Stardust (2007) - a Grand Argument Story?

analysis
#1

It’s one of the most engaging and creative fantasy stories I have ever seen. :slight_smile:

My guess is:

Change, Stop,Do-er, Logical?, Action driver, Optionlock, Success, Good

OS (Obtaining the Star’s heart): Activity >> Obtaining >> Self Interest
(Problem: Control? > Solution: Uncontrol; Sympthom: Pursuit? > Response: Avoidance )
MC (Tristan): Situation >> The Future >> Preconception
IC (Yvaine): Fixed Attitude >> Innermost Desire >> Closure
RS (Romance): Manipulation >> Changing One’s Nature >> Commitment

Has anyone seen this movie? Is it a full-fledged GAS?

#2

I did watch the movie recently, becausse I’d heard it was a campy, cheesy cult classic. That was about right, by my reckoning.

I think I’d argue the OS is a little broader than obtaining the star’s heart specifically. Tristan just wanted “the star” to give to his beloved, not realizing it’d manifested as a human, while the princes want the amulet around Yvaine’s neck. Perhaps “wanting the desire the star can provide” is a little more accurate.

I’m curious why you say Tristan changes as opposed to Yvaine. I suppose whenever you have a Relationship Throughline of Changing One’s Nature, this is gonna be a sticking point, but it seems to me like both of them change quite a bit. Tristan opens up and becomes the swashbuckling hero he always wanted to be, while Yvaine defrosts and remembers how to glow. (Or maybe “deprickles” would be better, since she’s more of a tsundere than an ice queen.) If I were to pick one as having changed more fundamentally, it’d be Yvaine.

It also seems odd to me for Yvaine to have “Closure” and Tristan to have “Preconception;” almost seems like it’d make more sense to have it the other way, since Tristan is the one trying to close the deal with his beau and come to terms with his mother, while Yvaine is the one dumping all her preconceived notions of what humans are like.

Headed to bed; will continue to think about this.

1 Like
#3

I agree.

But it seems to me that Tristan is more like a hotheaded Doer, and his Issue is more about Preconception vs Openess (He has a crush on the superficial and selfish girl because of her look, and wants to marry her; he is much more open minded than the villagers etc.). I think it is similar to Belle’s Througline in The Beauty and the Beast. (“Funny girl” song vs her adventure seeking nature)

Examples:

"Victoria: How did… Well, how does a shop boy afford all of this?

Tristan: I’m not a shop boy.

Victoria: God! I heard. I’m sorry.
What are you going to do now?

Tristan: No. I mean, I’m not a shop boy.
I was just working in a shop.
And now I’m not.
Now I’m free to Iive my Iife as I wish.

Victoria:This must have been all your savings.

Tristan: So? I can make more.That’s the beauty of it.
I never intended to stay in Wall, Victoria.
There’s a big world out there,
I’m gonna make my fortune. …
…

Victoria: You’re funny, Tristan. _People Iike you and people Iike me, we’re just not…_I should be going. It’s really Iate."

and here:

"Tristan: Shop boy Iike me,
I could never have imagined
an adventure this big
in order to have wished for it.
I just thought
I’d find some Iump of celestial rock
and take it home, and that would be it.

Yvaine: And you got me.
If there’s one thing I’ve Iearned
in all my years watching Earth,
it’s that people aren’t what they may seem.
There are shop boys and there are boys who just happen
to work in shops for the time being.
And trust me, Tristan,you’re no shop boy."

(I also think that Captain Shakespeare’s subplot mirrors Tristain’s Issues with Preconception vs Openess. Example:
Captain Shakespeare: You have no idea the Iightness it brings to my heart
being able to confide in you charming young people.
The pressure of maintaining the whole Captain Shakespeare persona
for the sake of the crew, I don’t know. Sometimes…
You see, I’m very much a man of my own creation.
Even chose the name specially. Took me ages.
See, I’m thinking Iegendary British wordsmith.
My enemies and crew are thinking, “Shake! Spear!”
It’s Iittle things Iike that make me happy.

Tristan: I don’t understand that.
Surely it would make you happier
just to be yourself.
Why fight to be accepted by people
you don’t actually want to be Iike?

Yvaine (sardonically toTristan): Yeah. Why would anyone do that to himself?
Here is the full scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKSAKBEI4w0 )

Yvain’s Closure is that almost everybody wants to kill her, and Tristan wants to bring her home before Victoria’birthday.

About MC’s Change I’m not sure. I thought that Trisain’s perspective changes more, because in the end he doesn’t try to control Yvain anymore. (MC Solution: Uncontrolled?)

(Here is a dialogue transcript: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/a2/stardust-script-transcript.html)