Perfect Scene

*SPOILER ALERT*

I was blown away by the writing in a recent episode of Gossip Girl, "The Treasure of Serena Madre." It was the perfect example of creating tension in a scene, and it was beautiful to watch.

It was the Thanksgiving episode. The Humphreys and the van der Woodsens were celebrating their first Thanksgiving together - and boy did they have different opinions on the holiday! Rufus wanted something huge and holiday-like. Lily wanted small, maybe even just take out. She didn't even want to invite her mother. Meanwhile, Vanessa decided to crash at Dan's loft because her mother was driving her crazy. Except she didn't realize that ever since the threesome Dan's been madly in love with her. Blair's mother was hiding something, and Blair (who is obsessed with Thanksgiving) was determined to find out over the holiday -- and when she does, she thinks the big secret is that her mother's pregnant. Serena and Tripp were busy having a quasi-affair, which was driving Nate crazy because he's in love with Serena again. Oh, and you know, the whole political figure scandal. Jenny's discovered that Eric was secretly behind her sabotage at Cotillion.

After a turn of events, everyone winds up at the van der Woodsen/Humphrey Thanksgiving. EVERYONE. Including Lily's mother, Vanessa's mother, and Tripp and his wife. The table is buzzing with secrets and tension. Everyone has to be on their best behavior, because it is a holiday, and they don't want to embarrass themselves. So there are a lot of snide comments. A lot of subtext. And finally, a lot of storming off.

It's a great scene because the audience is aware of all the tension. The audience knows everyone's secrets, everyone's drama. So we're just waiting for the pot to boil over. Waiting. It comes slowly...what's going to happen...how will our characters react...and then it all erupts at once.

This is what they mean when they say you should make sure your scenes have tension. Make your characters uncomfortable. Surprise them. Take the day we're all supposed to be happy -- Thanksgiving -- and blow it up so that there's nothing to be thankful for.

Watch the scene here.

(500) Days of Summer

I don't tend to do movie reviews, because everyone has different tastes, and I like to stay as far away from spoilers as I can, but for this movie I just cannot help myself. I saw (500) Days of Summer this afternoon, and I was completely blown away. The storytelling was so unique, so unexpected -- and it really worked. If you're writing anything with flashbacks or voiceover, this is a must-see.

The basic premise, without giving too much away, is boy meets girl...but it isn't a love story. It's just an honest portrayal of the modern relationship, with heartfelt details and fantastic acting. I'm a huge Joseph Gordon Levitt fan to begin with, but his work in this film was stunning. And Zooey Deschanel was so real, you could almost touch her. Everything about this movie worked, from the sequencing, to the intricate costume and set design, to the dramatic tension in each scene.

This is a prime example of both characters and conflict. The entire movie is driven by these two specific characters who are at once only themselves but also universal, regular Joes. So the audience immediately recognizes themselves in the characters, but they are so detailed that they feel like real people. The characters are mixed with an inherent conflict that's placed subtly in each scene. Not a moment goes by with some sort of dramatic tension. Each scene has a purpose or two, but in the background are inklings of the greater conflict. One of the complaints I make most in my coverage (and that I get 0n my own writing, let's be humble for a second) is that the scenes lack conflict, and the story lacks drama. So seeing a movie where it really comes together made me truly understand this important nuance of screenwriting.

In short, if you're serious about pursuing screenwriting as a career, you have to see this movie. And you have to learn from it. And if you just like movies, art, or life, then you'll have a great hour and half in the theater.