. Te subtext can ofen be ound in what the character doesn’t doesn’t put on his or her résumé. Most job applicants aren’t willing to tell the employer they were fired a number o times, or went bankrupt, or were once arrested or embezzlement. Tey don’t want the employer to know about their unhappy childhood and that they are currently in therapy, or on medication, which might affect their job. Tey want to conceal that they’re habitually late, and tend to overeat when nervous. Tey don’ don’tt want to let others know they tend to take reams o paper home rom the office supply closet (along with a stapler and some printer cartridges), and that they the y have three cats, two t wo more than their apartment allows. ( ( wo are put in the closet when the landlady comes.) Many writers want to know something about their characters’ parents, since many attitudes, conflicts, values, and ongoing tensions are influenced by the amily. Maybe a ather and son in a story never got along, a long, but instead o telling us in on-the-nose dialogue dialog ue it’s it’s implied. Fathers and sons may have opposite attitudes. Maybe your protagonist seems to have insider knowledge o banking even though the guy now owns a ranch. He says off the cuff, “My ather was a banker” as he puts the saddle on the horse, pats the horse, and adds, “W “ We know the good go od lie, don’t don’t we, Buck?” A world o attitudes attitudes and background inormat inormation ion is implied here. It It might make you want want to ask, “Why did you you move so ar away away rom your your ather’s ather’s proession? Did he have a good lie? Did the two o you get along? Why did you kick your horse and gallop out o the corral right afer you talked about your ather?” Characters are applying or a job in your script. Teir job description will include the bad and the good, the flaws and the talents, the insecurities and where they eel competent and confident. Tereore, characters have to convey inormation to the writer, and to the audience, to prove they are good
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applicants or the job. Some o the inormation about your character that comes rom your creative unconscious may surprise you, just as you might be surprised about what you mention and what you remember as you make out your own own résumé. In creating this biography, add another piece o inormation that you would rarely put on a résumé: the character’s attitude about their past. When you shade in attitudes, characters begin to take shape. Attitude suggests subtext, and will begin to creat createe the rich underpinnings underpinnings o the character character.. For every act you uncover, you might also think o the character’s response to this inormation. The Character’s Age
Most résumés used to begin by stating the job applicant’s age. Although requesting this act is illegal now, most o your scripts will have some mention o your characters’ ages. Unortunately, many writers use the same cliché or their main characters: She’s described as “late twenties or early thirties, pretty and sexy.” He’s usually described as “mid to late thirties, ruggedly handsome.” Many times writers simply say “attractive,” which tells us very little except what almost every ever y major actor will look like, with only a ew exceptions. Sometimes, by the time a producer or actor reads this description or the three hundredth time, the producer has no idea whom to cast, and the actor has no idea how to play the character character.. Te description becomes tiresome and not very imaginative. And, it doesn’t make an actor want to play the role. Tere’s nothing actable in this description; it only depends on whether the actors look their age or not, and whether there’s there’s good makeup, lighting, lighting , and a costume person who can make them as attractive as possible. But the approximate approximate age is important. Afer all, the producer and director have to figure out whom to cast. You begin beg in inserting subtext into the description and dialogue by thinking about how your characters eel about their age. ag e. In F Fatal atal Attr Attraction action, the description at the beginning o the script tells us a world o inormation about Alex, and sets up the motivat motivation ion or the desperate actions that ollow. ollow. Although the audience won’t see the description, the producer, actor, director, costumer, and makeup person will see it — and it will inorm the physical presentation o the character.
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James Deardon writes about Alex: “She must be in her thirties, but she James dresses younger, trendily, and gets away with it.” What does this tell us about Alex? She’ She’ss not happy about her age. She wants to be younger younger.. As the story stor y evolves, e volves, Alex is clearly getting desperate — she wants to all in love, have a child, and probably wants to get married. She is driven by this desperation, although she’s much too proessional to show it. In her initial meeting with Dan, and probably with men in general, she tries to portray hersel as a “with-it” proessional — attractive, willing, willing , wild, un, and exciting. But it only takes one night with Alex or Dan, and the audience, to realize how dangerous she is. With just this much inormation, Glenn Close could begin beg in to think through the dimensions and layers she would bring to the role. She was nominated or an Academy Award or her stunning perormance o a very ver y well-developed character.
