While writing a review to my choice for a ‘Christmas Romantic Comedy’, I found myself wanting to see if I could clearly define the three acts of the story. Initially it seemed like Iris receiving a request from Amanda to stay at her house would be the inciting incident, but then I felt like it would have been when she meets Arthur. Then as a ‘mirror’, Amanda’s inciting incident would be when Graham suggests she come over to the pub if she changes her mind.
So, refering to how Meg LeFauve tackles ‘act divisions’. And trying to figure out the goal of both of Iris and Amanda the answer that surfaces is: to get over their broken hearts. Iris just received the announcement of Jasper’s engagement and Amanda broke it off with Ethan because he cheated. But what about the ‘stakes’? I guess the simple answer would be: mental health. Iris has what she refers to as a ‘low point’ and Amanda might have had a breakdown if she didn’t take significant time to centre herself.
“The main relationship of the movie has started. The goal has been set…You know what the stakes are.”
Then apparently Act 2 is going after the protagonist’s belief system. Which brings me to the question: What does Iris believe in? The obvious answer is that she’ll be forever in love with Jasper. As for Amanda, her belief is she can never have a fulfilling relationship. The benefit of the film is in having another character that acts as a mirror, it gives viewers a clue about what’s going on with the protagonist. So combining those two pieces of information, I think the belief system is: I’ll never find lasting love. Maybe even: I’ll never find love.
For Amanda, meeting Graham disintegrates the belief that she isn’t good at relationships. Ethan complained about her working all the time and used that as an excuse to spend time with another woman. I know that this gives Graham an unfair advantage because Amanda hasn’t brought her work with her (or is even tempted to do any work), but there are already signs that Graham doesn’t see Amanda as a person who isn’t able to connect with him (which seems to be Ethan’s biggest issue).
Though maybe the bigger question (or maybe the unspoken belief system) is that both women belief that any other relationships would end similarly.
“Act 2 is just cracking that belief system, and just cracking it. Because you’re saying: ‘Is that true? Is that true?’. Because we intuitively know that to change someone’s belief system is a gigantic psychological thing to do…So it could take an entire Act 2 of multiple times of hitting them over the head….You can’t be nice to your main characters…You could beat the crap out of your main character.”
To navigate ‘Act 2’ the protagonist needs a mentor. That character takes the form of Arthur, a retired screenwriter who lives near Amanda’s house. Iris meets him shortly after the brightness of her day has been ruined by Jasper calling that he needs her help. Arthur helps her realise that she is really living her life based on someone’s expectation of how she should be, rather than paving the way to relish carving her own path. I also find it interesting that it was Iris who approaches Arthur (and not the other way around), which reinforces the saying: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I think the message to us (not just for the sake of the story) is that if Iris was still focused on what was wrong in her life (Jasper being a pest), she wouldn’t have had the energy to spot Arthur while he was out an about (the first instance with his carer and the second all alone)
When Iris ejects Jasper completely out of her life (throws him out of Amanda’s house to attend Arthur’s award ceremony), that indicates something different entirely: that I was wrong about what I thought Iris believes in. Keeping what happened in mind, I think Iris initial goal was to wait for Jasper her belief was he still loves her and will return.
“So the end of Act 2 is you’ve broken it. And it feels like a death….because what has died is that belief system. The psychology has died”
As for Act 3, I guess there was no more reason to prove that Iris no longer will tolerate Jasper weaselling back into her life.
PS: I picked this image because it seemed that Amanda (Cameron Diaz) is a person who would turn to coffee first before doing anything. Or at least not starting anything until she has cup of coffee in her hand.
