| |
Dramatica Users
Group Movie Analysis:
"What's
Up Doc?"
Review by Katharine
E. Monahan Huntley
What's
Up Doc?, written by Buck Henry with David Newman and Robert
Benton, is director Peter Bogdanovich's affectionate nod to screwball
comedies, particularly the Howard Hawk's classic Bringing Up Baby.
The film contains a Dramatica grand argument story and a storyform
identical to Bringing Up Baby (story example available in the
Dramatica 3.0 software).
Dr. Howard Bannister
"as in sliding down the" is the main character. An
unassuming and shy musicologist, he is preoccupied with his work (mc
domain-mind). Oblivious to all but scientific research (mc problem-logic),
Howard allows his shrill and highly efficient fiancée, Eunice
(mc critical flaw-choice), to orchestrate his every movement
(mc approach-be-er).
In San Francisco
for a music convention, Howard is hoping (unique ability)
to obtain (objective story goal) a $20,000 grant bestowed
by the Larrabee Foundation. Upon arrival, Howard bumps into Judy (motor
mouth) Maxwell (obstacle character), a mischievous "tidal
wave" heedless of the wreckage (human and otherwise) she leaves
in her wake. Judy sets her cap for Howard (subjective story catalyst-commitment),
despite his request to "go away and just leave me alone."
(mc direction-control)
The Congress of
America Musicologists is held at the Hotel Bristol. In between university
studies (oc thematic issue-delay), Judy selects the hotel as
her temporary abode-finagling her stay without a reservation or the
means to pay for it (oc domain-universe).
Judy masquerades
as Howard's fiancée (ss story benchmark-being) at a dinner
party hosted by Larrabee. Howard is aghast (ss problem-support)-Larrabee
is charmed (os solution-feeling):
LARRABEE
She's a
delight . . . this girl of yours is fun. F.U.N. And if you win that
grant, well, you can consider (os direction) it her
victory as well as your own. Do you follow me?
HOWARD
I certainly
do (male mental sex).
Thus manipulated
(ss domain-psychology), Howard rationalizes (ss thematic
issue) his dismissal of the real Eunice: "I never saw her before
in my life." (os catalyst-self-interest)
Four identical plaid
valises (limit-optionlock) complicate the objective story plot.
One holds top-secret government papers; Mrs. Van Hoskins'-priceless
jewels; Howard's-geological rocks pertinent to his thesis; Judy's-slinky
lingerie. The inevitable mix-up provides much of the physical (os
domain-physics) comedy, including Howard's hotel room catching fire
(mc focus-uncontrolled), and a car chase involving a Chinese
dragon, Lombard Street, and the San Francisco Bay.
The jabbering odd
lot of characters (a hotel detective who bungles a burgle, a pompous,
plagiarizing musicologist, the FBI, innocent bystanders, et cetera),
is brought before an exasperated judge:
JUDGE
Now ordinarily
I would threaten you with contempt (os thematic issue-approach).
But in this case, and I think the Supreme Court will back me up
on this, I am seriously considering (os direction)
setting up a torture chamber! Now, I want this whole, ridiculous
story told by one person.
HOWARD
...It all
started when I bumped my head in the taxicab on the way in from
the airport (story driver-action)... When I went to the drugstore
to get something for a headache, the druggist tried to charge me
for a radio because she [Judy] said her husband would pay
for it, but I didn't of course...Anyway, she ripped my jacket, and
when Eunice came along...Eunice is my fiancée.
JUDGE
You have
a wife and a fiancée?
HOWARD
No sir...
JUDGE
...Let's
just skip over this part and move on.
HOWARD
Well anyway,
that night at the banquet she was there again (ss focus-reconsider).
JUDGE
...Who was
there, your wife or your fiancée?
HOWARD
Neither...The
one who isn't either. Everyone was calling her Burnsey...That's
short for Burns, that's Eunice's last name.
JUDGE
...I think
I want to skip over this part, too.
HOWARD
Well the
next day, today, Mr. Larrabee asked me to come to his house with
my rocks and to bring Eunice, or rather Burnsey, the one he thinks
is Eunice (ss benchmark-being). Is that clear?
JUDGE
No, but
it's consistent.
HOWARD
...Well
it gets kind of complicated...he [points one way] came in
and tried to get my case, and then he [points another way]
came in and tried to get his case, and then they [points
to thugs] came in and tried to get all the cases, and then the shooting
started (os catalyst-self-interest).
The matter is finally
sorted out (os signpost 4-understanding), and after a few false
stops and starts (mc growth), Howard receives the grant
(outcome-success). Eunice remains behind with Larrabee, and Howard
happily (mc resolve-change) discovers Judy sitting behind him
on the airplane to Iowa.
JUDY
What's up
Doc?
HOWARD
Did you
happen to know I love you (mc solution-feeling)?
JUDY
Yeah (oc
resolve-steadfast).
Howard and Judy
kiss (mc judgment-good) and "That's all folks!"
WHAT'S UP DOC? story engine settings.
|
