Alan pees in Mike Tyson’s pool.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John punches the man and runs away.
THE CONJURING
Ed says to the entity: “Close the door. Move something!”
GONE GIRL
Nick deciphers Amy’s clue and finds the location.
MINUTE 66
POSITIVE STEP
Hero does something positive toward his goal
The hero continues his attack, making favorable strides forward on his mission. This is a Positive Step for him, and for the audience. For example: In Forrest Gump, Forrest tells Jenny he wants to be her boyfriend. In The Sixth Sense, Malcolm studies his old session recordings to find more clues. In The Godfather, Michael tells Enzo to stand outside (to help guard his father).
SKYFALL
Bond makes it to the island where the Villain lives.
THE AVENGERS
Captain America searches for the truth.
THE HANGOVER
Stu makes Mike Tyson laugh (he won’t kill them now).
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John goes with the psychologist.
THE CONJURING
In an effort to help the family, Lorraine hangs up their laundry.
GONE GIRL
Amy drives away from Nick.
MINUTE 67
HERO EFFECT
Hero does something that will immediately or eventually impact the main bad guy
The hero is on a roll. Let’s keep up his momentum during this minute by showing the hero affecting the main bad guy in some way, like when Spider-Man blinds Green Goblin and yanks out his flying machine wires in Spider-Man, or when Butch kills his boxing opponent in Pulp Fiction, which causes Marsellus to lose lots of money.
SKYFALL
Bond listens to the Villain/Silva’s story, looking for a weakness.
THE AVENGERS
Black Widow draws it out of Loki that he plans on unleashing Banner.
THE HANGOVER
Stu encourages Phil to make a call to Doug’s fiancé.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John tries to escape.
THE CONJURING
Lorraine tells Ed: “You’ve got to help them.”
GONE GIRL
Amy befriends her pregnant neighbor and “crams her with stories of (her) husband’s violent temper.”
MINUTE 68
ALLY AID
Ally or love interest takes a positive/significant step toward hero
The ally took a beating from the bad guy a few minutes back, but the ally is there for the hero, supposedly, through thick and thin. For example, Han opens the smuggle-door to let Luke and Obi-Wan out in Star Wars, and Sgt. Al tries to help John by holding back the police attack in Die Hard.
SKYFALL
Bond’s small GPS in his pocket clues MI6 to his whereabouts.
THE AVENGERS
Stark backs up Captain America in his suspicions about SHIELD.
THE HANGOVER
Phil tells the strangers to take it easy.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Dr. Rosen tells John that Charles is not there.
THE CONJURING
Carolyn tells Lorraine that she’s fine.
GONE GIRL
The pregnant neighbor asks Amy to use her bathroom (Amy steals her urine).
MINUTE 69
CAPTIVATING CONCERN
Something is seen, heard, or experienced that causes great concern
Concern makes its reappearance during Minute 69, but this time with more at stake. In Knocked Up, pregnant Alison shows concern because Ben wasn’t there for her during the earthquake. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Belloq and Marion show concern when the Nazi pulls out a torture device. In Forrest Gump, Jenny is concerned that Forrest doesn’t understand that they can’t be together.
SKYFALL
Silva tells Bond that M lied to him.
THE AVENGERS
Stark is concerned that SHIELD wants to make nuclear weapons.
THE HANGOVER
Stu shows concern for Alan after he’s punched.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Alicia is concerned for John’s mental health.
THE CONJURING
Concerned Lorraine watches Carolyn walk away.
GONE GIRL
Amy cries while writing in her diary.
MINUTE 70
NEW JOURNEY
The hero, ally, or bad guy embarks on a new journey
When the characters embark on a New Journey, many questions are raised that need to be answered: Will they survive it? Will they be hurt? Will they ultimately succeed? Wanting to know the answers to these questions keeps us watching, or reading . . .
SKYFALL
Silva makes a sexual advance toward Bond.
THE AVENGERS
While The Avengers squabble, Loki’s men prepare for attack.
THE HANGOVER
Mr. Chow orders the guys to find his $80,000.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that John suffers from paranoia and that Charles never existed.
THE CONJURING
Ed tells Roger that he was skeptical at first, but he appreciates his help.
GONE GIRL
Amy cuts her hair and dyes her eyebrows.
MINUTE 71
BAD TO THE BONE
Bad guy, or secondary bad guy, shows aggression
Not to be ignored, the bad guy goes on the attack again, in one way or another, for the next seven minutes. He just can’t help himself because he’s just like that George Thorogood song: Bad to the Bone. And he gets badder by the minute . . .
SKYFALL
Silva makes an aggressive sexual move on Bond.
THE AVENGERS
Loki’s men attack.
THE HANGOVER
Mr. Chow orders the guys to meet him at dawn.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John’s paranoia is more obsessive than Alicia thought.
THE CONJURING
Lorraine saw something horrific during a past exorcism.
GONE GIRL
Amy devours junk food and soda to change her appearance.
MINUTE 72
BADDER TO THE BONE
Bad guy, or secondary bad guys, shows more aggression
To keep up the tension, blockbusters show more aggression during this minute in different ways: In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Major Toht throws Marion into the snake-filled tomb with Indy. In The Sixth Sense, ghosts turn the air cold around frightened Cole. In Die Hard, the bad guys shoot out the cops’ lights. Here’s how our case studies do it:
SKYFALL
Silva tells Bond that he could pick his own secret missions, like he does.
THE AVENGERS
Loki’s men detonate a bomb.
THE HANGOVER
Phil tells Stu that Melissa “is the worst.”
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
The gate where John delivered the top secret messages was made up in his mind.
