bridesmaids hero goal sequences® here

Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCES®
"BRIDESMAIDS"
DEFINITION OF HERO GOAL SEQUENCES®
A Hero Goal Sequence generally consists of 2 to 8 pages of
screenplay (2 to 8 minutes of film) in which the hero pursues a
single physical, visible, short-term goal as one immediate step in
achieving the main overall story objective driving the plot. The Goal
Sequence ends when the hero discovers FRESH NEWS, which is some
form of new information that effectively ends the necessity to
pursue the current goal and creates a new physical, visible, shortterm goal - thereby beginning the next Hero Goal Sequence.
FRESH NEWS either provides the hero’s next short-term goal, or
sends the hero on a short search to find it.
● EVERY commercially successful one-hero American movie contains between
20 and 23 Hero Goal Sequences.
● Act One ALWAYS contains 6 Hero Goal Sequences, and Stunning Surprise
One ALWAYS takes place as FRESH NEWS in sequence #6.
● Act Two ALWAYS contains 12 more Hero Goal Sequences, and the Midpoint
Sequence ALWAYS takes place during Hero Goal Sequence #12 - while
Stunning Surprise Two ALWAYS arrives as FRESH NEWS in Sequence #18.
● Act Three contains a minimum of 2 Hero Goal Sequences and a maximum of 5.
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
ERIC EDSON’S HERO GOAL SEQUENCES FOR
BRIDESMAIDS
Written by Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo
HERO: Annie (This is a one-hero movie.)
ADVERSARY: Helen
ENDANGERED INNOCENT ALLY: Lillian
LOVE INTEREST: Officer Rhodes
MENTOR: Mom
COMIC ALLY: Megan
ADVERSARY AGENTS: Rita, Becca
ACT ONE
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #1
HERO GOAL: Annie wants to pursue a serious relationship with Ted.
● Ted only wants sex with no strings. He callously tells her to leave.
FRESH NEWS: Annie ends up publicly humiliated atop Ted’s automatic
front gate.
(3 min 46 sec)
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #2
HERO GOAL: Get on with a less-than-wonderful life… and enjoy her one
blessing, Annie’s best friend Lillian. (Hero’s ORDINARY WORLD)
● Hero’s inner WOUND is established – her recently failed bakery
business. Through baking Annie gives her love, but no one wants it.
● Hero’s bitterness about love comes out at work when her negativity
drives away wedding ring customers at the jewelry store.
● Annie’s also behind in her rent, and has awful roommates.
FRESH NEWS: Lillian tells Annie she got engaged – and asks Annie to be
her Maid of Honor. Hero has feelings of abandonment, but accepts.
(INCITING INCIDENT)
(9 min 46 sec)
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #3
HERO GOAL: Be a good Maid of Honor to Lillian – while feeling blue.
● MENTOR Mom is introduced.
● At the engagement party, Annie meets Lillian’s other bridesmaids
Rita, Becca, Megan and...
FRESH NEWS: …Lillian introduces Annie to her new good friend, Helen –
who is rich, married, stunning, poised and Annie hates her on sight.
(6 min 58 sec)
HGS #4
HERO GOAL: Try to outshine Lillian’s New Best Friend Helen.
● Helen, then Annie, each grab the engagement party mic trying to
out-Best-Friend the other by gushing praise and singing songs.
FRESH NEWS: Lillian asks Annie to hang with Helen and get to know her
better – learn how cool she is. Annie hates the idea, but she’s stuck.
(5 min 51 sec)
HGS #5
HERO GOAL: Obsess about the awful Helen while planning, then doing the
get-to-know-you date with Helen.
● A cop stops Annie for a broken taillight – romance SUBPLOT begins.
Annie acts silly to avoid a ticket, but what’s truly got her nuts is Helen.
● Officer Rhodes turns out to be a nice guy who remembers Annie’s
failed bakery, and he understands the loving subtext of her skill.
● Hero and LOVE INTEREST Rhodes meet at the level of essence.
He doesn’t write a ticket, but insists she fix her taillights – a metaphor.
● Annie, inspired, goes home and tries her loving art again…but she has
to eat her cupcake alone. Baking still hurts.
● Hero goes on her “bonding” date with Helen – plays tennis to kill…
FRESH NEWS: …and Annie beats Helen at the game! Her Adversary is
not invincible after all! Maybe there’s hope in the Best Friend war.
(8 min 9 sec)
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HGS #6
SUBPLOT CUTAWAY: Annie asks her roommate’s obnoxious
live-in sister to help with the rent. No way.
