Q&A: Why Can't I, Instead Of Having The Protagonist Turn, Have the Audience Turn?

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Why Can't I, Instead Of Having The Protagonist Turn, Have the Audience Turn?

Jul 02, 2010

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SAB wrote

at Jul 06, 2010 - 7:21 AM

The Big Lebowski?

flowerchild: slacker (French)

at Jul 03, 2010 - 10:39 PM

Can't recall the name really funny the slacker just wants to go to bed he becomes a threat to civilization, his bed is engineered to support his whims, a french horn hangs so he can play, he has a dog that brings him cans of tuna... have you seen it circa 1978.

derekchristopher: New Q&As

at Jul 02, 2010 - 11:36 PM

Hi everyone. Just a quick note that Mr. McKee just shot 80 new Q&As that will start airing on Storylogue next week. Great, great questions! Today we've been shooting new Lessons, and tomorrow we'll wrap with more Lessons and Q&A.

If anyone has any last-minute questions, when we shoot tomorrow I'd be happy to ask him any questions on the craft you may have. You can ask your questions here (I'm sure others would love to read your questions), or just click my profile and shoot me a mail.

henrymann: Being Where

at Jul 02, 2010 - 2:10 PM

I'd like to see a story built around Otto the bus driver.

Chance in Being There was a slacker. As was Luke in Cool Hand Luke.

Bass wrote

at Jul 02, 2010 - 9:01 AM

It's an interesting idea, but one problem immediately springs to mind; what does the slacker want?

It seems that, by virtue of him being a slacker, he doesn't want anything at all. Not only does he not want anything, he makes no decisions. I think you'd have trouble with empathizing with such a character.

In fact, what it seems like to me, is that the story is about a group protagonist; the people around the slacker who criticize him. I think the empathy would be centered around them as they're frustrated with this slacker and eventually realise that he's happy, their lives are making them unhappy, and they go off to the commune. I certainly found myself more interested in them than the slacker over the course of this 2-minute Q&A.

There's no reason why the slacker couldn't be the protagonist; THE BIG LEBOWSKI's protagonist, The Dude, is a slacker, and never changes throughout the course of the story. He does, however, have a desire; to get his rug back. And he makes choices; the supporting cast all try to get him to be involved in a Chandler-esque film noir, but he keeps trying to worm his way out, drinking white russians, smoking pot, going bowling, and just plain refusing to get involved. His choice is inaction.

The slacker could certainly be the protagonist, I just think, as it's described here, he isn't.