Do these type of relationships ever work good in a movie? The ones I have seen so far are "Meet Bill", "The Reader" and "The Good Student". The Reader is the only one that involved the main characters. In my current script, one of the supporting antagonists/protagonists is involved in such a relationship but I'm not sure how much to show in the script.
Screenwriting : Summer/Winter relationships in movies? by Billy Dominick
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
That depends on your statement "works good". If a film portrays the examination of the situation faithfully, then I would say it worked well. If it portrays it in a phony and non-realistic way, I would say it didn't work well. There are many films that explore this area - from infatuations to full-blown relationships. It's very difficult to be in a relationship with someone many years younger and many generations apart - at least from my experience. Here is a good list of films that explore this type of theme. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_romances_of_signif...
1 person likes this
Think about HAROLD & MAUDE (1970). A classic that is still exerting its influence over filmmakers today.
How much does the relationship impact the actual story? Show what the story requires and no more than that. If the two main characters relationship is what is causing conflict, you might have to reveal more than if it is simply important to know that they are in a relationship. I would go so far as to say that unless the relationship impacts or moves the story, do not have the two main characters in a relationship.
What John & Bill said: the main thing is how important this is to your story. If it serves no story purpose, ditch it. If it does serve a story purpose, make sure you explore the relationship. Everything will depend on the specific story you are telling. HAROLD & MAUDE has a young man who wants to end his life coupled with an old woman who wants to live her life to the fullest... and her attitude influences him. If she had been his age, it wouldn't have worked because death is part of both lives (I believe he meets her at a funeral, haven't seen it in ages). So her being near to death (due to advanced age) is critical to the story being told. It tied directly into the theme being explored. One of the things I do is stick my logline on a post it onto my computer screen and anything that is not that logline (my story) probably shouldn't be in the screenplay... it wouldn't be part of the story. So look at your logline and decide if the age difference is part of the story or not.
1 person likes this
Thanks for the advice. I'm ditching it in my current script but in an earlier one, it was essential. They connected through the sports world--one being a former champ. the other wanting to play better.