HERO GOAL: Annie wants to throw a great lunch & bridal party dress
selection event for Lillian and the bridesmaids.
● Helen shoots down Annie’s idea of a French-themed bridal shower.
● After lunch, an ultra-snobbish, exclusive bridal dress shop refuses
entrance to Annie because she didn’t know reservations were
needed. Helen comes to the “rescue” and gets them admitted.
● In the store all the bridesmaids except Helen get violently ill from
lunch food poisoning, as Annie’s event turns into a total disaster.
FRESH NEWS and STUNNING SURPRISE ONE: Lillian can’t make
it to a restroom across the street in time… she must squat for her
diarrhea attack in the street. She’s totally humiliated. Annie looks
like the worst Maid of Honor ever and Helen wins Big Time.
(12 min 10 sec)
ACT ONE = 46 min 40 sec
ACT TWO
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #7
HERO GOAL: Annie wants to get a date for the wedding.
 Her lover Ted worms out of it.
 Annie runs into Rhodes and they hang out – he encourages her to
pursue what she loves by setting up her bakery again. She refuses.
FRESH NEWS: But perhaps she’s found a date for the wedding?
(6 min 44 sec)
HGS #8
HERO GOAL: Plan a bachelorette party in Lillian’s family lake house.
FRESH NEWS: Helen shoots down the lake house idea and leads all
the bridesmaids off to the airport heading for Las Vegas – but Annie
HATES to fly.
(2 min 12 sec)
HGS #9
HERO GOAL: Annie must white-knuckle the flight & pray to reach Vegas.
 Annie is so terrified that Helen is able to get her stoned and drunk.
FRESH NEWS: Annie’s panic attack gets them all thrown off the plane.
(11 min 20 sec)
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #10
HERO GOAL: To try and make up with Lillian on the bus.
FRESH NEWS: Annie gets a knife to her heart when Lillian tells her
that Annie is no longer Maid of Honor – Helen is.
(1 min 36 sec)
HGS #11
HERO GOAL: Tell this tale of woe to a sympathetic ear and gain
support from Officer Rhodes.
 Annie sleeps with Rhodes. He’s a good person.
 Next morning Rhodes sets up his kitchen for her to bake in, but
Annie gets angry. He’s poking too close to her wound, challenging
Annie to grow. She says “You don’t need to fix me! Who do you
think you are?”
(APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE OF HER FEARS)
FRESH NEWS: Her inner wall of self-protection rises again. She dumps
him and walks out.
(5 min 8 sec)
HGS #12 – MIDPOINT SEQUENCE
HERO GOAL: Decide if she should just throw in the towel of life.
A MONTAGE OF SHORT SCENES, much of it covered with music.
 She leaves a phone message for Lillian, “I walked out on a nice
guy…what is wrong with me?” She’s finally asking the right
question. So begins her BATTLE WITH INTERIOR CONFLICT.
 Annie receives a stunning box invitation to Helen’s chic wedding
shower for Lillian. Wedding plans are rolling on wonderfully well
without Annie, and Helen continues to win win win.
 At work Annie objects to a girl wanting a “Best Friends Forever”
necklace and Annie gets fired.
 Rhodes leaves a message: “I won’t bother you ever again. Get
those taillights fixed!” (I.e., “overcome your emotional wounds!")
 Annie gets evicted by her obnoxious roommates.
 Annie moves in with mom – a bad omen at Annie’s age.
FRESH NEWS: Annie sees that the sign over her failed bakery is now
mocked by some obscene graffiti on it – the ultimate statement
about her life. There’s no further down she can sink.
(6 min 36 sec)
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #13
HERO GOAL: Attend Lillian’s bridal shower put on by Helen and try to
be a good friend about it.
 Helen has stolen Annie’s French theme idea.
 Pushed to the limit of injustice by Helen, Annie freaks out & starts
destroying the party – throws the cake, attacks the chocolate fountain.
She gets in a screaming fight with Lillian.
FRESH NEWS: Lillian un-invites Annie to the wedding. This friendship
is over.
(7 min 32 sec)
HGS #14
HERO GOAL: Get home for a good cry before she strangles someone.
 Annie is rear-ended by a hit and run driver.
 Rhodes arrives, furious that she STILL hasn’t fixed her taillights.
“Don’t you see that you can hurt people?!” (I.e., she has hurt him.)
 Annie retorts, “I know how guys act, one minute it means
something the next it doesn’t.” (Still blinded by emotional selfprotection.)
 Ted shows up, offers her a ride... but only in exchange for sex.
FRESH NEWS: Annie finally dumps Ted. Inner growth IS happening!
