In Search Of Taste-of-Change Movies

[MWollaeger]

Hey,

I’m looking for a movie where the MC (ideally) or IC (less ideally) completely changes somewhere in the middle of the movie, but ultimately would not be categorized as a Change character.

[I think this happens in *Big*, but for other reasons, I’m not interested in working with this movie.]

In The Lives of Others, the german spy has a clear moment (in the elevator, with the kid) where he changes to being a better man. Almost immediately after that, he’s back to being a stickler about the rules, but ultimately he softens and Changes completely.

I’m looking for something where that final change does not happen.

Thanks!

[mlucas]

Hi Mike, I’m wondering if The Devil Wears Prada might fit your qualifications?

SPOILER ALERT (mostly for others as I recall you schooling me on this film’s MC Throughline characters before… )

From what I recall of the story, Andy really does shed her old self in favour of Miranda’s approach to work, fashion and life, which ends up completely affecting her personal relationships as well (she and her boyfriend break up). But at the end when Miranda betrays a friend, it’s like a wake-up call for Andy and she goes back to her old way of life (previous career aspirations, even starting up with the boyfriend again). Wiser, definitely Grown, but not Changed.

[jhay]

The Devil Wears Prada is what I thought, too. Only watched it the other day, so it’s relatively fresh to me.

There’s a whole section where Andy basically dedicates her life to Miranda, abandons her boyfriend for her work, upsets her friends, sleeps with some random dude, etc. She starts looking out for herself, without concern for others, much like Miranda does. And then, ultimately, abandons all of that to go back to how she initially approached things.

[Prish]

Whose Afraid of Virigina Woolf makes it seem like all kinds of changes are happening. Ever After had an odd feel to it, in that it did not go the way I had anticipated at times. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane fooled us in the movie theaters, when first shown. The Manchurian Candidate, also, was a surprising reveal in the theaters, seeming to change but not at the end. Memento seemed to be one thing and turned out to be another, so I don’t know if that would fit. Citizen Kane, he did seem to change.

[mlucas]

I have a question related to this kind of film. If a Steadfast story represents the process of building up justifications, and a Change story the process of tearing them down … then what is happening in a “taste of change” story?

I mean, it’s still a Steadfast story in the end … So I guess “taste of change” would be a story in which the process of building up the justifications involves sampling the other path that could be taken (represented by the Influence Character’s approach). In that sense, your term “taste of change” is remarkably apt – it’s like the MC has to really “taste” the IC’s chocolate pudding and experience all the ramifications of that, in order to realize that he’d rather stick with his own vanilla.

Compare this to a solidly Steadfast MC like Dr. Kimble in The Fugitive, who never really wavers away from his innocent “I didn’t kill my wife” brand of vanilla pudding.

[jhay]

I think you answered your own question there, @mlucas!

Another way to see it is that the IC represents another path for the MC. So these kinds of movies are basically like the MC following the IC down that path, only to turn back when they realise it’s not right for them (and bringing the IC back to their preferred path).

[MWollaeger]

Functionally, what I think is going on has something to do with balance.

In cases where a character goes one way and then reverses course, I think they are witnessing things like a high cost or something – like in Devil Wears Prada – and they realize they don’t want to pay that price and so they reverse out of it.

[Greg]

The kids rewatched Moana tonight. It doesn’t fit what you were looking for because Maui ends up being a Changed character, but he does get a little taste of change before getting his hook broken and deciding that losing it is too high a price to continue and he bails on Moana. The second and final change happens offscreen, so we don’t know exactly what spurred it, but I presume he decided that the adoration of mankind for restoring the heart of Te Fiti outweighed the cost of losing the hook.

[MWollaeger]

Meh, I’m really interested in movies where a character changes and then reverts back to their original POV.

As for Maui, I assume the screenwriters really like Han Solo.

[Prish]

How about No Way Out? I remember not wanting to see A Fish Named Wanda because it didn’t seem to go anywhere, by what I picked up word of mouth. I vaguely remember feeling that way about Juliet in the film Juliet of the Spirits, when it came out. Elmer Gantry? Nights of Cabiria? Splendor in the Grass? The Manchurian Candidate has a very long taste of change until the last shot, for some tastes.

[HaroldLloyd]

Some possibilities. I suspect some of these might be less than bona fide & done for venting, manipulative, or logistical reasons (i.e. things are difficult so I’m considering giving up).

Toy Story: Buzz breaks down “you were right Woody. I’m not really Buzz. I’m just a toy,” then reverts back after Woody makes Buzz’s original argument.
Sideways: Jack’s “I know I did a bad thing breakdown.” Real or manipulative?
Whiplash: Andrew gives up and appears to adopt Fletcher’s “great or hobbyist” outlook temporarily & seems to choose that he’s resigned to being a hobbyist.
Rocky: I can’t win.
Cool Hand Luke: the magazines were fakes.
A Separation: at least once or twice he says, “I’ll do it if you want me to.”
Little Miss Sunshine: Olive quietly considers the alternative argument of being a loser before going on stage.

These may not have storyforms:
La La Land: both leads appear to take a “I give up on my dream” detour.
Superman 2

[HaroldLloyd]

Grand Canyon: Steve Martin’s character has a huge perspective change then reverts back. This may be a substory (i.e. the “ghost character” substory).