Romantic Screenplays 101 (18 page)

Neytiri vs. Tsu’tey vs. Jake (note her softening as she accepts Jake and falls in love)

Grace vs. Parker & Quaritch (note tone & demeanor as jockeying for superiority control)

Supporting cast Unique Character Gems:

Grace, Norm, Parker, Trudy, Max

Tsu’tey, E’tukan, Mo’at

Background effects, the nuances of aura:

Pandora (especially at night) with variety, lushness & threatening environment

Colony & strip mining operation

Home tree

Tree of Souls

Elements from Other Genres:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Inspirational, Action-Adventure, Western

Question:
Since survival of a species was the theme of the humans mining “Unobtanium” for the over-crowded dying Earth and the exploited Na’vi and their Pandora, did you ever empathize with the selfish humans?

Appearance or reference to recurrence of Evil Theme in Min:
greedy, arrogant Culture epitomized by the narrow-minded Quaritch and his military is in
BOLD.
I’ve
italicized
pages with romantic elements and italicized & bold elements of the Relationship Plane.

Act I
= Set-up of Ordinary World
:
Jake’s intro to Pandora, mining politics & his avatar

1 Eyes open in capsule with V. O. about his brother (establish pattern of V.O.)

2 Jake at Tommy’s funeral cremation with men making job offer

3 Ship to Pandora

4 Landing on Pandora, “One life ends, another begins.”

5 Soldiers disembark, Jake in wheelchair off ship

6 Marines on earth/hired guns here, enormous earth-moving equip & huge manned robot

7
Col. Quaritch addressing new arrivals about threatening Pandora’s wild life & the Na’vi

8 “Nothing like Old School lecture,” to lab with Norm

9 Jake sees his avatar “got big” “Looks like you”, told about documenting science

10 Told of Grace, as she comes out of link

11 Grace greets Norm, disgusted with Jake & tromps off to confront director

12 In control room, Grace demands, Parker points out they were lucky he’s a marine instead of a dental hygienist

13 Parker angrily points out value of Unobtanium 20 million dollars per kilo funding her research

14 Grace escorts Norm & Jake to links, “Just go into a hostile environment with no training?”

15 Jake into link, Max sees “great brain activity” Jake closes eyes, “neuro rush”

16 Jake awakens in avatar body, responds, sits wiggling toes, off cart

17 Jake stands, grinning, unsteady then joyfully running out of lab

18
Inciting Incident:
Encounters other avatars playing basketball, running, deep breathes

19 Avatar Grace greets, day’s end to settle in beds, “Don’t play with that” (filaments in braid)

20 Jake wheeling in helo hangar with Trudy, “need another gun”

21
Col.
Quaritch lifting weights, recites Jake’s record then his own & about scars

22
Denigrates science, Recon “Gyrine” in avatar body, useful intel

23 “
Walk & quack like a duck but report to me”, Jake agrees, “Rotate home to get your real legs back”, “Sounds good, sir”

24 Jake into link, Grace warns, on helo, flying over Pandora, landing in jungle

25 Jake dismount, gun in hand, stay, Jake wary, sees lemur

26 “Relax, Marine” then taking samples of tree roots as Jake wanders

27 Jake collapses flowers, rhino creature roars, gun up

28 Grace “Don’t shoot, hold your ground. Just territorial.” Jake charges & it stops.

29 Turns “Run to mama.” As huge black thanataur jumps behind Jake “Definitely run”

30
PP I:
Jake runs with thanataur on heels, dives among tree roots, gun grabbed away

Act II = Life 180 degrees: Jake learns the Na’vi way of life and falls in love

31 Jake chased until forced to jump into falls & river, using knife to make spear

32
Cautious thru jungle, Neytiri on limb above, notches arrow, “seed” floats to arrow, lowers

33 Trudy’s helo circling, call in due to no night ops, Jake in dark making torch, noises

34 Fire shows many stalking creatures, keeps at bay

35 Jake swings torch, 6six-legged creatures with vicious teeth come closer, attack & fight, Neytiri arrow & knife

36 Neytiri drives away, Jake watches (
Look
)
as throws torch into water, she finds creature whimpering then clean kill while she murmurs

37 Jake “sees” iridescent foliage all around, “Thank you” but Neytiri ignores.

38-39
Impressed, Neytiri moves off, Jake follows (Jake showing
Interest
), “Don’t thank. Sad. Your fault!” (
True meeting
), “like a baby”, “Why not let kill?” “Strong heart”, “Teach me!”

40-41
Across high limb, “Where learn English?” “Go back!” Many seeds float, settle on him, Neytiri awe (Neytiri showing
Interest
)

42 “Come,” awkwardly follows, “What’s name?” bolo knocks off log, riders on hexapedes

43 Warriors, Tsu’tey chides Neytiri, “A sign from Eywah.” Take Jake to Home Tree

44-45 Jake brought before Na’vi, Neytiri explains to father E’tukan

46
Pinch I:
As Mo’at judges,
Jake fears rejection by the Na’vi (thus would be a failure)

47 “Daughter will teach” despite Neytiri negative “attitude”, “See if insanity can be cured.” Joins in meal

48 Neytiri then Jake into tree hammocks to sleep. Grace awakens Jake in link

49
Is avatar safe? Won’t believe, colony mess hall story of thanataur chasing Jake , Quaritch “Jarhead clan?” Learn to be one of them, “You have three months until dozers get there.”