Skills, Talents, and Abilities Most o the time, when a character possesses special abilities, we see it in the text and it plays out in the story. I someone is a boxer b oxer,, or practices martial arts, or plays the piano, or is a skilled mountai mountain n climber, we know there’s there’s a backstory backstor y since there’s there’s a moment the character became interested in the activity and then practiced, trained, and prepared or the rontstory. Tis quality will be shown and pays off later in the story as we see the skill leading the character to com pete in a music contest or fight fig ht in a championship match or climb the highest hig hest mountain. Teir skills might also pay off later in the way they approach a problem. A pianist might tinker on the piano while trying to find a way to let his girlriend know he doesn’t want to see her anymore. A mountain climber might be the first person to run to help someone in physical p hysical danger, danger, whether it’s it’s on a mountain or not. Tese innate strengths and learned skills can be b e used to show how the character approaches any number o situations. All o these skills and reactions might be in the text. Tere still might be subtext in the attitudes the person has toward these abilities. It might be that the person seems overly confident and talks big, but underneath he is unsure about any chance o competing and this anxiety
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shows in the very way he tries to hide his nervousness. Perhaps the character always tried so hard as a child, but could never please the controlling ather. He learned to talk big as his ather did but he never elt adequate. Or, maybe the person is very ver y talented, but is araid people p eople won’t won’t like her i she wins, since her big sister always put her down or her achievements. So she sabotages her perormance and makes dozens o mistakes. Sometimes people p eople lie about their abilities, either to get out o responsibility, or because they lack confidence. In the Spider-Man series, Peter Parker Parker has to come to terms with his abilities. In Spider-Man 2, he has an identity crisis and reaches the conclusion that he doesn’t want to be Spider-Man. He throws away his suit and chooses to be normal. Tis choice is in the text. It’s a clear action and by the time it occurs, we understa understand nd it. But we understand it because the subtext rumblings have prepared us. We know he’ he’ss torn between being SpiderSpider-Man Man and his love or Mary Jane. We see him at times take off his mask as i he’s considering taking off the entire costume. Tere are other subtextual resonances beore he throws out his suit. Mary Jane is in the play Te Importance o Being Earnest . Te particular play the writer chose is not arbitrary. Peter Peter misses the first perormance — which suggests that he is missing the importance o being honest and “being “ being earnest.” But he goes to the second perormance, afer he’s decided to be normal. He later decides to accept that “with great power comes great responsibility,” reclaiming his suit and his identity. The Character’s Educational Background
I a person’s educational background is important, that inormation will usually be in the text. Te MD will be addressed as “Dr. Smith,” or Indiana Jones, with his PhD, will be addressed as “Dr. Jones.” Another person’s education might be addressed because he mentions his alma mater (“I’m a Harvard man”), or she mentions where where she studied (“I studied at the High School o Perorming Perorming Arts in New York — I act!”). Characters might simply be perorming the actions that show their education — walking down the hospital hall wearing a nurse’s nurse’s uniorm; filling prescriptions behind the pharmacy counter; teaching in a high school or college. Tere’s no subtext with this basic inormation. It simply tells us through visuals, or with with a line or two, something about about the person’s educational level. But subtext comes with attitude. What does the person think about this
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education? Some who have had little schooling might be ashamed or they might be proud. Tey might say, “I don’t have no book learnin’, but look what I made o mysel! I’m really somethin’!” Or, they might not be willing to admit their lack o education, but it shows in their vocabulary and grammar and attitudes and sometimes through their lack o knowledge o basics that most people learn in high school or college. I the neighbor guy says to his proessor neighbor, “Who’s Shakespeare? He that guy moved in next door?” we immediately know a whole range o inormation. inorma tion. I a teacher corrects c orrects the neighbor neighb or about William Shakespeare, she might be showing her attitude about anyone who’s uneducated or about her enthusiasm or Shakespeare. She might quote a line rom Shakespeare such as one about “ools.”