Pixar’s Cars analysis

analysis
#61

If McQueen were to push forward and win in the final race (for example leaving The King crashed on the road) he would be betraying his “Innermost Desires” of being with Sally (as illustrated by his distracted fantasy before the final race). (Maybe. Could be a stretch).

This was my problem too. But then I remembered that the different elements don’t have to be neatly juxtaposed in a simplistic way. In other words, it’s not that you have to stop hindering and start helping. It’s that hindering in various forms is causing problems in the story. Helping in various forms will resolve the story. (Making this point for future readers – you obviously know this).

When I first saw it my now 15-year old son was 4, and the sheer joy he got from it made it the family favorite. But I have to admit I got bored rewatching it this morning. The fact that I’ve seen it so many times is part of it, but I do think there are probably other issues it has. Maybe points that could have been better illustrated.

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#62

This is exactly the thinking that I had for that.

This isn’t so much a stretch if you use the original terminology of Subconscious. Throughout, the movie, though not well-illustrated, there’s a sense that Lightning is looking for something more. (This is especially evident in a single scene, where he agrees with Sally that life didn’t feel full, then immediately backs up on it.) Thus, the Cost of winning the race would cause him to never have a full life, nor ever find love and friendship. Look at Chick for Author’s evidence for this.

Interestingly, I was looking at the quads with Hinder/Help as Problem/Solution this morning and was really liking them for Lightning. I was having trouble illustrating the forced results for that choice, though.

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#63

Actually, I’m not completely sure with this one either, but I was hard-pressed to find Actions that forced Decisions for the initial Driver (start of story), act turns 1-2 (enter Radiator Springs) and 2-3 (start improving the town), and the conclusion. (giving up the race) Of course, I also had a hard time finding a good Decision or deliberation (or set of such) for act turn 3-4 (returning to the racing world).

If you can find Actions that force Decisions for each, and they work and make sense, then I’d be happy to admit I’m wrong. (As I clearly did with Success/Failure.)

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#64

Okay, you guys are going to hate me :wink: , but I’m finally coming around on Action drivers. What’s driving the trip to Ca? Hint, not the decision (or was it an action after all?) of refusing a tire change.

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#65

Which points? I am still having trouble with Focus/Direction, but I often have trouble with those (they very often seem flipped to me – so there’s some weakness in my understanding of the model there). I glanced at the IC and RS points – I think I could make those work but I haven’t tried yet.

Are you saying it’s the tie in the race?

Hm, not sure what you’re referring to. I have a lot of trouble with Action/Decision (chicken/egg) so I was looking to the other story points the choice forces. My main reason to lean toward Decision was that if you choose Action if forces Signpost 1 of the MC throughline into the Past, which seems wrong to me – Future seems to fit better.

I was going to say “Doc decides to call the media”.

#66

Possible Action Drivers?

  1. Refusal to change tires?
  2. Street gang forcing Mac to fall asleep?
  3. ?
  4. Calling the media/Finding Lightning?
  5. Throwing away the race?

Ditto. Plus, I also fall right into the chicken-egg scenario with the Story Driver. (Saying Doc decides to call the media feels like stretching, too, though… BUT: We do see his deliberation of “What to do about Lightning?” … I still don’t know.)

First, a question:
If the story ends in Failure, doesn’t that mean that the OS Solution isn’t fully implemented by the end?

MC Elements

  • Problem - Hinder: I actually said in a much earlier post that Lightning continuously balks at others, which is actually a possible illustration of Hinder, interestingly enough. When he stops this, he’s better off for it.

  • Solution - Help: Whenever Lightning is helping the town, or the King, we see him lighten up, a lot.

I don’t remember which element was Focus and which was Direction. (I don’t have it in front of me, but if you remind me, I can give you the illustrations I had.) In any case, in this quad, it really helps to remember that Uncontrolled can also be read as Free.

OS Elements

  • Problem/Solution - Hinder/Help: (Holding Others Back/Giving the Help Needed) or something similar? As you said, @Lakis, the racers are hindering each other in the races. But, also, if we take the town, they’re keeping Lightning from getting to his race. However, once they start helping him, Lightning almost wins. Interestingly, at the end, I think that Lightning now allows the town to hold him back, thus the OS Solution is shown, but not fully utilized, and ensures a Failure ending. Does this work?
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#67

Also, did anyone notice that the 3rd quarter was suspiciously void of anything much to do with the Piston Cup?

#68

That works for me, but I would like to get a clearer answer from one of the Dramatic experts about how problem/solution work in Failure stories …

OS:
Focus = Oppose
Direction = Support

MC:
Focus = Uncontrolled (or Free)
Direction = Control

Here’s what I mean – if those MC points were reversed, I would say LM believes the source of his problem is Control (he’s imprisoned) and the solution is to get Free and head for CA. But that’s not how they are in the storyform.

As for Oppose/Support … I don’t know.

Oppose: an indirect detraction from another’s effort
Hinder: a direct detraction from another’s effort to achieve their goal

How is that people see the source of the problem as Oppose and not Hinder?

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#69

OS Story Inhibitor = Obligation e.g. LM’s obligation to Radiator Springs slows down the story and diverts him a bit from the goal (maybe?)

#70

Absolutely something I want, too. I only came up with that because I think I remember reading that somewhere in one of the Dramatica theory materials.

