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Moonrise Kingdom
There's no story if there isn't some conflict. The memorable things are usually not how pulled together everybody is. I think everybody feels lonely and trapped sometimes. I would think it's more or less the norm.
Even smart kids stick their fingers in electrical sockets sometimes.
There's this thing about Wes Anderson's movies. They often seem to be set in a world that's at least a step or two removed from ordinary reality—with heightened artifice, sometimes stagey dialogue, fanciful "facts," even stop-motion crayon ponyfish—but they can be as hard-hitting with the emotional truths of their characters as any more naturalistic film,
Anderson's formalist whimsy is an acquired taste for some people, and that's fine. I'm a big proponent of liking what you like and not judging other people's tastes. I do find, though, that many critiques of his movies are disingenuous at best, and often based on suppositions that simply aren't true when you take a closer look at the films.
I'd be careful if I were you. One of these days, somebody's gonna get pushed too far.
Moonrise Kingdom is a delight. It's the story of first love between two troubled kids, of grand gestures to break free of a world that seems to be against them, and of the adult ensemble that fears for their future and does their best to guide them in spite of—or more likely because of—their own many failings.
The basic outline is this: Set in the fall of 1965 (and flashing back to the summer of the preceding year) Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop meet and decide to go on the run together, alarming the adults of their small island community. There's a search involving a posse of Khaki Scouts, a capture, an escape, and a showdown featuring a couple of lightning strikes. There's also a pair of lefty scissors. Here's the whole Moonrise Kingdom story circle:
Sets up the world and the ensemble of characters in it. Introduces the conflict of the missing Khaki Scout Sam Shakusky, who doesn't actually appear onscreen (other than in a photo) until 16+ minutes in.
0:00–4:54
Panning through the house
One of the brothers gets out the record player and plays Benjamin Britten. Suzy comes down from the tower with her binoculars, sits by the window to read. Lots of panning through the house to show the brothers, her parents, and Suzy at various times looking out with binoculars.
◉◉
2:30
Title and credits
4:13
Suzy gets a letter
◉
4:55–5:40
The Narrator
Sets the scene: the island, the time period, the storm that will arrive soon.
◉
5:41–8:49
Khaki Scouts
At Camp Ivanhoe the Khaki Scouts go about their business as Scout Master Ward inspects their work. Discovery that Sam is missing.
◉◉
8:50–12:9
Sam is missing
Captain Sharp is notified of the missing scout. Sam's foster family is notified of Sam's disappearance, and they don't want him back. Scout Master Ward is surprised to learn that Sam is an orphan.
◉◉
12:10–14:10
Searching
Khaki Scouts arm themselves in preparation for capturing Sam. Meanwhile, Captain Sharp drives around the island with a picture of Sam. Scoutmaster Ward scouts the shoreline for the missing canoe.
14:11–15:39
Captain Sharp visits the Bishops
Captain Sharp asks Suzy's parents if they've seen the missing scout. After he leaves, Mrs. Bishop sneaks out to meet him again on the road. They share a cigarette as Suzy watches them with her binoculars.
◉
15:40–16:10
Scout Master's Log
Scout Master Ward records his log. Morale is low. There's been no luck with the search.
16:10–17:35
Sam's journey
Sam hides his canoe and sets out across land. He finds Suzy. She's packed and ready to join him. They lock eyes across the field.
◉
17:36–20:30
One Year Earlier
The 1964 production of Noah's Flood. Khaki Scouts are in attendance. Sam slips out and wanders backstage. He enters the girls dressing room. What kind of bird are you? As he leaves on the bus, he has a note from Suzy: Write to me.
◉
Act Two Part One
+
20:34–24:20
And they're off
Back to Sam and Suzy meeting in the field. He has a map and a plan. They set out on their journey. He's full of wilderness advice.
24:25–29:15
Sam and Suzy in the wilderness
First camp night. Taking inventory. Overdue library books. She tells him she's a troubled child and he laughs, insulting her. He apologizes.
◉◉◉
28:40
Suzy reads to Sam
◉
29:15–30:8
Suzy is missing
The Bishops discover that Suzy is gone
30:9–31:50
Mr. Bishop searches with Captain Sharp
Mr. Bishop muses about Suzy's problems. Radio mentions the coming storm. Mr. Bishop disturbed by the hint of intimacy between Captain Sharp and Mrs. Bishop.
