Save the Cat Goes to the Movies (12 page)

“
Now
a warning?!”

This line from
Death Becomes Her
is one of my favorites. It’s spoken by Meryl Streep, subsequent to her swallowing a potion to make her forever young and told The Rules too late. It’s a hilarious beat and reinforces an OOTB truism: The curse becomes apparent only
after
we get what we most desire. This is also one of the signatures of the “Thing Bottle,” those tales where magic is delivered to us by totem
(Like Mike, The Mask)
or elixir
(Love Potion #9).
One of the best is director Tom Shadyac’s CGI tour de farce, T
he Nutty Professor.

Like the original Jerry Lewis masterwork, the Eddie Murphy reprise is a Jekyll and Hyde story. Instead of just being about a meek scientist who turns egomaniac by use of a potion, the new version adds obsession with weight loss. As tubby Sherman Klump, Eddie is sweet and brilliant. But his bulk is stopping him from getting ahead. Only after he invents a fat-reducing potion and becomes Buddy Love (an homage found in the name of another genre we’ll soon discuss!) does his inner egotist come out — and the battle between his two halves begins. Being Buddy may get him places, but it stops Sherman from finding happiness. The lesson of “doing it without the magic” is nigh. Every wish is a curse, turns out, even when we get everything we
think
we really want.

OOTB Type: Thing Bottle

OOTB Cousins:
Electric Dreams, Love Potion #9, The Mask, Jumanji, Flubber, Death Becomes Her, Like Mike, Clockstoppers, Click, The Last Mimsy

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

Screenplay by
David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein
And
Tom Shadyac & Steve Oedekerk
Based on the motion picture
Written by
Jerry Lewis
and
Bill Richmond

Opening Image:
Eddie Murphy plays many roles in this film. First up is Richard Simmons clone, Lance Perkins, leading an aerobics class on TV. In the foreground, a tubby man gets ready for his day.

Set-Up:
Meet Sherman Klump (Eddie in a fat suit), a college professor working on a weight-reduction formula. We get a “Save the Lab Rat” moment as he protects his guinea pig from more tests. We admire Sherman, as does his assistant (John Ales). But the college’s Dean Richmond (Larry Miller) does not. Calling him on the carpet, Larry reveals Sherman’s weakness: He alienates donors to the school. We also meet Miss Purty (Jada Pinkett Smith), who’ll be Sherman’s love interest. Sherman is too shy to ask her out. Instead he goes home where we meet the rest of the Klumps at a scatological family dinner. Through the magic of make-up, Eddie brilliantly portrays all the Klump adults. All XL.

Theme Stated:
You’re always going to be fat, Sherman is told by his Mom (also Eddie) in a Stasis = Death moment, but adds: “All you got to do is believe in yourself and you can do anything.”

Catalyst:
Inspired by his Mom, Sherman asks Jada out to a hip club, The Scream — but will Sherman get in shape in time?

Debate:
Love or food? The battle between Sherman’s appetite and his need to be “normal” is primal. Sherman has a nightmare that includes a take-off of
From Here to Eternity
as Sherman crushes Jada in the surf. But by the night of his date, he’s ready. Sherman and Jada go to The Scream and all goes well until an insult comic (that’s Dave Chappelle!) wallops Sherman with fat jokes. Sherman takes it, but the
pain is palpable. After the show, Sherman drops Jada at her place and sadly heads home to stuff his face in front of the TV.

Break into Two:
Later that night, he has another dream in which he imagines himself as Fatzilla. Fed up (in more ways than one), Sherman goes to the lab and creates the magic potion that will transform his life. It is a fat-reducing formula that messes with DNA and testosterone levels. Taking the potion, he now becomes, well, Eddie Murphy: confident, obnoxious … and thin!

B Story:
Eddie meets Jada in Sherman’s lab at school and gets stuck for an ID. He tells Jada his name is Buddy Love, a nod to the original film. We now see the Jekyll and Hyde element. Buddy asks Jada out and she agrees. But the true B story is between Sherman and Buddy. It’s where the theme will be discussed. Which of his “selves” is the real Sherman?

