Before I get to today’s blog…

Thinking about doing more with your writing? Why not join me in Paris June 2-7 for my Masterclass in Screenwriting? Come be part of a dynamic community of writers and literary agents to learn, to write, to network, to energize your literary goals—and just to have fun in the City of Light!

The Paris Writers Workshop is the longest running literary program of its kind. This program offers 6 masterclasses by renowned authors, each a specialist in their field—and I’ll be teaching the Screenwriting Masterclass—in English, of course.

The workshop will be held at Columbia University’s beautiful Reid Hall campus in the heart of literary Paris—Montparnasse.

Registration is now open: https://wice-paris.org/paris-writers- workshop

We’ll have a great time getting your story ideas off the ground!!

New Year’s Films 4 – Trading Places

From last week’s disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure, we’re going to take a look at a light- hearted comedy that’s a ton of fun—Trading Places [1983] by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod.

Talk about opposites. The two main characters in the film are rich/poor, low class/high class, serious/funny, etc., etc. They could not BE more opposite. And while the film doesn’t begin on New Year’s Eve or day, it becomes a part of the plot.

It’s the holiday season at the beginning of the film when we’re introduced to Louis Winthorpe III who is a trader at Duke & Duke—a Philadelphia finance firm run by two quirky, slightly antagonistic, brothers. Winthorpe leads an ideal life—his butler, Coleman, wakes him with breakfast in bed in his well-appointed townhouse, helps him dress so that he looks impeccable, then drives him to the office. In the evening, he prepares a gourmet dinner for Winthorpe and his girlfriend Penelope.

Now, the key in this is that Winthorpe SOOOOOO feels entitled to this special treatment because he deserves it, having climbed the ladder at Duke and Duke to his important position. He’s arrogant, full of himself, totally self- involved… he’s absolutely imperious.

Meet his opposite—Billy Ray Valentine—a scammer who pretends to be a combat vet who lost his legs in a war and wheels himself around pretending he’s blind, as well as crippled, and begs for money. In his own way, Billy Ray also feels entitled—entitled to rip society off for all that he thinks has been denied him.

Then, these two bump into each other—literally. They’re outside the steps of this fancy private club when Winthorpe exits with a briefcase full of checks, which he drops. And when Billy Ray picks them up, the story begins. Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=vEaXAsbvHV4

Billy Ray gets arrested for attempted theft but in the process, the Duke brothers have an argument—one believing that, with the advantages Winthorpe has had, Billy Ray could be just as successful. So they set Winthorpe up as a thief and get him thrown IN jail while they bail OUT Billy Ray and give him Winthorpe’s apartment and job.

How does New Year’s play into this? Well, eventually Winthorpe and Billy Ray—with the help of Ophelia, a heart-of-gold-prostitute, decide to turn the tables on the Dukes for what they’ve done. And the highlight of their plot takes place on a train on New Year’s Eve.

So that’s another way to think about incorporating the holiday into your story. In this case, New Year’s Eve means more people—of all sorts—are on that train celebrating… so more chances for wild and crazy things to happen.

This is a good film to remember when you think of how New Year’s might just add that extra layer to your film… so go forth and create!

Next week, another 80s film that’s as pure a romantic comedy as you can get.

Copyright © Diane Lake

16Jan22

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com