31:50–33:35
Suzy has a pen pal
Captain Sharp and Mr. Bishop return to find that Mrs. Bishop has discovered Suzy's letters. Flashback as Sam and Suzy read their letters to one another. Their troubled lives. Sam's plan.
◉◉
33:36–35:40
Search party
Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, Captain Sharp, Scout Master Ward, and the Khaki Scouts organize and begin their search.
◉
35:00
Sam and Suzy spot the searching scouts
They flee further into the woods.
35:41–38:43
Showdown
The Khaki Scouts corner Sam and Suzy. Sam holds his ground. Do not cross this stick. Motorcycle charge, then cut away at the moment of violence. Cut to scouts fleeing through the woods, one injured. Back to Sam and Suzy, with a motorcycle stuck in a tree. Suzy: I do go berzerk. Sam and Suzy mourn Snoopy, who was killed by an arrow during the battle.
◉
37:50–38:20
Captain Sharp drives the scouts
Wounded scout has been stabbed by lefty scissors.
◉
38:43–40:28
At the dock
Everybody preparing to evacuate the injured scout. Adults argue over who is responsible for the misbehavior of the children. Narrator interrupts to say that he thinks he knows where Sam and Suzy are headed.
◉◉
40:28–47:15
Sam and Suzy at the cove
They claim the land as theirs. They swim, they dance, he paints her, she pierces his ears. They get to know one another. They fall in love. They kiss. That night Suzy reads to Sam.
◉◉
Act Two Part Two
+
47:15–48:45
They're caught
In the morning they hear a plane. Everybody is on the beach outside their tent. Sam and Suzy are caught. Sam learns that his foster parents have given up on him.
◉
48:45–50:20
Boat ride home
Mr. Bishop tells Suzy she will never see Sam again. Below deck, Scout Master Ward is sympathetic to Sam and truly sorry about what's happening. Tells him that was one of the best-ptiched camps he's ever seen.
50:20–52:27
Conversation with Social Services
Captain Sharp is upset that Sam will be sent to Juvenile Refuge, possibly treated with electroshock therapy.
52:27–54:28
Suzy's bath
While her brothers play a game and Mr. Bishop goes out to chop down a tree, Mrs. Bishop tries to relate to Suzy while Suzy takes a bath. Suzy: We're in love. We just want to be together. What's wrong with that?
54:23–56:25
Sam stays with Captain Sharp
Captain Sharp relates to Sam's star-crossed love. But: Even smart kits stick their finger in an electrical socket sometimes.
56:25–56:55
Scout Master's log
Scout Master Ward has nothing to say. The wind blows.
56:55–60:56
Khaki Scouts switch sides
Scouts in their treehouse decide they've treated Sam poorly. They make a plan and rescue Suzy. They rescue Sam and promise to get them both off the island.
◉
58:15
Mrs. Bishop breaks off her affair with Captain Sharp
60:57–62:25
Boats to Fort Lebanon
The Khakis Scouts take Sam and Suzy to the other island.
61:27
The Narrator launches weather balloons
Explains the oncoming storm
◉
62:25–63:50
Mr. and Mrs. Bishop talk in bed
Apologies. We're all they've got. It's not enough.
63:50–64:25
Suzy reads to all the Khaki Scouts
We're listening, go on.
◉
64:25–66:13
Missing kids
At the Bishop house, Suzy's brother discovers the decoy. Then at Camp Ivanhoe, Scout Master Ward discovers that all his scouts are gone.
Act Three
+
66:13–70:47
Camp Lebanon
Cousin Ben has a plan to get Sam onto a fishing boat as a claw cracker. He performs a non-legally binding wedding for Sam and Suzy. They sail away but come right back: she forgot her binoculars.
70:47–73:40
Sam goes back for the binoculars
But Sam's nemesis Redford has them. Sam takes the binoculars back but now is chased by a mob of scouts. He holds his ground but is struck by lightning. His friends rejoin him and they flee together.
◉◉
73:40–74:10
Notifications
Commander Pierce calls Captain Sharp to let him know they're in pursuit of the fugitive. Sharp reroutes Social Service's plane to Fort Lebanon. Scout Master Ward is already on the way. The Bishops are notified as well.
74:10–74:45
Weather worsens
As Sam, Suzy, and scouts continue to flee. Dam breaks, flash flood alert.
◉
74:45–77:44
Commander Pierce
Commander Pierce musters scouts for move to shelter. Scout Master Ward arrives and Pierce dressed him down, strips him of command. But then Pierce is injured by flooding and Pierce rescues him and takes command, leading all scouts to safety at the church.