(5 min 12 sec)
HGS #15
HERO GOAL: Throw herself a pity party and wallow in misery at home.
FRESH NEWS: An unexpected friend shows up, Megan, who beats on
Annie until she starts to fight back and defend herself. A good sign.
(4 min 18 sec)
HGS #16
HERO GOAL: Annie bakes Rhodes an “I’m sorry” cake to show she
really does have love to give.
 She hugs mom, tells her “I love you.”
 Finally gets her taillights fixed… meaning metaphorically she’s
finally fixing herself.
 Plays cupid for mom, introduces her to the repair shop owner.
 But Rhodes does not accept her apology cake, leaves it out on
his stoop for the raccoons. This won’t be an easy fix after all.
FRESH NEWS: The morning of Lillian’s wedding a distraught Helen
shows up at Annie’s door to tell her Lillian has gone missing.
(3 min 24 sec)
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCE #17
HERO GOAL: Find Lillian.
 In the car Helen apologizes, but Annie cannot accept it. Not yet.
 Helen confides in Annie about her failing marriage and she weeps.
 Parked in his cop car Rhodes ignores Annie and she must work to
get past his cold shoulder so he’ll help them find Lillian.
FRESH NEWS: At last Rhodes traces Lillian’s cell. She’s in her apartment.
(6 min 53 sec)
HGS # 18
HERO GOAL: Convince Lillian to go get married.
 Annie finds Lillian with blankets over her head, panicking. Annie
works to reassure her, sees how terrified of change Lillian really is.
 They meet once more on the level of honest pain-sharing friendship.
 Lillian asks, “What’s gonna happen to you?” Annie answers, “I’m
going to be fine” – and for the first time Annie knows it is true.
(OVERCOMES INTERIOR CONFLICT.)
 Annie gets Lillian up – but Lillian says there’s one more problem…
FRESH NEWS and STUNNING SURPRISE TWO: Lillian demonstrates
that Helen’s top-of-the-line DESIGNER WEDDING DRESS IS A
MONSTROSITY. Annie declares to her best friend, “I will not let
you walk down that aisle unless you look perfect and beautiful. I
promise!” It’s Annie to the rescue!
(4 min 24 sec)
ACT TWO = 1 hour 5 min 36 sec
AN UGLY WEDDING DRESS FROM HELEN’S
PARISIAN DESIGNER SERVES AS A REVERSAL TO
THE POSITIVE FOR THE HERO BECAUSE IT IS HELEN’S
FAILURE AND GIVES ANNIE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
RESCUE LILLIAN FROM THIS WEDDING DISASTER.
NOTE:
WHEN STUNNING SURPRISE TWO IS A REVERSAL TO
THE POSITIVE (like in ERIN BROCKOVICH and RAIN MAN,
and BRIDESMAIDS) IT MEANS THE HERO IS ALREADY
WINNING… SO ACT THREE BETTER BE SHORT! HERE,
IT ALSO HELPS MAKE UP FOR A VERY LONG ACT ONE.
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson
HERO GOAL SEQUENCES #19
HERO GOAL: Save Lillian’s wedding.
 At the wedding, as Annie promised she has fixed the dress.
Lillian looks beautiful and happy. Annie has reclaimed her
place of honor right beside Lillian.
 The OBLIGATORY SCENE is short but sweet: Helen grabs the
microphone to announce the arrival of the top pop singing group
Wilson Philips! Annie says disapprovingly to Helen about this
excess, “Really..?” Helen answers humbly, “…this is the last one,
I promise.” ANNIE IS BACK IN CHARGE and “VICTORIOUS”
over her Adversary.
 As Annie and Lillian mock-sing and dance together, the Hero
reveals her rediscovered joy in life, her strength, and her love
for others.
(2 min 12 sec)
HGS #20
HERO GOAL and DENOUEMENT: Begin life as the “new” Annie.
 Lillian gets in the limo to depart on her honeymoon and from
the crowd Annie shares with Lillian a look of love and eternal
friendship. Annie can now express true caring without having
to be the official “Best Friend.”
 Helen, still hungry for approval, approaches Annie and fishes for
her praise about the event. Annie gives it, demonstrates a new
maturity and offers Helen a get-together with Annie and Lillian.
Helen is very grateful. Annie can finally forgive.
 Rhodes shows up in his cop car also in a forgiving mood – and
the HERO RECEIVES HER REWARD FOR CHARACTER
GROWTH – she’s now ready to share grown-up love with a
good man at last.
(3 min 58 sec)
ACT THREE = 6 min 10 sec
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Original material © 2013 Eric Edson