Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression – Not a bad movie, but one with a very muddled central question.  And a few more comedy punch-up writers wouldn’t have hurt, either.    THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who is your main character? – Susan What is she trying to accomplish? – Professional: First half of the film she wants to get out […]

Overall Impression – Bewildering!  Frustrating!  Then I gave up trying to figure out why everything was happening and actually started enjoying it. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? – Ben. What’s he trying to accomplish? – The movie gets its drive by withholding an answer to this question. Why is Ben doing all these crazy good deeds?  WHY!?  Until all is revealed […]

Overall Impression — Ah, to be young again.  Then I would have liked this movie rather than just liked that my kids liked it.  THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — Skeeter. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Take over control of the hotel that was promised to him as a child, build a […]

Syd Field first described the three areas of conflict your main character is dealing with, and I’ve gone back to this concept over and over again, particularly in crafting a good CENTRAL QUESTION for my stories.  (The Central Question is the question that once it’s answered definitively “yes” or “no” the movie is over.) These […]

 Overall Impression — A confused movie that delivers more sizzle than steak.  THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s the main character? — Giselle. What’s she trying to accomplish? —  Sort of return to Andalusia (her fairy tale realm) but she doesn’t actively try to do that much after a few first efforts.  Her main drive is to […]