If you know me, you probably know I'm obsessed by romantic comedy, and that I think the best ones fall into the "battle of the sexes" category -- movies where the two lovers are, on some level, adversaries.
Below, a formula I found, or made, or broke, for the Sex-Battle-Rom-Com. Note how closely it resembles a boxing match, with the two fighters alternating between sparring and retreating to their corners with their buddies and "coaches".
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Sections 1-4 are the hardest, and the most important to get right, and the ones that will most distinguish your movie from others. It’s where it’s trickiest, and most crucial, to come up with something kinda new. This set-up, by the way, is for one where they’re BOTH going after something, a more war-of-the-sexes style, rather than just following ONE of them.
SECTION ONE – 10 minutes We establish what each one needs to “chase” in the movie (usually career-driven). We see that they’re ruthless, but also good people. We meet the friends/confidantes who will egg them on and help us to hear their thoughts.
1) We meet character A, see what he/she is great at and what he/she’s “major damage” is. We meet the confidante(s). Character A is presented with the major problem that needs solving.
2) We meet character B, see what he/she is great at and the “major damage” is. We meet the confidante(s). Character B is presented with the major problem that needs solving.
SECTION TWO – 2-5 minutes Our couple meet (or connect, if they already know each other). They realize the other one can help them get what they want. Possibly the friends are there to see what happens. Possibly not. No matter what, though, WE have to fall in love with the idea of these characters as a couple at this point – the movie that doesn’t sell us on the idea of that at this point probably won’t work. We see the possibility of these people solving what WE have identified as their “real problem” (aside from the thing they THINK they want)
SECTION THREE – 3-5 minutes They question their own motives (internal debate) – should they really do this? Their friends either convince them, or tell them not to, in which case arguing with their friends convinces them. If there’s a bet being made or $ on the line, this is where it gets set up.
SECTION FOUR – 30-40 minutes, but HAS to escalate with each moment! They decide to go for it, and we see them start to pursue their goal full-force. AT LEAST FIVE MOMENTS THAT UP THE ANTE/OBSTACLES they create for each other. By the end of this section, we’re at a breaking point – if it weren’t for the bet/outside stakes, they’d run in the other direction. Or, if they’d come clean, they’d fall into bed. Oh! Another thing that’s true. A lot of times, movies will turn into JUST obstacles at this point, total fun and games. But these OBSTRUCTIONS and OVERCOMING THEM is actually where our characters are learning what they need to learn to actually be a good couple in the end…they’re probably learning things like patience, risk, humility, forgiveness…whatever it was they’re really LACKING, these obstructions need to somehow address. Easy as pie, right? Gulp.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
The last beat of this is where ONE of them makes a last-ditch attempt, against better judgment, to get the thing he/she wants (and thus “make it work”. This breaks into section 5
SECTION FIVE – 5 - 7 minutes. Something REAL happens between them. Even in the midst of their pretense, they see each other for who they really are and/or open up and communicate the truth of themselves, however obliquely. They get to see each others’ souls and they like what they see. This is the “magic section” of the movie, usually feels like they’ve entered the Garden of Eden on some level. This is the promise of what they can be together, once they put all their bullshit aside. But it can’t last. And actually, it can’t last long…we just need to see the potential.
SECTION SIX – 10 min. Back to the real world, which is gathering steam around them in a big way – things got worse in their “absence”. This is where outside forces really start to do their work. It can take several forms:
(1) the characters can start to have real second thoughts – now that they know and really like this person, how can they USE them this way?
(2) Pressure to GET THE THING THEY CAME FOR, and to HURRY (a clock, the risk of losing it
(3) a RIVAL.
No matter what, our characters need to go back to their corners, remember what they came for, and decide that it’s worth going after AT ALL COSTS, even if it costs them this person that they’ve now legitimately fallen for, even if they lose themselves in the process. They decide to “finish what they started,” but they also realize they’re gonna have to destroy what they’ve gained in the process. This section ends when they decide to do that. Their friends are definitely here, either egging them on or telling them to stop.
SECTION SEVEN – 5 min. They do whatever it is they’ve decided they have to do in order to see this thing through. And it backfires, bigtime. And whatever the “truth” is comes out. They are stripped bare in front of each other; they now BOTH know each others’ original ulterior motives, or they’ve done the ONE thing they could never do and keep the other person’s respect. It’s bad. We’re not sure there’s any way they can come back from this, either. Our couple is well and truly separated.
SECTION EIGHT – 5-7 min. Our couple separates, licking their wounds. Maybe they got the thing they were chasing, and realize how little that thing means. Or maybe they didn’t get it, and realize they should still be trying for it, and just don’t care. Their friends try to help them get past it – to no avail. Without each other, life loses all of its color (we MIGHT only be with one of the characters, at this point, if that’s how it’s structured). The character(s) try to move on with normal life, back in the normal world, but there’s been too much internal change. This ends with the decision to make one last-ditch attempt at winning the other person back.
SECTION NINE – 5 minutes. One character swings into action and tries to get the other one back. There’s usually a physical “chase” scene here, or an obstacle or two…in any case, our character has to break a sweat or execute something difficult to get into the sphere of his/her love.
SECTION TEN – CONFRONTATION. 1-3 pages. It works or it doesn’t.
SECTION ELEVEN – denoument. Celebration. Roll credits.
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