* Her quote tells us her attitude toward toward hersel, the neighbor, neig hbor, and toward ools and wit. Subtext might come into the conversation i we wonder why the teacher is talking about Shakespeare with the neighbor anyway. Is this conversation meant to embarrass the neighbor? Or, to show how erudite — and thereore better — the teacher is? Or, is the neighbor ascinated with new inormation, and welcomes it? I know some PhDs who are a bit embarrassed by their degree and don’ don’tt tell anyone about it, and others who insist everyone reer to them as “Doctor,” even close riends. Tere are some people who don’t like to call someone “Doctor,” perhaps out o a lack o respect or education, and others who use it all the time. I knew a woman who was the wie o a doctor. When reerring to her husband, she never ne ver called him by his first name, but always by the title o “Doctor “Do ctor..” Clearly, marrying a doctor was a big coup. Tis reerence told me volumes about how she sensed her role as a wie and her pride in being married to the only doctor in town. Educational Education al level can be suggested sug gested in other ways. We We know a character did well in school or at least is very smart when she uses vocabulary or grammar that suggests a high degree o education. We know the character has read a air amount o Shakespeare i he reers to someone by saying she’s she’s “just like the dark lady o the Sonnets” — although the writer has to presume a certain level o education o the audience. Since no one knows much about ab out this mysterious ∗
*Perhaps she might quote Feste’s “ Better a witty ool than a oolish oolish wit” rom welfh Night, Act One, Scene Five.
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dark lady, there may be another level o subtext with this reerence, especially i the handsome man says this to the attractive brunette and is hoping she will become his dark lady. As usual, with subtext, it can be difficult to know what’s what’s going on and why the character is mentioning this allusion. Sometimes characters’ attitudes toward education can be expressed through their words on their -shirts. Are they crass? (“Screw you, bud!”); or purposeully uneducated? (“I ain’t ain’t got no education — on purpose!”); or pur poseully obscure (“I’m Jude Jude the Obscure — deal with it!”); or, or, perhaps implyimplying their subject matter matter,, mathematical mathematical ormulas, musical notes, or a picture o Stephen Hawking worn proudly. Characters have ofen had bad experiences with school. Perhaps they say: “Just “Ju st like school! school ! Not my idea o un!” un!” or “Don’t “Don’t send me back to that prison!” Conflict can come about by the contrast between the parents’ attitude toward education education and the children children’’s attitude. Te first child ch ild in a amily to go g o to college may be treated better (or worse) by the parents. Te child who became a doctor might be treated like a king, while the other siblings and the working class relatives are ignored.
How Much Money Do They Have? Te amily background and education e ducational al level may relate to the economic class o the character character.. Although statist statistically ically those with education make more money than those without, plenty o stories exist in which the person with very little education becomes a millionaire. Te amount o money may be in the text, but the character’s character’s attitude toward the money may be b e in the subtext. Tere are stories o children who grew up believing they were poor and were even deprived deprived o necessities, only to discover their amily had had a great deal o money stashed away, but were ashamed o it or araid o losing it all so they kept it a secret or gave g ave it away or squandered squandered it. I had the opposite experience. I grew up believing we had enough — not rich, but definitely not poor. When I was in my orties, my mother told me that we had been poor when I was growing up, but she didn’ didn’tt want us to know because she didn’t want us to get a complex about it. She had grown up in a
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amily that always talked about being poor and always talked about money, so she decided she wouldn’t raise her children that way. I was amazed, even shocked by this inormation; it shifed my perspective o my childhood. At first, I couldn’t understand how it could be true because I didn’t remember ever eeling poor, nor did I ever perceive our amily as poor. I grew up with a beautiul Steinway Concert Grand Piano in our living room (my mother was a piano teacher), and I knew poor people didn’t have pianos — certainly not ones like that. My mother then told me a long story o how we happened to get that piano, clariying that it didn’t prove we were rich. She reminded me o the Tanksgiving when we ate hot dogs instead o turkey. She had told us we were going to do something really un this Tanksgiving Tanksg iving — have hot dogs. Oh boy! My sister and I thought that was great. She explained years later that she served hot dogs because there was nothing else in the rerigerator and my parents had no money lef. Everything had been b een presented to us so we didn’ d idn’tt think we were poor. At times there was more money, money, so being poor po or was not the case or all o my childhood, but her revelation showed me how something can be interpreted one way by one person who never ne ver understood the subtext until it was told in text.
