John Truby’s analysis of American Hustle

[SPotter]

Truby’s American Hustle article

I first became interested in John Truby last year when his series of ‘interviews’ hit the internets. What attracted me were his ideas on screenwriting as being mostly hard work and not formulaic (or thats what I thought I heard). So I bought his book and because I am a huge procrastinator I have not read it yet. But I get his emails. I recently read the article on American Hustle above and the point I want to comment here is his ideas on the POV switching in this movie.

Again, If he had the Dramatica vocabulary I think he would say the FBI agent (Bradley Cooper character) is the protagonist and Christian Bale is the Main Character. But, Truby is stuck in the mindset that Protagonist and MC are inseparable (IMO). With Dramatica POV one can see that we can separate Overall Story from MC story and it’s a beautiful thing. I love Jim Hulls comment(Structure is what happens When ) ,"Its funny too to hear talk about “two-handers” when Dramatica considers all narrative at its core a “two-hander” (Main and Influence Character). ” and American Hustle has Amy Adams as the Influence
Character to complete this two hander.

Anyway, Truby also says that flashback structure is wrong. “Hustle uses the storyteller flashback structure, but does it incorrectly. This structure, when done properly, begins in the present, just after the biggest dramatic event of the story, typically the battle scene. The moment triggers a flashback where we return to some point in the past and see the events that led up to the dramatic event. “
In my opinion what he describes is overdone and although initially thrown off by this in American Hustle I found it refreshing.

It will be interesting to do a Dramatica analysis of American Hustle and see if memories or past come up in a signpost one somewhere or as Benchmark.

[JBarker]

I think it’s something that is hard for people to grasp, that one needs two perspectives in order to make an argument. Even Lisa Coen acknowledges this (somewhat) in her book Wired For Story, that ultimately something like “Hope” isn’t a theme - theme is what the piece has to say about hope through the culmination of events. As we know with any form of persuasive endeavor, you have to show multiple sides which means differing POVs and the outcome is ultimately the basis for the argument and what is being said. I think Dramatica makes this easier to understand because we have the separate functions whereas too many times, the shifting of the POV between characters in other story theories results in confusion to whom the main character is.

As for Truby, I like him and learned a lot from him, but sometimes I feel he falls victim to his own personal constructs of story. His review of Godzilla, as seen through his own story bias, kind of leaves something to be desired IMO. I was disappointed with the film, especially after seeing the first trailer - however the movie exceeded his expectations, mostly I suspect because he was able to see some patterns in the storytelling that he could associate to his genre specifics.

[SPotter]

I’ve been thinking that there is value in almost all forms of storytelling and the different theories of structure out there, starting with the hero’s journey. I shouldn’t feel superior because I am aware of and enjoy Dramatica Theory. Truby’s Anatomy of Story with his structure for different genres as well as the pattern of the hero’s journey and other structures can work inside the Dramatica Theory. I’ll try to, in the future, to understand where another analysis is coming from and try to interpret it through the Dramatica lens.

[jhull]

You should always feel superior. That’s the whole point of knowing Dramatica

I agree with your character assignments for American Hustle – FBI agent Protagonist, Christian Bale MC and Amy Adams as Influence–if only they had actually done that! Unfortunately the final product is almost all Overall Story (at least that’s what my original analysis of American Hustle said earlier this year–had to reread it to remember!).

[MWollaeger]

The only thing about The Hero’s Journey I’ve been able to take away is that it is a great general plan for a character becoming a hero. Contrary to most beliefs, this is not every movie. It’s the misapplication of it that is worse than the ideas themselves.

(Though, to be honest, I don’t really buy into the ideas either.)