50
Parker “Learn what Blue Monkeys want”, Home Tree sits on largest deposit

51 Grace teaching pronounce names, Don’t do anything unusually stupid

52-53
Intro hexapede, & “the bond” “Forward” falls to Tsu’tey’s ridicule, Neytiri “Again.” (
Engagement
)

54
Jake explaining Home Tree structure overheard by Max, wheelchair to lab where packing up “Getting out of Dodge.” To Halleluiah Mountains/floating mountains of Pandora

55-56 Trudy flying helo into mist VFR with enormous earthen, vine & waterfall globs suspended in air, Jake awestruck, land isolated shelf with two “boxcar-type” labs with links

57 Jake sees Grace’s avatar photos of school, “Use me as way back into clan.”

58-59
Top of Home Tree, Neytiri calls dragon-like ikran/banchee, Bond for life. Jake envies flight (
BOTH giving Permission to share & appreciate the sharing
)

60-61
Jake record at link, “need rest” Days blurred, Neytiri repetitious with bow “Skoum means moron,” Norm with language “See you as
into
you,” run farther every day, Neytiri tracks & feel forest.

62
While recording, Grace tells “See forest through her eyes.” Neytiri jumps leaf to leaf descent with Jake clumsy effort, “Learn fast or die.”

63
Grace’s avatar back with kids, as human finds Jake asleep & puts to bed, Neytiri cchecking Jake’s stance with bow but finds correct = prolonged eye contact & back away (
BOTH acknowledge Attraction
)

64
Jake V.O. about “life energy” as Na’vi funeral seen, Jake stalks, downs deer-creature then kills with knife as chants. Neytiri admires & tells “You are ready” meaning to choose ikran. (
She is admitting
Liking
)

65-66 Hexapedes climb to thick connecting vine, “Go where the banshees are.” Jake with Na’vi & Tsu’tey scampering along “bridges”, jumps to climb up dangling vine

67 -68 Arrive at rocky top, Neytiri lands her ikran, “Jake will go first.” “How knows it chooses you?” He will try to kill you.” “Outstanding.”

69-71 Swing’s bolo checking various ikrans, one screeches back at him “Let’s dance.” Catches, onto back, Neytiri “Make the bond!” it knocks him off. Jake comes back, captures head, bonds. “Stop” Neytiri urges flight to seal, Jake says “Fly?” They dive off rocks with Jake yelling.

72 “Shut up & fly straight” levels out & Jake giving directions.

73-74 “
May not be a horse guy but born to fly.”
With Neytiri, Jake wearing apparel, Shown most sacred Tree of Souls (
Jake showing
Liking
/sharing flying
)

75 Grace at links “Die to get samples”

76-77
“Stone cold killer” with Neytiri “Dive” attack by Toruk into jungle & escape, laughing. (
Connection
) At Home Tree Neytiri shows skull of Toruk, “Final Shadow.” Grandfather rode & only five since time began. Jake “Everything’s backward now.”

78 Lab record about confusion, shaves.

79-80
At colony, Jake meets with Quaritch, “been two weeks, thought lost you, getting legs back”, Jake wants to finish & go through test of manhood, to be accepted & negotiate truce. “Get it done, Corporal.”

81
Mid-Point:
Neytiri paints Jake & he is accepted as Omatacaya by E’tukah then all people link, Neytiri & Jake to “Tree of Voices”

82-83
Link fibers to hear the voices of ancestors, Neytiri “You are Na’vi & can choose a woman.” She lists he rejects “I’ve already chosen but she must choose me.” “She already has.” (
BOTH admit LOVE
)

84
Kiss, embrace, beginning to mate “for life” (commitment), Jake awakens in link “What the hell are you doing, Jakie?”

85
Neytiri awakens in Jake arms to tress being dozed, cannot awaken Jake

86 Jake at link with Grace forcing food on him & he gulps then quickly transfers.

87-88 “Wake up, Jake!” He jumps up, waving arms, driver stops, Parker pushes control forward “See? He moved.” Jake scrambles up dozer with rock to smash cameras, gunfire, & Jake & Neytiri escape. Tsu’tey & riders see devastation.

89
Quaritch with Parker watching tape & recognizes Jake “Get me a pilot.” Na’vi at Home Tree talk of war with Grace trying to calm.

90
Jake & Neytiri arrive to speak. Tsu’tey “You mated with this woman?” Neytiri “Before Eywah” “Not my brother.” “Not your enemy. They’re out there & very powerful.” Looks at Neytiri “Words are stone in my heart.”

91-92
Quaritch at link, pushes past Norm, hits Grace’s link & she drops. “I was sent—” Jake’s link hit & he drops. Tsu’tey starts to cut throat but Neytiri knocks him away & protects (
misunderstanding
). Jake awakens at link “Out of your mind?” “Crossed the line. Get a little tail?” “Listen to Grace!”

93-
94
Grace tells of tree link & communication system more than human brain. Parker sarcastic “Just trees.” Quaritch plays Jake recording that Na’vi won’t negotiate & never leave Home Tree.

95-96
Quaritch proposes to Parker gas first then blast the tree. He agrees. Trudy tells lab rolling gunships. Grace tries to reason with Parker “Families, children, babies.” He allows to link back to avatars “One hour to get them to move.”

97-98
Pinch II
: Jake addresses people telling “The sky people are coming to destroy Home Tree.” Mo’at “You are certain? Jake explains why he came then desperately proclaims his love for Neytiri and the clan, but is rejected & tied up. Neytiri heart-broken by betrayal. (
Separation & Relationship Tension Increase
)