Fun and Games:
A hilarious Fun and Games montage in which Buddy discovers “Spandex!” is followed by a reprise of his date with Jada at The Scream, this time as Buddy. Extroverted Buddy seems to have been honed by Eddie himself and, like Jerry Lewis before him, there is a hint of self-revelation in his performance that adds to this amazing character. As Buddy, he is ready and bests the comic who nailed him the night before. But The Rules include the hitch that after a certain time, the effects of the potion reverse. At the club, Sherman’s assistant suspects Buddy and follows him out. Discovering that Buddy is Sherman, he now becomes the Confidant.

Midpoint:
With the “false victory” of the successful date, Sherman rushes to class the next day and finds the Dean waiting. Larry threatens to kill Sherman —
really.
He also sets a “time clock” in motion, and tells of an upcoming dinner that a big donor will attend. Either Sherman bags him or Larry will kill Sherman —
really.

Bad Guys Close In:
Sherman does the unthinkable and asks Jada to his family’s house for dinner — and more scatology. As Sherman he can’t get anywhere with Jada, yet neither can Buddy. The pressure
is building. Sherman becomes Buddy to meet and woo the college donor (James Coburn) and takes Jada with him. It goes well. Too well. Egotist Buddy dumps Jada for three party girls.

All Is Lost:
Jada stops by Sherman’s house the next day and, since the potion has worn off, discovers
him
with the three women! Now Sherman loses Jada, too. He also gets evicted and finds his name being removed from his door at school: He is fired. A perfect “All Is Lost” moment, Sherman is “worse off than when this movie started” — all compliments of the bad mojo.

Dark Night of the Soul:
Gorging with food, Sherman watches an exercise video — interrupted when Buddy appears in a spot he recorded the night before. “You can’t beat me,” taunts Buddy.

Break into Three:
“Yes I can,” says Sherman. Determined, he pours out the potion. “If I’m going to change my life, it’s not going to come from some magic drink!” But Buddy tricked him; he dosed Sherman’s diet-shakes with the formula. Sherman drinks one, and becomes Buddy again. Buddy now reveals his plan to “kill” Sherman with a super dose of the potion — and be Buddy forever! A and B stories cross as Buddy takes control. Knocking out his assistant, who tries to stop him, Buddy races to the big donor dinner.

Finale:
Obnoxious Buddy arrives. Jumping onstage, he admits he is Sherman, exposing himself as fat then reducing instantaneously by using the formula as the audience looks on. But something goes awry. The danger of the formula is revealed as the two sides of his personality fight it out. In the end, Sherman dispatches Buddy, re-embraces his true body type, and admits his mistakes to all.

Final Image:
Sherman leaves in shame. Jada runs after him. “I’m gonna be big no matter what I do,” he tells her. His bulk doesn’t matter to Jada or the donor. Sherman gets the girl — and the grant. Mom was right. By believing in himself, Sherman has triumphed! As we fade out, he and Jada share an awkward but loving slow dance.

In creating a hero, it’s best to start with one who has the longest journey. The protag with the furthest to go to change his ways offers the biggest bang for the peso on the premise. So when it comes to choosing someone to get the power to be able to hear
What Women Want
, who better than Mel Gibson as Nick Marshall, the ultimate ladies’ man?

Director Nancy Meyers’ first effort after her split with longtime partner Charles Shyer was a solid choice — for when done well these stories are favorites. And for a movie using “magic,” it is one of the most thoughtful in the “Curse Bottle” category — those OOTB movies about magic the hero did not ask for, or is cursed by — but needs in order to grow. With a romantic co-starring role for Helen Hunt, and cameos by Valerie Perrine, Delta Burke, and Bette Midler, the film is a prime example of smart moviemaking. It works because it answers the question filmmakers assaying the OOTB genre must confront: What would happen if this amazing thing occurred in real life?

OOTB films might seem silly on the surface, but a good one is “about something” — and the substance of
What Women Want
is in its theme, which explores the female mind through the one guy who can benefit from the magic more than any other. What starts as an empowerment becomes a powerful example of “be careful what you wish for.” It might just lead to change.

OOTB Type: Curse Bottle

OOTB Cousins:
Witchboard, The Craft, Liar Liar, The Devil’s Advocate, Ella Enchanted, Bedazzled, Practical Magic, The Animal, Shallow Hal, The Ant Bully

WHAT WOMEN WANT

Screenplay by
Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa
Story by
Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa
and
Diane Drake

Opening Image:
“You know the expression ’a man’s man?’” asks a female voice. A lot of women are talking about Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson): his ex-wife, his daughter, and the female employees at the ad agency where he works. All agree: He’s a rogue. We meet Mel waking in bed, a lipstick kiss on his cheek from yet another date. Mel smiles with satisfaction, not realizing Stasis = Death.