Officer Brad hears a voice say: “Look what she made me do.”
GONE GIRL
Amy says: “You think I’d let him destroy me and end up happier than ever? No fucking way.”
MINUTE 73
BADDEST TO THE BONE
Bad guy, or secondary bad guys, ratchet up aggression even more
Just when you thought the bad guy couldn’t get any meaner, he ratchets up his aggression even more. In Spider-Man, the Green Goblin knocks out Spidey. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Nazis seal Indy and Marion inside the tomb. In Die Hard, the bad guys shoot two cops.
SKYFALL
Silva suggests that he and Bond could control the world.
THE AVENGERS
The enemy’s bomb blows up a big chunk of the ship.
THE HANGOVER
Stu’s new wife comes back into the picture.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
The government official’s home John delivered the “top secret messages�
�� to was also part of John’s crippling delusion.
THE CONJURING
A ghost screams at Officer Ed.
GONE GIRL
Amy strikes herself in the face with a hammer.
MINUTE 74
PUT INTO PERIL
Hero and/or ally is put into peril
By this time in the movie, the hero and ally are like our avatars or surrogates for the audience member — an extension of themselves. When the hero and/or ally is Put into Peril, so is the viewer, like when the Green Goblin paralyzes Spider-Man, or when the snakes close in on Indy and Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or when Michael is Put into Peril in The Godfather by agreeing to kill the police captain.
SKYFALL
Severine has been tied up to be executed.
THE AVENGERS
Black Widow is trapped.
THE HANGOVER
The security camera watches Alan win.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John tells Alicia: “They may be listening.”
THE CONJURING
The door slams shut behind Cindy. Ed and Roger can’t get into her room.
GONE GIRL
Nick says: “She’s framing me for her murder.”
MINUTE 75
SKULL AND CROSSBONES
Death or destruction is expressed or threatened
Death comes on strong in these next two minutes, which we’ll explore here. The next two minutes are a heavy reminder that just like in real life, the things most precious to us — life and love and hopes and dreams — can be snatched away at any moment, thus the title Skull and Crossbones.
SKYFALL
Silva’s henchman aims his gun at Bond’s head.
THE AVENGERS
Loki grins at the destruction he’s wrought.
THE HANGOVER
Stu reminds Phil and Alan that Doug is still kidnapped and might be killed.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John tells Alicia that: “There’s a threat that exists of catastrophic proportions.”
THE CONJURING
Cindy vanishes with a ghost who said: “Follow me.”
GONE GIRL
Margo asks Nick: “Does Missouri have the death penalty?”
TURNING POINT 75
Not only are the minutes surrounding Minute 75 occupied by some sort of death (actual death, death of a relationship, etc.), they are also where another major Turning Point happens in the story, usually landing between Minutes 74–76.
More specifically, this Turning Point involves an actual death, a threat of death, or a brief escape from death, as we’ll see in our case studies below:
SKYFALL
Silva and his thugs force Bond outside to shoot the girl (Minute 75) — threat of death.
Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk (Minute 75) — threat of death.
THE HANGOVER
Alan begins winning an insane amount of money at the table. The guys might be able to pay Doug’s ransom (Minute 75) — narrowly avoiding Doug’s death.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Alicia shows John that the secret packages he dropped off for the government to pick up were never opened. “There is no conspiracy,” she tells him (Minute 76) — death of his illusion that the government is out to kill him.
THE CONJURING
The entity takes Cindy (Minute 75) — threat of death.
GONE GIRL
Nick learns that Missouri has the death penalty (Minute 75) — threat of death.
MINUTE 76
DEATH TAP
Death or destruction, or their threat, is escalated
And as the hero walks deeper into the Valley of Death — as referred to in King David’s Old Testament verse, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” — the black-hooded Grim Reaper, in some way, taps him on the shoulder with the tip of his scythe. Here are a few ways he does it during Minute 76:
SKYFALL
Silva kills Severine.
THE AVENGERS
The enemy has destroyed a main part of the ship.
THE HANGOVER
Mr. Chow waits for the guys and his money.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
The nurse says into the phone: “Dr. Rosen, Code Red.”
THE CONJURING
Cindy says, “That’s where Rory hides when he’s afraid.”
GONE GIRL
Amy uses the Internet to assure that Nick gets the death penalty.
MINUTE 77
THE RUMBLE
A fight, argument, or violent act occurs
The tension of death needs a release, and this is the minute where that happens. The release comes in the form of a fight. It’s time to rumble, either physically or emotionally. Whichever one you choose, a fight breaks out either way . . .
SKYFALL
Bond fights Silva’s henchmen.
THE AVENGERS
Thor fights the Hulk.
THE HANGOVER
The guys argue whether they should flick the lights or not.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
John tears open his skin, looking for the implant.
THE CONJURING
The house pulls Lorraine downward as she fights against it.
GONE GIRL
Amy’s new neighbor argues with her boyfriend.
MINUTE 78
MYSTERY MISSION
Hero and ally interact; there’s a mystery that needs to be solved
Okay, death has made an appearance and it caused a fight, but now the screenwriter must plant something during the next couple of minutes to keep the viewer watching. What they do is create a Mystery Mission. Mystery creates curiosity and spurs more questions. That curiosity has to be satisfied. Those questions have to be answered.
SKYFALL
Bond glances at M, wondering what she will say to Silva.
THE AVENGERS
Captain America asks Stark what their next move is.
THE HANGOVER
Mr. Chow’s guy yanks a man with a sack over his head out of the car.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Alicia watches John being strapped onto a gurney. John wonders what’s going to happen to him.
THE CONJURING