As for Lightning’s Focus/Direction elements… Now, I don’t actually remember. I think it was something like this.

  • Focus - Uncontrolled (Free): His imprisonment (a lack of freedom), plus the addition of how bothersome he views the town’s free-spirited nature, or “Hillbilly Hell” as he calls it, and the uncontrolled nature of Chick, who annoys him. These seem to be the kinds things Lightning is viewing as the source of his trouble.

  • Direction - Control: He quickly turns toward Mater as someone or something he holds sway over. However, he does keep looking for things he can control. Mater, finishing the road, he keeps trying to make that turn on dirt, etc.

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#71

Racing against the opposition? Trying to beat the opposition to schmooze with Dinoco?

#72

Most of the gists under “oppose” don’t quite look like that, but there is one that just says “Opposing Someone” so maybe that works.

Interesting gist under “Support” - “Endorsing Products” and “Endorsing Something” which could relate to McQueen and Chick’s desire to become the next spokesperson for Dynaco.

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#73

Exactly what I was going to say.

And, I’ll add:

Considering the terminology of OS Focus (defined as: where attention is focused in the OS), perhaps its that the racers are focused on their opposition for the sponsorship, seeing them as stepping stones. Then, there’s the fact that the town and Lightning are constantly disapproving of one another. Even some of the town members disapprove of the others actions in many places: The Drill Sargent and VW (over music). Sally and Doc (over Lightning). The cop is very disapproving, isn’t he?

I notice, though, that most of these don’t appear to be issues to the characters, except briefly in some instances. So, that’s unfortunate, because it makes these seem much more like story-telling than story-forming decisions.

I wonder if the writers sort of shot for this quad, under instinct, and missed it? Or, if we’re not in the right space?
Or if it might be something else.

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#74

I really like the movie now, but I remember getting pretty bored with it the first time. Even now, this is always a slow part that I struggle to get through. [quote=“Hunter, post:66, topic:1515”]
If the story ends in Failure, doesn’t that mean that the OS Solution isn’t fully implemented by the end?
[/quote]

I’ll have to look for this. I wasn’t under this impression. How would fully embracing help have changed this story?[quote=“Lakis, post:72, topic:1515”]
Most of the gists under “oppose” don’t quite look like that, but there is one that just says “Opposing Someone” so maybe that works.
[/quote]

I feel like Chick and Lightning both see the opposition of the other for Dinoco’s sponsorship as a problem. I’m pretty comfortable with it. Chick seems to “speak out against” Lightning whenever he can.

Also, Doc is immediately opposed to even having Lightning in his town and immediately dismisses the case. It’s only after Sally rallies the towns support for making Lightning fix the road that Doc changes his mind (which seems like another really important decision).

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#75

So are we pretty settled on this one?

CHARACTER DYNAMICS:
MC RESOLVE:  Change
MC GROWTH:   Stop
MC APPROACH:  Do-er
MC MENTAL SEX:  Male
OC RESOLVE:  Steadfast

PLOT DYNAMICS:
DRIVER:  Decision
LIMIT:  Optionlock
OUTCOME:  Failure
JUDGMENT:  Good

OBJECTIVE STORY
(The Objective Story)
DOMAIN:  Physics
CONCERN:  Obtaining
ISSUE:  Attitude vs. Approach
PROBLEM:  Hinder

I put the movie on again for background noise this morning and I like it quite a bit. There’s still some things I’m not quite sure about. I can’t see the Hinder or Oppose or Uncontrolled for some scenes, but I usually can see those scenes fitting into the correct Issues. For instance, where I don’t see Hinder in the OS, I do see either Approach or Attitude.

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#76

I decided to watch it one more time, and for a bit, I was leaning toward Pursuit again. However, I’m happy with the form we’ve come up with. It was actually the courtroom scene that convinced me. When Doc is so opposed to keeping Lightning in town, Sally turns to rally support from everybody else. (And, Sally definitely does this because she sees Doc’s attitude as an issue that will prevent their road from getting fixed, which she easily marks as a problem.)

Now, it’d be nice if we could get someone to verify the form…

Would you mind indicating some of these scenes? I’m wondering if they’re the scenes that feel more or less like audience “eye-candy” and seem to blast you with the idea “that the world can be a beautiful place, if you stop to look”.

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#77

I’m pretty good with this – it seems to fit the best out of what we’ve tried thought there are parts I’m not 100% sure of.

What’s the next step? Do we try to nail down illustrations for the IC and RS throughlines? Do we look at the Signposts? Do we recruit some other experts to make sure we’re on the right track?

#78

I’m surprised by the Decision Driver (not saying right or wrong, just surprised). What are the 4 or 5 major Drivers?

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#79

I’d like to try to figure out the MC sign posts. Where does MC SP1 happen?

#80

I think that’s one of the areas where we know we’re having some issues. I think I started us off on the wrong foot. I remembered Lightning deciding not to change his tires, but after watching it again, it doesn’t play like much of a decision, more like something that is happening. i think we’ve decided there’s some Hindering by Chick in the first race,but I was wondering if the tie (which happens after we’ve already seen some Himdering) is what’s driving the rest of the narrative. I see a lot of decisions and I was definitely focused on those, but as far as what’s driving each act, I’m afraid I’ve over considered the movie to the point it’s hard to see anything anymore. Kind of like when you repeat a single word to yourself over and over and it starts to seems foreign, or alien.