As I was flipping through the channels on a lazy Sunday, I came across the movie "Crazy, Stupid Love". I'm always a sucker for a well written romance, which I deem this wonderful story.
I tuned in right at the moment that Hannah figures out that her long time boyfriend is not about to propose to her, but instead offer her a permanent job at his law firm. You see the realization hit her that she is not in the type of relationship she wants and needs. After downing a few drinks, she races dramatically out into the rain and back to the bar where she met Jacob, "the hot guy" that everyone knows and many have slept with, thanks to his well-oiled routine.
"You," she shouts out to him, finally taking control of her life. Walking purposefully over to him she kisses him senseless until he is wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground in a very cliched yet sexy fashion.
"Remember me?" she says upon her feet making contact with the group again. Nodding "yes" he takes her hand to lead him out the door and to his home to accomplish the much needed inevitable.
But instead of turning to an artistic montage of sex scenes, we see the main characters go through an awkward "now what" scenario.
Shifting from foot to foot, Hannah asks Jacob to take off his shirt to help ease her insecurity. He peals of his dress shirt to reveal a well-tanned six pack. Instead of oohing and ahhing, Hannah snorts in disgust.
"Are you kidding me? You look Photoshopped!" She says, waving towards his body.
In obvious need of some coaxing to the bedroom, Hannah requests Jacob talk about his next move. He breaks down and confesses his best move is to work "Dirty Dancing" into the conversation and then bring up the aerial lift that he can do. They laugh together about how stupid it is, but Hannah wants to experience it anyway. They go through the dance motions and Jacob lifts Hannah into the famous lift, slowly lowering her down his body to the floor. The mood changes and she's no longer nervous to have sex.
The purpose of this blog is not to replay the entire movie, but to point out how a well written scene takes the best of reality as well as what we all hope will happen and meld it into an exciting story telling experience. As I was laughing at the aforementioned scenes, my fiance, Dave, kept asking me why I thought it was so funny.
"That's me," I said.
"What?" he questioned.
"That's me and every typical girl with a brain. That's how we would react in that kind of situation."
"But you wouldn't be in that situation," he argued.
"Of course not. That's why I like watching a movie that lets me experience it."
This is the way I want my book to read. What would a normal person do in an abnormal experience? I think this is what makes a story so appealing. Do you agree?
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