Cooking Up Another Holiday Movie

Words

Awareness of the outside world. Rotten Tomatoes: The Best Thanksgiving Movies.

~~~

Writer: Hello, Muse. Here we are. It’s that time again. [Creating A New Classic]

Muse: What time would that be?

Writer: Time to think about next year’s movie.

Muse: Thanksgiving?

Writer: Yep. While everyone is burping turkey.

Muse: What is your first thought?

Writer: Any holiday lends itself to a repeating plot device. Thanksgiving meals over the years. Kids grow up. New spouses. Empty seats at the table. Same bat time. Same bat channel. See you next year.

Muse: But?

Writer: It’s too predictable. Time passes. People change. Yeah, yeah. It’s just telling people what they already know.

Muse: The point of story-telling is to tell people what they already know.

Writer: Okay, so it’s telling people what they already know in an overly-obvious, uninspired manner. It’s also sad. Tempis fugit and all that. It’s too maudlin.

Muse: Stories are allowed to be be sad.

Writer: Point. The problem is that maudlin is easy to do; it is hard to do well. Plus, I’m not feeling it.

Muse:

Writer:

Muse: Focus on the individual?

Writer: Hmm. … follow one person … instead of one place … gives us possibilities for changes of scene … family one year, in-laws the next … friendsgiving one year … have to work over the holiday … comedy or drama … frame as flashback so you know the main character lives … we can introduce the historical dilemmas of the holiday without turning it into sermon …

(Sounds of rapid keyboard clicking.)

Muse: I’ll see myself out.

Writer: hmm-mm

Muse: Happy Thanksgiving.

~~~ curtain ~~~