Summer Movies--#11

It’s 1999 and the summer movie is The Talented Mr. Ripley by Anthony Minghella. Get ready to be both mesmerized and creeped out at the same time.

Plus, you get to leave America and head to Europe—something you can’t do now in the middle of the pandemic. So as the summer is ending, this is a movie to watch for its scenes in Italy, even if the plot doesn’t appeal to you. It’s a mini-Italian vacation.

It’s also set in the 1950s, meaning you kind of get to go back in time as well. So you’re tripping all over the place with this film. And after last week’s foray into stupid films, this is a smart one that will keep you riveted to the screen—not for a laugh, but to figure out the characters.

Take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4e-Si4oGEw

The tag line for the film’s poster is How far would you go to become someone else. And I think that’s the fantasy that nearly everyone can tap into. Who doesn’t envy someone else’s life from time to time? Who of us doesn’t wish we could be that famous celebrity or the boss at work? Who doesn’t wish for a better wardrobe or a nicer car like the neighbor has? It starts when we’re young—when you were 8 and wished that you got the Christmas present that your friend next door got.

Wanting. Everybody wants something and I think that’s the “in” this film has in appealing to most people—this idea that it would be great to be able to BE that other person, to have what he or she has, to live the life they live. An aside? I think that’s why our culture is so focused on celebrity—we feel we live vicariously through these stars and we imagine being like them.

It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? And that’s one of the points of The Talented Mr. Ripley, too. Both Tom and Dickie are sad people—in different ways. But Tom’s a little smarter and a little luckier, as it happens—something you wouldn’t think would be possible when you first meet the guy.

So while this film has a great plot - and if you haven’t read the book, you’re wondering how it’s going to turn out - it’s really all about character.

Both of these guys are really interesting. Tom WOULD do anything to ‘become’ Dickie if he could. And Dickie lives his life on high speed—to spite his rich father, or is it something more?

The mystery of the story and the mystery of each of these characters is riveting. As a writer, really take a look at this film and how it’s constructed. Take a look at characters who really aren’t that likable and see how the writer made them absolutely fascinating, made them people we really want to watch.

Good writing IS all about character—multi-dimensional characters that can surprise an audience. So as you think about writing your summer film, think about creating characters that do just that.

Copyright © Diane Lake

13Sep20

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