Welcome to the Choices Blog!
Check out these different scene breakdowns, starting with an outtake from the Youtube video!
Michael Drives Into A Lake - The Office US
Character Want: Michael wants to drive to the next business on the other side of the lake.
Choice Presented: Follow the GPS or not?
Scene Object: The GPS.
Side A: Michael: Follow the GPS.
Side B: Dwight: Don’t listen to the GPS.
Who has the Power of Choice: Michael
Choice Made: Michael drives into the lake.
A hilarious outtake from the choices Youtube video I had to cut. Such a well done comedic choice with a clear scene object tied beautifully to the philosophical conflict of the episode. The entire episode is about a new company website changing how their paper business is run. And Michael Scott is deeply upset about this change.
Signing Scott Hatteberg - Moneyball
Character Want: Billy Beane wants to sign Scott Hatteberg.
Choice Presented: Will Scott sign to the Oakland A's?
Scene Object: Baseball.
Side A: Billy Beane: Sign to the A's.
Side B: Scott Hatteberg // Ron Washington: Don’t sign to the A's.
Who has the Power of Choice: Scott Hatteberg
Choice Made: ???
You'll notice in the end of this scene, Scott hasn't actually made his choice verbally yet. However, we know he is making the choice to sign with the A's. The choice ends up being made off-screen. But if you notice his reaction with his family in the end, it gives the audience a good indicator of what he will do.
Tommy Shelby meets Alfie Solomons - Peaky Blinders
Character Want: Tommy wants to work with Alfie.
Choice Presented: Will Alfie ally with Tommy or not?
Scene Object: Alfie's gun.
Side A: Tommy: Ally with me.
Side B: Alfie: Don’t ally with Tommy.
Who has the Power of Choice: Alfie.
Choice Made: Alfie allies with Tommy.
I made an in-depth breakdown video on this video that's on my Youtube channel.
The firm decides to sell it's assets. - Margin Call
Character Want: John Tuld wants to understand the nature of the problem facing the firm.
Choice Presented: Sell the firm's assets?
Scene Object: Mr. Sullivan's report.
Side A: John // Jared: Sell the assets.
Side B: Sam: Don’t sell the assets.
Who has the Power of Choice: John Tuld
Choice Made: John tells Sam to ready his team to begin selling the assets.
There's a lot of characters in this scene. And the reason I didn't include all of them is because of a very small selection of them actually take a position on the choice. Even Mr. Sullivan doesn't really take a position on whether or not the assets should be sold. He's simply helping John make his decision.
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Carla Jean and Anton Chigurh - No Country for Old Men
Character Want: Anton is here to murder Carla.
Choice Presented: Murder Carla or not?
Scene Object: The coin.
Side A: Anton: Murder Carla.
Side B: Carla: Don’t murder her.
Who has the Power of Choice: Anton
Choice Made: Anton murders Carla.
I love how Carla refuses to call Anton's coin in the scene. She's the only one in the entire film who refuses. And she calls Anton out. It's his choice.
Lou sells his tape to Nina. - Nightcrawler
Character Want: Nina wants Lou’s tape.
Choice Presented: Will Nina pay Lou’s high price?
Scene Object: Lou's tape.
Side A: Lou: Pay Lou’s Price.
Side B: Nina: Refuse Lou’s Price.
Who has the Power of Choice: Nina
Choice Made: Nina pays.
This is one of those moments where Nina has the power of the choice, yet has very little power in the scene. She still does hold the power of the choice, but Lou has stacked the deck against her so intensely that she can't help but meet his extreme demands.
Tread lightly. - Breaking Bad
Character Want: Walter wants to check on Hank and see if he's discovered Walter's secret identity.
Choice Presented: Go after Walter or not?
Scene Object: The GPS tracker.
Side A: Hank: Go after Walter.
Side B: Walter: Don’t go after Walter.
Who has the Power of Choice: Hank
Choice Made: ???
This scene leaves us on a cliffhanger, but ultimately it's already clear what Hank will do. Hank can't simply let Walter walk away from this. He is now 100% sure Walter is Heisenberg. It's just a matter of proving it.
There is always hope. - Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
Character Want: Aragorn wants to see Haleth's sword.
Choice Presented: Give up hope?
Scene Object: Haleth's sword.
Side A: Haleth: Give up hope.
Side B: Aragorn: Don’t give up hope.
Who has the Power of Choice: Haleth
Choice Made: Aragorn reinforces Haleth's hope.
This is a very minor scene, but I included it because it still has a scene choice, a scene object, and two characters on opposing sides of the important choice. Even minor scenes are about choices.
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"I Got A Hit" - Network
Character Want: Hackett wants to know where Beale is.
Choice Presented: Will the Network continue putting Howard on the air even though he is unwell?
Scene Object: Newspaper, Phone.
Side A: Hackett // Diana: Keep Howard on the air.
Side B: Schumaker: Take him off the air.
Who has the Power of Choice: Hackett
Choice Made: Hackett fires Schumaker and keeps Beale on the air.
This is one of my favorite scene debates of all time. I love Hackett in this scene. Duvall, the actor playing Hackett, does a great job here.
Wikus tries to evict Christopher Johnson- District 9
Character Want: Wikus wants to evict Christopher Johnson.
Choice Presented: Will Christopher sign the eviction papers or not?
Scene Object: The eviction notice.
Side A: Wikus: Sign the paper.
Side B: Christopher Johnson: Don’t sign the paper.
Who has the Power of Choice: Christopher Johnson
Stakes Raise: Wikus threatens to take Christopher's child.
Choice Made: Christopher refuses to sign the papers.
Notice the Stakes Raise here. Wikus putting pressure on Christopher because he is higher in the hierarchy. However, Christopher's son hides and they get away with not signing the papers... for now.
The 10 Plagues - The Prince of Egypt
Character Want: Moses wants Ramses to let his people go.
Choice Presented: Let Moses' people go or not?
Scene Object: The plagues.
Side A: Moses: Let my people go.
Side B: Ramses: Don’t let his people go.
Who has the Power of Choice: Ramses.
Choice Made: Ramses refuses to let Moses' people go.
You can express a choice in song as well as in dialogue. If you make the choice clear and binary, you can express your dialogue in all sorts of fun ways.
Mr. Darcy Proposes to Elizabeth - Pride and Prejudice
Character Want: Darcy wants to marry Elizabeth.
Choice Presented: Will you marry me?
Scene Object: None.
Side A: Mr. Darcy: Marry me.
Side B: Elizabeth: Don’t marry Darcy.
Who has the Power of Choice: Elizabeth
Choice Made: Elizabeth rejects Mr. Darcy.
So notice in this scene that the choice is "made" pretty early on. Then the rest of the scene is the two characters getting into all the reasons why Elizabeth is saying no. Because of this huge choice, they are able to get all sorts of information out through the argument about why Darcy isn't a good guy.
When you have a clear choice you can use that choice to deliver exposition and character emotion through the debate without the audience thinking it's boring.
Is this your homework, Larry? - The Big Lebowski
Character Want: Walter and the Dude want to know where their money is.
Choice Presented: Will Larry give them their money?
Scene Object: Larry's homework.
Side A: Walter and the Dude: Give them their money.
Side B: Larry: Don’t give them their money.
Who has the Power of Choice: Larry
Choice Made: Larry refuses to speak to them.
Larry has a hilarious amount of power here. His deadpan silence is funny to watch and the reason the joke lands is because the character want and the power of choice is very clear.