What’s the Religion, Or Lack of It? By the time most people reach adulthood, they have some religious background and some attitudes about religion. Tey might have grown up attending a church, synagogue, mosque, ashram, or some spiritual community — or not. Tey might have lef it, or become more committed and involved as they got older. I they lef, they might have lef amiably, or they might still carry carr y the resentment o what happened to them in synagogue or how they responded when the kid in Sunda Sundayy school said they were going to hell, or how they became increasingly uncomortable as their spiritual community community radicalized. In many cases, you as the writer won’t need to mention this aspect. But these religious attitudes also inorm a person’s attitude toward others, and show up in speech and behavior. Tey might make snide remarks about religious people. Someone who’s uncomortable being alone might be highly
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uncomortable around the mystic who meditates three hours a day. Someone might become religiously and socially radicalized and start attending peace protests, or perhaps perhaps a ea ea Party Party protest, or a pro-choice or pro-lie march. Tis behavior might make a parent, spouse, or riend wonder what has caused that nice, socially appropriat appropriatee person to suddenly respond in this way. way. Attitude, Attitud e, or inorma inormation tion about someone’ someone’ss religious relig ious context, can come out in a small piece o dialogue dialog ue here or there, i it’s it’s appropriate. In Raiders o the Lost Ark, two lines tell us a great deal about ab out Indiana Indiana Jones and his attitude toward religion. Indiana tells the government agents about the city o anis and about the Lost Ark o the Covenant that’s supposed to lie there. When he sees their bewildered aces, he says: INDIANA JONES Didn’t you guys ever go to Sunday school?
Right away, away, we know Jones has a Protestant background since Catholics go to Catechism, devout Jews study the orah orah and go g o to shul, s hul, and Protestants go to Sundayy school. Sunda scho ol. Tis inormation inormation may not seem relevant, except the whole film is based on the Bible’s story o the Lost Ark and the ew reerences to anis made in the Bible. Although rom this reerence we don’t know what Jones believes now, later he implies he’s an agnostic or atheist. When Jones shows the governmen governmentt men a picture o what the Ark might look like, one o the governm g overnment ent men asks him what the light coming out o the Ark is, and Jones replies, “ . . . the power o God . . . i you believe b elieve in that sort o thing.” thing.” In that line, Jones implies his attitude and his current belie system. He also reveals a cynicism c ynicism that sets up where he stands at the beginning o the film, and which transorms as the film proceeds. In Te Great Santini, oomer, the young black man who stutters, tells us a world about what what his lie is like with a simple line. line. Ben and oomer oomer are watchwatching the stars and Ben points out a shooting star. Ben mentions it’s a shooting star, but oomer has a more religious interpretation:
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TOOMER That’s the tear of infant Jesus falling on account of such a sinful and hateful world.
oomer has plenty to deal with. Although he’s a man o aith, he knows the oppression and the nastiness that’s out there.