77:45–80:30
St. Jack's church
The church is being used as a crowded storm shelter. Captain Sharp and the Bishops arrive. Scout Master Ward tells them the kids ran away again. Sharp spots them in a balcony as Social Services arrives and chews out Sharp and Ward for being appalling custodial guardians. Sharp argues with Social Services because he doesn't want Sam going to Juvenile Refuge. Redford spots Sam and Suzy in the balcony but they vanish when lightning strikes and the room goes dark.
◉◉
80:30–83:4
On the roof
Sam and Suzy flee to the roof. Captain Sharp goes after them while using walkie talkie to negotiate custody of Sam with Social Services. The Bishops help with the negotiation.
82:40
Thank you for marrying me
Static shock as they kiss. I think you've still got lightning in you.
83:4–84:00
Sharp joins them on the church tower
Sam and Suzy agree to let Sharp foster Sam, but lightning strikes and destroys the tower. They are left dangling from the rope, hand in hand. Don't let go.
84:00–85:19
The Narrator
Describes the effects of the storm and its aftermath.
◉
84:34
Scout Master's log
Reconstruction of Camp Ivanhoe. A particularly robust esprit decor. His photo of Commander Pierce has been replaced by a photo of Becky. A new Pigeon Scout arrives.
85:19–87:00
Back at the Bishops
Suzy reads in the window while her brothers listen to records. Sam sits painting on the opposite side of the room, dressed as junior island police. Mrs. Bishop calls dinner, so Sam sneaks out the window. See you tomorrow. Picked up by waiting Captain Sharp. Suzy pauses briefly before exiting the room, then the camera pans down to Sam's painting of their campsite on the cove.
◉
87:00–87:15
The cove
The painting of the cover fades into a flashback live shot of the cove camp, which no longer exists except in memory. Written in rocks on the beach are the words Moonrise Kingdom ... the name Suzy decided to rename the cove?
Key
◉
Binoculars
Suzy's magic power
◉
Inventory
Taking inventory is such a Wes Anderson thing to do. It's also got to be a pretty important skill when you're making a movie so loaded with detail.
◉
Lefty scissors / stab wound
...
◉
Letters
...
◉
Narrator
...
◉
Suzy reads to others
...
Wes Anderson has stated that plot is not considered to be his strongest asset. Maybe not, especially when he's paying such obsessive attention to so many other aspects of a film's creation. But there's nothing wrong with the plot of Moonrise Kingdom. It's got all the classic elements in all the right places—the three acts, the inciting incident, the turning point, all those things that we focus on so heavily at this site … and which I also sort of suspect don't really matter in the end.
Focusing on plot structure can help you in the act of writing of a story, but what really matters is how well you captivate your audience minute by minute, how well you force them to turn to the next page or forget about the remote in their lap. If you can do that without giving a second thought to the details of plot, more power to you. The audience doesn't give a damn about how many steps are in a Hero's Journey. They just want to be swept away in the adventure.
I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about.
Or maybe not. Who's to say? The point is that Wes Anderson has a pretty big toolbox beyond just plot. His films are visually intoxicating with their elaborate production design and obsessive attention to detail. He's got exquisite taste in music and knows exactly how to lead our emotions with a perfectly timed score or forgotten pop gem. His precisely choreographed tracking shots are attention grabbers in the best possible way, rewarding repeat viewings that further deepen our understanding of the stories. He seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of film, and he loads his own with references and callbacks—whether intentional or not—to much of what has influenced him.
Basically, he's an auteur. And what that means for our purposes here, as aspiring screenwriters, is that he gets to do things that we don't. We don't get to call the shots like Wes Anderson does. We need to bend our stories to the will of the readers, the gatekeepers, the agents and managers, the producers, the directors, the accountants, the FX team, the—
Why do you consider me your enemy?
A screenwriter might have the initial vision for a story, but a screenwriter alone doesn't have the power to get a story produced. The good news, though, is that it's easier now than ever to do it yourself. You just need to scale back your ambitions and make your Bottle Rocket first—make your cheap short, expand it into a low-budget feature, generate buzz, get some funding for your next project. Write and direct. How does that sound?
It won't be an easy life, but it's better than shock therapy.
INT. BISHOP’S HOUSE. NIGHT
The room is black. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop lie in separate single beds side-by-side. They both stare at the ceiling. The windows rattle, the walls creak, and trees sway outside.
