How can I show my protagonist's weakness in the opening if...?

[harmonica44]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4O...A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_507339

John Truby says it's important in screenwriting to show your main character's weakness in the opening. However, in my script which is sort of a detective/revenge thriller, the main character is sort of a perfect person to begin with. He is a good detective, a good cop, he has everything going for him family, and career wise, and then half way through the story, when he gets too close in the case, the villains hurt him real good, which is why he wants revenge after. This happens at about the midpoint, as it's often called in screewriting structure.

My character is set up similarly to how Harvey Dent is set up in the Dark Knight. He is the perfect person, with no flaws, and has it all, until half way through, something bad happens to him, and his weakness is then introduced.

So if I must show a weakness in my opening, what could it be, if he is content with his life, until the loss at the midpoint?

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. Well in Cell 211, the guy did not have any veangeful spirit in him, but when his wife was murdered, he just snapped and got his revenge in two minutes after finding out about it. I think that that is totally plausible that someone could be a totally happy person but then when they are taken advantage of, in a very devastating way, they could get angry and snap. For example, if you had it all wife, kids, career you like, and then some evil person took that all away from you, wouldn't you feel vengeful?

Isn't it possible to loose control of your emotions? Heat of passion sort of thing? That's how I envision the character, but if he needs to have a vengeful spirit all along, then that can be trouble some. The first half is a race against time detective story, which is much more plot oriented, than character oriented, and it's not until a series of events take place, that cause a ripple effect of consequences, that leads to him being hurt, before he can feel vengeful.

15 Minutes (2001), is closer example, to my story structure. SPOILER

The first half is a detective thriller with Edward Burns's character, being an investigator who wants to do the right thing, and has no vengeful spirit or problems of corruption. But then when his cop friend is killed, he snaps and the last half becomes a revenge quest. I thought that was believable and I didn't need any previous vengeful spirit for it. Can I just do what 15 Minutes did and start out as an honest detective on a case, and then snaps because of what happened, and have the last half shift to antihero journey?

 

[time2focus]

It's definitely possible to lose control of your emotions but if you're looking for a flaw, that seems most organic to me. My personal writing style would lean more towards exploring the vengeance thing thoroughly to see it blossom from something small/likable/innocent to something more intense and I think you could still have the effect you're looking for if you handle it carefully and with subtlety. Also, it sounds kind of disoriented with this half plot-oriented, half character-oriented approach. You can still have action-packed scenes in a character-oriented film. You want to be careful that your tone is consistent, unless of course you are a very skilled and seasoned writer who can pull off a tonal shift successfully.

I still suggest showing the vengeance early but on such a minute scale that it seems innocent. He can still be a good guy early on. Desires for revenge can grow and we can see him successfully resist until he starts to entertain that side of him more. That can definitely be a big shift where he makes a passionate decision in response to a life-changing event. This is just my advice for a cohesive script and character arc. I have not seen 15 Minutes, so it's difficult to answer that last question other than to say that planting the seed in a subtle and elegant way should not diminish the effect I think you are looking for.

 

[elsamcam]

I think you've got it. For me, it's always about starting to establish a character from the start. I think you should show some weakness in the beginning, some signs.... Why does he want revenge? What emotional background could trigger that? Because not everyone would want revenge. Just try to show some of his background, not too much, but something for the viewer to connect to.
He can still be a good guy at the start, but possibly think about a motivation for the beginning, and how that changes. It's up to you.

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. Well I haven't been able to think of a weakness or flaw before the revenge, that I feel satisfactory with so far. This is the same script I was writing, that I talked about in this thread:

http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=55165

Are their any weakness or flaws that would be good for that premise or that theme? Perhaps the main character can find the villains relate-able in some way, in which I could introduce in the first scene?

 

[Sweetie]

Ok, I've read through your thread. I think you're looking at it all wrong. Showing a protagonist's weakness is for a reason. To help the audience relate to the character. It can also show growth, though by the sound of it, this story isn't a growth story.

So you're left with trying to have the audience relate to your character. If that's the case, there are other ways to do this. Try using one.

 

[Editor]

How about having him busy masturbating in the toilet with a porno mag as an opening shot.

 

[FantasyFilmProductions]

For me its a no brainer...he has it all...vanity? Arrogance? self entitlement? then it is all taken from him...some might adjust ok to that, but not our boy, he takes it very badly indeed and decides to go out and start murdering those who he feels took this from him....so his flaw....any or all of the 3 above.