Showing the Shadow I we’re really honest with ourselves, we probably admit we have some kind o psychological problem — uncertainties, insecurities, insecurities, a ew irrational irrational ears here or there, something we’re obsessed with, a bit too negative about some things. Like us, characters do not have it all together, and their flaws drive them and give them dimension. Sometimes the psychology psycholog y in a character or a amily is expressed emotionally. Teir eelings o disappointment or discouragement, regret, or anger at how things are, drive them to emotional outbursts, where suddenly they react way out o proportion proportion to what is going on. Almost all the characters in the film American Beauty are driven by emotional subtext. Lester is going through a midlie crisis and suddenly realizes things could be b e different. He quits his job, blackmails his boss, b oss, and puts down new rules in the household — including changing the dinner music. His wie, Carolyn, holds to her upper-middle-class liestyle. She has her own set o secrets — she’s having an affair. Te neighbors have secrets: Te mother is abused by the husband, and takes it silently, silently, not expressing hersel. Te military ather is a closet homosexual. Psychological problems, flaws, and imperections ofen exist in what is called “the shadow,” or sometimes our “dark side.” It’s that part o us we want to deny, deny, which is the opposite o what we portray to the world. Te idea o the shadow can be seen very ver y clearly in the classic Dr Dr.. Jekyll Jekyll and Mr Mr. Hyde, rom the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Te story shows the two sides o a character — the good and the evil. Te kindly Dr. Jekyll experiments with his shadow side, transorming himsel through a potion into the evil Mr. Hyde.
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Te book and film Te Picture o Dorian Gray put the shadow side o Dorian into a painting that changes as Dorian becomes more dissolute and evil. He, however, remains youthul and sweet-looking, in spite o the evil in his soul. Wee can see the shadow pop out in such films as L.A. Confidenti W Confidential al and Witness, when the chie o police p olice who seems to be pursuing the bad guy is really one o them. For the seemingly confident sports figure, the shadow might be the looming insecurities that threaten the upcoming competition. For the political figure who tries to project amily values, it’s it’s the affair he’ he’ss having on the sly (we’ve seen more than a ew o those!). For the seemingly honest corporate man, it’s it’s the dishonesty he tries to hide — stealing rom the supply cabinet, udging udg ing overtime hours, cheating on taxes. For the law-and-order cop who says he abides by all the rules, it’s the corruption on the side. Most characters try to keep their shadows hidden, but they emerge at some time or another. We are usually surprised because the shadow starkly contrasts to the side o us, or the side o another another,, that we usually see. Tere are characters with hidden secrets that all within the scope o psychologically normal, and then there are, o course, other characters who are just plain wacko, but won’t won’t admit it. Te shadow keeps popping out in words and actions, revealing the true character beneath. Although the shadow is usually thought o as the negative side, it can be any contrast to the side we show to the world — negative or positive. It is simply the unexpressed, buried, unknown, and hidden side o us. Te shadow is usually negative because we’d usually rather hide our negative side and our negative side provides more opportunity opportunit y or conflict, emotion, and flaws in the character.. But it can also be positive. character p ositive. Under Under certain circums circumstances, tances, an insecure person might suddenly find a new level o confidence. Te dishonest person might be honest about certain things and surprise surprise us (and maybe maybe even hersel ). In Up in the Air , Ryan seems content to be solitary, traveling all the time, uncommitted; but his shadow wants to be connected. He’s greatly disap pointed to find out out that that his mistress has a amily. amily. His disappointmen disappointmentt seems to come not just rom her betrayal, b etrayal, but also rom his interest in her, her, which seems to be ar more than just a one- or two-night stand. Later in the film, he makes
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the commitment to go to his niece’s wedding, talks to her fiancé when he gets cold eet, and even volunteers to walk her down the aisle — showing he wants to take a more active part p art in his h is amily. His shadow is quite different rom the persona o one who wants wants to sustain very very ew commitments. In Up, the protagonist is bitter and living in the past. A young kid in need o a ather accidentally comes along. Te companionship orces the man’s growth and acceptance o his shadow side. We can see that the shadow was positive — he was a loving husband — a side o himsel he has covered up since his wie died. We see the bitterness underneath, which comes rom his tremendous sense o loss and disappointment or having let his wie down by not pursuing their dreams o adventure. As the story proceeds, we see he has a genuine desire to eel love. By the end, he reconciles re conciles with his shadow side and is willing to express his kinder kinder sel, which has been hidden or so long. long.