Set-Up:
Mel is a successful ad exec who lives in a luxury NYC apartment. We set up a day in Mel’s life that includes chatting with his maid; his female doorman; flirting with Lola (Marisa Tomei), the girl at his building coffee shop; and being top dog at work — even if it means ignoring an office worker, Erin (Judy Greer). Mel is up for a promotion and seems sure to get it.

Theme Stated:
At Minute 11, Mel’s boss (Alan Alda) tells Mel: “If we don’t evolve and think beyond our natural ability, we’re gonna go down.” Alan’s talking about the agency’s need to change with the times, but we know he’s talking about Mel — and the theme!

Catalyst:
Alan gives Mel the bad news: Mel not only lost the promotion, he lost to a woman.

Debate:
Will Mel accept this affront or fight it? Mel goes to his ex-wife’s wedding and learns he’s getting his daughter, Alex (Ashley Johnson), for two weeks — a complication. Women are suddenly a problem for the man’s man. The new boss arrives and Mel meets Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt). Mel’s first look at her in the conference room is an admiring view of her legs. This is still Mel’s mindset, but we sense it’s about to be challenged. New boss Helen’s mantra is female-driven advertising. To get her team up
to speed, she gives everyone in the meeting a pink box filled with women’s products. Mel receives the totem not knowing it contains part of the “magic” he will need to transform.

Break into Two:
We’ve come a long way since
Freaky Friday.
We know why we’re seeing this movie: the magic of Mel hearing women’s thoughts. But how will he acquire this power? We delay the inevitable as Mel gets drunk and puts on nail polish and eye liner to feel in synch with the woman consumer. Director Meyers is doing a modified “Pope in the Pool” here, obscuring what we know
must
happen with fun. This includes Mel’s daughter and her boyfriend surprising Mel while he’s wearing pantyhose. Mel shoos them away, then gets his stockings in a twist and falls into the bathtub filled with women’s products. As a magic-inducing final touch, a plugged-in hair dryer plops in, too. Mel is shocked and falls unconscious. When he wakes, we reprise Mel’s “day in the life” — a common trick to show change has occurred. And it has. Mel can hear what females are thinking — even female poodles. (Double Mumbo Jumbo alert!) Welcome to Act Two, Mel.

Fun and Games:
We put the B story on hold for a while to revel in the “promise of the premise.” It’s a fun movie idea, and part of that fun is seeing Mel deal with the magic in a “realistic” way. In director Meyers’ hands, it’s textbook. Step 1: Denial. Mel can’t believe it, but everywhere he goes, he hears women’s secret thoughts. Step 2: Horror. At work, he not only hears what his female co-workers think, but what they think about him! Step 3: Sharing. The Confidant (Mark Feuerstein), a male co-worker of Mel’s, doesn’t believe him. Step 4: Testing. Mel overhears cries for help, too — and the one that will become most important comes from office worker Erin. Just in time for Step 5: Rejection. Mel goes home and tries to get rid of the powers by re-enacting the magic. Unable to do so, Mel visits his ex-therapist, Bette Midler. Bette tells Mel what we’ve known all along: He can
use
his powers! “If you know what women want, the world can be yours,” she says. Step 6: Work it! Mel runs amuck
using fem-telepathy to get a date with Marisa, outthink his boss Helen, and get in good with his daughter’s female friends. Having the power is now amazing — and profitable — and Mel exploits it to the max.

Midpoint:
Yet Mel is still not happy. As a metaphor for growth, he’s failed to get the lesson — and by midpoint he knows it. A “time clock” is now in place: Mel has two weeks to learn “what women want” to win the Nike Woman account and best Helen. But after sex with Marisa — when he wows her with his insight into her thoughts — Mel starts to sense the “false victory.”

B Story:
Mel’s real catalyst for “evolving” is Helen. In short, Mel’s in love. It is through Helen that he will learn and grow.

Bad Guys Close In:
Mel wins the Nike account, dazzles his daughter when they shop for a prom dress, and kisses Helen — but his powers make this a cheat. We are “closing in” on the fact that Mel is hopelessly self-centered and still resists change.