Long pause. Mrs. Bishop whispers:
MRS. BISHOP
Did you file the motion for continuance? Peabody vs. Henderson.
MR. BISHOP
It was sustained.
MRS. BISHOP
Good.
MR. BISHOP
(pause)
Did the judge consider your application for leniency? Rogers vs. Yentob.
MRS. BISHOP
He granted it.
MR. BISHOP
Great.
Silence. Mrs. Bishop’s voice breaks as she says quietly:
MRS. BISHOP
I’m sorry, Walt.
MR. BISHOP
It’s not your fault. Which injuries are you apologizing for? Specifically.
MRS. BISHOP
Specifically? Whichever ones still hurt.
MR. BISHOP
(wistfully)
Half of those were self-inflicted.
Mrs. Bishop shakes her head and smiles with tears on her face. A powerful blast of wind shakes the room. A night-light blinks. Mr. Bishop has a lump in his throat as he says:
MR. BISHOP
I hope the roof flies off, and I get sucked up into space. You’ll be better off without me.
MRS. BISHOP
(sadly)
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
MR. BISHOP
(pained)
Why?
Mr. and Mrs. Bishop look across at each other in the dark. Mrs. Bishop says desperately:
MRS. BISHOP
We’re all they’ve got, Walt.
Mr. Bishop takes a deep breath. He says finally, with a dawning realization:
MR. BISHOP
It’s not enough.
If becoming a director just so you can tell your own stories seems like too much—if
you're an old dog not interested in learning new tricks, perhaps—then maybe screenwriting isn't your best bet. Once again I'm just thinking out loud here. But have you considered doing things the old fashioned way? Have you thought about writing a book?
You know, we're actually kind of in the middle of something, if you didn't notice. This is a crisis.
Writing a book is more work than writing a screenplay. Among other things there's more focus—at least in a different way—on the quality of the prose. But the storytelling skills that you've refined as a screenwriter translate pretty well from one format to the other. And a book is really freeing as far as not having to worry about budget. On the other hand, sometimes the limitations of the screenplay format can really help you sharpen your story. Coal into diamonds and all that. I don't know. I've veered way off topic but it's a subject I want to get into more on this site. Consider this a teaser.
Anyway, whatever stage of your career you're at, whatever your goals, promise me you'll keep hacking away at it. Keep learning. Keep pushing. Adapt when you need to, but never give up. Don't stop dreaming. Be your own Sam Shakusky.
I think you've still got lightning in you.
Double Feature Suggestions
Moonrise Kingdom has as its point of view a childlike understanding of the world, both of its delights and its horrors. It's a story where everyone is playing at being adults, and everyone is in over their heads. I'd recommend following it up with a viewing of Abbas Kiarostami's wonderful Where Is the Friend's House?, the simple story of a young boy trying to return a notebook to a friend before school the next day, only to be met at every turn by adults with no interest in relating to his desperate sense of purpose. Unlike Moonrise Kingdom, it's grounded in an almost oppressive realism, but it's still got moments of magic and wonder as the world is seen through the eyes of a child who won't stop trying.
“A captivating maritime story, both subtle and dramatic.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A brisk and bracing read.”
—Glen Starkey, New Times San Luis Obispo
“Enjoy this book before it hits the silver screen. With a story so compelling and
cinematic, populated with irresistible characters, it’s destined to become a major motion picture.”
—Terry Rossio, screenwriter, Pirates of the Caribbean
What movie should I write about next? I have a few ideas, but I‘m open to suggestions:
Cats Children Of Men Donnie Darko Four Weddings and a Funeral Good Will Hunting Grosse Point Blank Hell or High Water Jo Jo Rabbit La Dolce Vita La Notte Logan Miller's Crossing Moonlight (2016) Never Let Me Go Pan's Labyrinth Punch Drunk Love Rambo Star Wars The Big Lebowski The Nice Guys The Raid 2 or something else
Vote Results for Upcoming Posts
Thank you for your suggestion! Be sure to sign up below to be notified when new story circles are posted to the site!
Pan's Labyrinth (15%) Star Wars (11%) Donnie Darko (10%) Jo Jo Rabbit (9%) The Big Lebowski (7%) Punch Drunk Love (7%) Children Of Men (6%) Hell or High Water (5%) Good Will Hunting (5%) Grosse Point Blank (5%) Other
Thanks again! And hey, if you’d like to write one of these articles,
hit me up.
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