Subtext Shows Denial, Attitudes, and Cover-Ups Sometimes people are dismissive or evasive because they don’t want to conront what’s what’s really going go ing on. Tey try tr y to get out o acing issues, or being honest when it doesn’t doesn’t benefit benefit them. In Revolutionary Road , afer Frank Frank Wheeler has gotten the secretary secretar y quite drunk and slept with her, he gets dressed, ready to go back to his wie. Clearly, Clearly, the secretary is waiting or some words o encouragement, compliments, or commitment. Instead, he tells her “Listen, you were swell” and kisses her on the cheek. We might think: “What was that all about? ‘Swell!?’ You’ve got to be kidding!” It’s not exactly what a woman wants to hear. Yet, we know what it’s all about. Frank does not want to make any commitment to her, but wants to be nice about it. He wants to leave the fling open-ended, but doesn’t want to give her any reason to think it’s more than a little afernoon delight beore going back to his h is conventional conventional 1950s home. h ome. When Frank and April announce they’re moving to Paris, neighbors and riends see the idea as rather juvenile, an attitude that is implied through words suggestive o immaturity. Milly, the next-door neighbor, says, “Sounds wonderul, kids!” but the word “kids” implies her opinion o this idea. Troughout the novel and film, the plan is called “immature,” “whimsical,” “antasy,” “a
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childish idea,” and “unrealistic.” When Frank cancels the trip, and April becomes increasingly renetic and rantic about her dreams dying, even Frank implies the childishness o the dream and suggests that she see a “shrink.” He doesn’t use the word “psychologist,” “therapist,” or “psychiatrist,” or say “you have to get help,” but uses the word “shrink.” “Shrink” has many associations. It’s a negative neg ative word, usually implying that that the person needing to see a shrink is a bit crazy. “Shrink” also suggests what is going on — April’s dreams must be “shrunk” (to the point o disappearing), and the shrink is supposed to serve that effort by helping her see that her dreams are too big, too unrealistic, too extravagant, extrav agant, too grandiose. Whereas “shrink” “shrink” denotes making something smaller, smaller, the word “army “army,,” as used by Uncle Charlie in Shadow o a Doubt , denotes a larger orce. He tells his sister, Emma: UNCLE CHARLIE Children should be brought up to know what the world world is really really like. They should be prepare d . . . like an arm y...
And through his word choice, we might think: think : “Obviously, “Obviously, Charlie thinks o the world as the enemy, a big enemy that must be deeated.” A writer careully chooses the right word to add depth and resonance to the character and to the story. “Army” implies conquering, aggression, deeating, getting the upper hand, or overcoming. “Army” has a violent resonance, just like like “murder “murder..” Armies also kill, just just like Uncle Uncle Charlie. A world o inormation about the character can be revealed re vealed through words that imply and suggest backstory and attitude. Every word is careully chosen. No word is vague. No word is arbitrary.
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EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1
Think of films and books you love. What do you know about the charac-
ter’s backstory? How do you know it? How much is in the text? How much in the subtext? 2
Watch a film of your choosing and write out the résumé of the character
based upon what you have learned about the character in the film. How much of this information did you get from the text? How much from the subtext? 3
Make a list or Google to get information about films that show people with
special abilities or disabilities, whether physical or psychic or mental. Watch several. Contrast the different attitudes characters c haracters have toward their abilities. Then, think about the psychology in your own script. If you’re working with a mental disease, does the character try to hide it? If so, how is this hiding done? Through denial? By keeping a tight lid on talk and emotions? You might decide to talk to a psychiatrist or read books on the subject and ask how the disease manifests, how the person usually tries to hide it, and how it reveals itself. 4
Do any of your characters have a secret, something they keep hidden?
Is it something they feel guilty about? Ashamed of? Is it illegal? Immoral? Inappropriate? If so, how does it pop out — when the character is alone, or with others? 5
Can you think of films with religious characters? How are their religious
attitudes implied? What associations come to mind when a character says, “I’m Catholic,”” or “I’m Baptist, Catholic, Baptist,”” or “I’m Muslim”? Does the character have an attitude toward his or her religious beliefs and actions? Do you have an attitude you bring as an audience member? Do you think the writer figured out the attitude of the audience and deliberately wanted these associations of empathy, fascination, or disgust to come up?
